Day 16...Global vs. Local

This morning began like any other at the Shawanda Hotel; we awoke at 7:30 for breakfast consisting of eggs, fruit, and bread. After eating our meal and preparing for the day, we loaded onto a bus and headed for a visit with the Bribri tribe. The first thing we did when we arrived was watch and learn about the production of chocolate. We were shown the seeds at the different stages of growth followed by the seeds and their stages of production. After this, we watched the making of chocolate and later drank some hot chocolate in a hut. We then proceeded to purchase some souvenirs.

Finishing our hot chocolate, we made our way up the street to interview the leader of the Bribri tribe. He was quite a fascinating character. He told us of his tribe and even sang a song of prayer for us. Leaving his home, we took a break for drinks at a local store. Here, I had a deep and intense conversation with fellow classmate, Mary Lee, about everything I was experiencing on the trip. We discussed the luxuries we have in the United States as well as future plans involving returning to Costa Rica. Following this conversation, we made our way back to the Bribri tribe where we were served a delicious meal.

Feeling full and reenergized, we began a hike to a waterfall. The leader we spoke with earlier and his grandson led this hike. It was a ten minute walk through a good bit of water and some slippery rocks, but we finally made it. Here the leader of the Bribri tribe sang a song of cleansing and had us walk under the waterfall to "cleanse" ourselves. It was one neat experience.

Drying off and putting some clothes on, we headed back for the bus to take us to our hotel. Upon arrival, we all showered and dressed to head to dinner. I was super hungry and the fish I had was absolutely delicious. A group of us then decided to go out for a night on the town following dinner. We went to a couple of bars, had a few drinks, and danced a good bit. Some of the girls even met some cute boys;). It turned out to be quite an enjoyable day.

Today's lesson involves helping others. I have always had a passion to help people, especially kids, in some capacity. However, I always saw myself as living in Georgia and working in the Atlanta area when really I could travel anywhere around the world to make a difference. Today I realized I could do a variety of things and my options are basically endless. I simply need to follow my heart. Whether globally or locally, I plan to make a difference, and this trip has shown me I can.