CAP Day 3

Hola from Costa Rica, the leaders of CAP day 3; Emily, Kaya, & Hasini! Today on our last CAP (Community Action Project) day, everyone worked together to wash and clean water tanks and fences. While working we saw a beautiful view of Turrialba’s rural landscape and natural environment. The work for CAP day was split into two parts. In the beginning section, we waited for the Asada San Rafael worker to open the gates. While waiting, people grouped together to play cards, avoid the ants, and buy some snacks at the local shop (Aka, the Pulperia). The ASADA workers came and we started working with the brushes and hose to clean off algae and dirt from the area. Later, we headed back to camp for lunch (WE HAD CHIPS!) and then returned in the rain to complete our work. We finished early and headed back to the Pulperia with the people who hadn’t gone earlier to stock up on even more snacks (always a necessity). Returning back to the camp, we had free time and called our families (we miss you guys <3). Some people read books; took showers and naps; caught up with one another; played card games –a common occurrence; and hid from the excruciatingly loud and thunderous rain. Shortly after, it was dinner time! We enjoyed Lasagna, salad, and refreshing tamarind juice. After dinner, we wrapped up our day with a CAP reflection and our routinely nightly meeting. We discussed strengths, weaknesses, and fun memories (namely, we complained about the large and obnoxious rocks while digging the trench). Our quote of the day was “In a time of destruction, create something.” – Maxine Hong Kingston. Upon reflection, we think that represents our efforts for the CAP. To wrap up, these are our personal remarks:

“ Being Leader Del Dia taught me many meaning full lessons, such as the power of one’s voice when they express their ideas and thoughts. I have used my voice is many different ways today, from yelling “GLOBAL” (to get the attention of the other glimpsers) to giving instructions on how our CAP day will work. Another important lesson I learned was how communication has no barriers; even though I only know a little bit of Spanish I was able to communicate and understand one of our staff members, Natalia, when announcing what we would have for dinner (with the help of the other leaders, of course). Overall getting the opportunity to be leader helped me gain a new perspective of what it means to be a good leader. A leader is not just a person who tells what people do, but a person who also inspires and motivates others to be their best versions of themselves. My parents have always pushed me to be the best version of myself, and I am so grateful for their support. I wouldn’t be where I am without them, so thank you Amma and Nanna (and of course my little brother, who I can’t wait to see) , I love you guys, and I can’t wait to tell you about my fun and memorable memories : ) .” – Hasini Methuku

“As an LDD, I enjoyed leading our GG community and seeing everyone collaborate to make  tangible impacts in cleaning the water infrastructure. To me, leadership means confidently exemplifying the change you wish to see. Therefore, as a leader today I was intentional with my words, actions, and planning. I’m grateful that I was able to use my voice meaningfully, for example when making announcements, explaining instructions, or motivating my peers to get important work done. Needless to say, this day gave me the opportunity to grow my understanding and application of leadership. In the future, I hope to continue using my voice and leadership skills to inspire others to create sustainable change. Overall, the CAP is a powerful reminder of environmental justice and the importance of being a responsible traveler. Reflecting on my Global Glimpse experience so far, I’m incredibly grateful of the memories I made -every laugh, lesson learned, and first experience — from making local food to visiting the Farmers Market in Turrialba. Nevertheless, I miss my family wholeheartedly. To my mom and sisters, I love you and can’t wait to see you soon!” – Emily Yang

“Heyyyy, I’m last y’all! I want to reflect on my leadership today by talking about how I enjoyed working with my friends, Hasini and Emily, to lead everyone in today’s activities. I was able to step out of my comfort zone because of their support! Each time I called “Global” to get people’s attention, delegated tasks to different groups, and called on people either for the nightly meeting or at the meal time’s announcements was another step towards being a successful leader. I admit, I probably could’ve done all of this more confidently, and yet, I’m still proud of myself for putting in the effort and taking care of our group today.

 Now, on to my experience in this overall trip. While I was sick for the first day or two, I missed some fun activities. Although that was definitely not great, this made me super excited to jump back in and give my all to the remaining experiences (I also may or may not have used my sick days to prepare the introvert in me for the upcoming social interactions, but that’s not important). Some of my favorite things we’ve done have been visiting the town in Turrialba, hiking to the waterfall (and the return hike in POURING rain was certainly memorable), and finally, learning about environmental justice and the history of Costa Rica. There were many more, but these are some of my absolute favs!

To wrap up, I want to say thank you to both my parents for teaching me and providing me with experiences like this. I have no doubt that your efforts have considerably played into my enjoyment and comfortability during this (Ooooh, fancy talk~). Anyway, I love you guys so much y Te quiero tanto mama y papa. (I know both of you (Nenee and Nana) are reading this, so I love you guys as well, to the moon and back ;>) I miss you all and can’t wait to see you soon, Love you guys <3”                       – Kaya Buckner 🙂