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Location: Andes to Quito
This morning I woke up on the top floor of our three-floor cabin, the sun shining through the window and the beautiful Andes mountains in view. We got ready for breakfast and said our farewells to the Andes, then we all packed on the bus to begin our four-hour drive back to Quito. I took a wonderful nap on the bus and then woke up to everyone on the bus attempting to sing along to Taylor Swift. We arrived in Quito around 3 pm and were given three hours to get ready for our last night out and finish our note cards to one another. We walked 10 minutes to a cute little restaurant and finally ate meat for the first time in four days. After that, we had our very emotional last forum. Also, James displayed a great slideshow for us recapping the whole trip in eight minutes. Since I’m writing the very last blog, I more than anyone get to reflect on the past amazing three weeks. From snailing and canoe rides in the rain forest to planting trees and snorkeling with sea lions in the Galapagos to hiking and pick-axing dirt cliffs in the Andes, there was never a time where we weren’t presented with something entirely new and different. Not just from our lives back home, but each day brought new adventures and challenges. We got a taste of so many different ways to help out local communities. While on some projects we might have only touched the surface of what needs to be done, we knew we were doing what the local people wanted and needed us to do, and that is the whole point of doing service. Besides helping the community and being submerged in unreal excursions, we used the three weeks to make incredible friends and memories that will last a lifetime. While I’m sad this amazing trip ends tomorrow; I feel so blessed to have been able to participate in this life-changing experience.