Believe it or not, our final day
in the beautiful city of San Juan del Sur had arrived. While we were there for just 5 days total, we
accomplished great things as a group and were able to transcend cultural
barriers to make positive impacts on the entrepreneurs that we were lucky
enough to work with.
When waking up on the morning of
the 21st, we all felt a general sadness come over us as we
remembered that the trip was coming to a close. That being said, however, the morning also
came with great excitement; our five days of consulting work had ended, meaning
Saturday was our day to take in the beautiful sights of the city and genuinely
explore.
The more adventurous students
spent their free day zip lining through the lush Nicaraguan forests, weaving through
trees and careening down the side of a small mountain at exhilarating
speeds. Other thrill-seekers decided to test
out the waves of the Pacific and spent their final day surfing at one of the
local beaches. On the opposite end of
the spectrum, the students seeking relaxation on their spring break went to a
local spa and beauty salon, Sol y Luna, which was run by one of the
entrepreneurs participating in the program!
While there, they helped to stimulate her business while sinking into
their chairs and getting top-notch massages that ended the trip on the perfect
note. Of course, there was always the
classic group of students that still needed to pick up those last minute
souvenirs, so off to the local market they went!
When everyone returned back to
Hotel Villa Isabella from their day’s adventures, the group convened for one
final dinner together. This time, we
would eat at a local pizza shop on the water and enjoy the final laughs and
stories from the week that we had no shortage of. Also, I have to say that Nicaraguan pizza
wasn’t half bad! All in all, it was a
great experience as we enjoyed the good food together and watched the beautiful
sun sink beneath the horizon on the Pacific Ocean one last time.
Our Saturday ended with us
packing our bags at the hotel and boarding the bus back to Managua in
preparation for our flights home the next morning. While none of us truly wanted to leave, we
knew it was time for us to return to Maryland with new friends, great stories,
and having made huge impacts on the lives and businesses of the Nicaraguan
entrepreneurs.
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