Day 8. Cap day 3

Hello family and friends! Hope you all are doing well. This is Tanjila and Anna, the leaders of Day 8, writing to recap our final Community Action Project day. Before we begin, we would like to emphasize how proud we are of the whole team for managing to complete our task, which was no easy work. It required a lot of time, effort, and energy to execute it properly. We are overjoyed at the opportunity to make a tangible difference to the local Turrialba community.

The morning started with us waking up bright and early to a breakfast of delicious black bean empanadas along with an assortment of fruits. We all shared in lively conversations that set an optimistic tone for the day. Following that, we participated in a mental warm up of a varieties of stretches to prepare us for the labor intensive day. At 9 am sharp (11 am for you guys back home) we left for our walk to the dig site.

We organized into two group rotations so that all of us could have equal resting time and working time. We found this method to be efficient as it kept everyone’s sprit strong while also getting the necessary work done. Today was a particularly sunny and hot day which proved more challenging than that of the previous rainy work days. Nevertheless, our system proved beneficial, with snack breaks included and friendly dogs nearby. We made excellent progress with covering the pipeline with the dirt we originally dug up.

At around 11:30, we came back to the base for lunch which consisted of fried rice and pasta salad (also quite yummy). After lunch some of us participated in a soccer game and others jumped into the refreshing pool. We were able to recharge before heading off at around 1:40 pm (3:40 pm your time). From then on to 4:00 pm we continued and finished our work at the trenches, finishing earlier than planed. Feeling accomplished with our work we held a celebratory Unity Clap before gathering our tools for the final time and leaving them with the foreman. We said goodbye to the cute puppies and cows that we had spent hours watching (instead of doing our work). Worn down from the labors of the day, we stoped at a pulperia (Deli), stocking up on snacks to last the final few days.

Returning home, we had the opportunity to call home (but some of us ran to the showers first). From our calls, both of us miss our families so much and are excited to come home (yet a little sad to leave this beautiful place). While we took turns on calls some people took the free time to wind down and relax up until dinner time. Dinner consisted of an amazing plate of spaghetti with beef sauce (Tanjila: Chicken for me, Amma!) and side salad paired with a tasty banana-ish drink. We had a bit of free time after that, splitting off into different groups to play pool, make bracelets, play cards, etc.

At around 7:45 pm (9:45 pm your time) we gathered around for our Nightly Meeting to reflect on the day and pass the torch to our next LDD’s who you will meet tomorrow. After the meeting we had about 2 hours of free time where, similarly to the evening, we split into groups to play fun games (including very loud uno) and take showers.

At around 9:30 lights go out and everyone settles into their cabin to sleep. Overall, today was a very successful day marking the completion of our biggest task. Although there was a lot of trial and error, we were able to put differences aside for the greater good. As Leaders of the Day, we are so proud of the group and the work we accomplished. We hope to look back on this experience with sentimentalism and carry the lessons we learnt into our day to day lives back home. Thank you all for reading as we close out our final days in Turrialba, Costa Rica! Hope everyone has an amazing day/night!

Personal messages:

Anna: Hi Family! Love y’all! Hope everything is going smoothly back in CT. I’m having so much fun of this trip: meeting amazing new friends, learning about a new culture, and enjoying the nature. BTW my roommate Laia is very grateful for the puzzles you included in your letters (despite my protests).

Tanjila: Amma, words cannot express how much I miss you. I’m counting down every last second until I am in your embrace once again. To Tabby, I hope you’re having fun trying to stalk everything we are doing on this trip. Of course, I am having fun and enjoying myself! This is a completely new experience and I have learnt much about myself. Love you all so much (tell abbu I love him) and thank you for overloading me on the snacks! <3

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