Today’s the day. We all knew that we would inevitably have to leave this jungle paradise, and I wish that that made it easier. The fact is, that it doesn’t. It hurts. It aches. We have all given a piece of ourselves that we will never get back, and to leave it behind leaves me with an absence inside. We have all shed blood, sweat, and tears, pushing physical and emotional boundaries to the brink. We are battered and bruised. We are sore and exhausted. With everything I have given, I have received 100 fold. In the absence I leave with, I am filled with the smiles of the children whose lives we affected. I am comforted by the thankful embrace of the locals who, enlightened by our presence, greeted is like long lost friends. I am humbled by the extreme poverty these people live, and flourish in. I am hardened by laying countless tiles, mixing concrete, painting, scraping, and grouting together a brand new library for the students to use for years to come. I am bonded forever to the 17 others that made this inspiring journey, starting as strangers and ending as family. We all came with aspirations of making a difference, and that’s precisely what we did. As I am nearing graduation and attempt to answer the question, “what do I do with my life?”, I have stayed up late at night in fear of living and dying having not made a difference. When I get home tomorrow, I know I will sleep peacefully.
Post by Beyond Bama Nicaragua SB participant Mike Kallay
The University of Alabama 