Today was the day that we finished up our work at the community and headed back to Rurrenabaque, and I think I speak for everyone when I say that the fruits of our labor were well worth the hard work.
On our way to the boat, we were able to give the community the gifts we had brought and say goodbye to them. Dirty, sweaty, and absolutely covered in bug bites, I think we all still wanted to stay at the community just a little while longer.
We were able to witness the families in these communities find happiness in everyday things that we normally pay little attention to: clean water, toys, and school supplies. It really put our lives into perspective for us. It’s amazing to see how simple it is to find happiness in the little things.
A lot of the group became quite attached to the children of the community as well. Despite the slight language barrier, late nights of playing soccer and taking pictures with the kids was never difficult. The experience really makes you realize that it does not require words to communicate with one another.
For breakfast, Jacob prepared us a delicious meal of pancakes and doughnuts. Although the dishes had their own Bolivian twist, the idea of home was very comforting, and the food was much appreciated. Once we returned to our hostel in Rurrenabaque, the first thing everyone did was take a long shower. Washing away the build up of dirt and grime from three days of physical labor was insanely refreshing; it’s astonishing to see how much satisfaction can be found in cleanliness. After settling in, we went to local markets to get snack food and, to everyone’s surprise, ended up finding ice cream. We were able to enjoy the cool, sweet treat and take our time to rest for a bit and do some group activities, a relaxing change of pace after three days of physical labor was insanely refreshing; it’s astonishing to see how much satisfaction can be found in cleanliness. Overall, today was very bittersweet for everyone, but I’m excited to see what adventures we will come across next.