Our Nicaraguan Weekend

Hola! We worked for our weekend…

Briefly, the itinerary for today was the following:

-a morning walk (read: hike up a huge hill) led by our amazing host Don Osvaldo to the Fortaleza El Coyotepe

-bus trip to Catarina for a breath-taking view of the Apoyo Lagoon

-a pottery class

-visit to Granada for lunch and to learn about chocolate made in NI

-a boat ride to a restaurant on an island

Just a typical Saturday in Nicaragua?!? It felt a bit surreal – “What just happened today?!

The intense morning walk got our heart rates up and we were rewarded with a wonderful view of Masaya. Following another great breakfast at Estancia Victoriana, we were ready to enjoy the rest of the day. After learning all about the process of making pottery in Nicaragua, a few classmates were selected to create a masterpiece on the pottery wheel. It’s a bit harder than it looks and we ended up with abstract works of art instead of functional pottery. The chocolate class we participated in was a great time. Personally, I enjoyed the boat ride to and from the island the best.

It is a privilege to be on this trip. I am grateful for the opportunity to practice PT in Nicaragua and meet so many wonderful people. The work week was long, but our time here is going by very quickly. I always wish I had more time with my patients and that feeling has only been amplified in Nicaragua. I had the opportunity to work with patients in Masaya Hospital, Casa San Antonio, and NRH in Managua. This trip has been wonderful, but it has not been without difficulties and setbacks. The patients make everything worthwhile and I am humbled by them every day. I have also really enjoyed working alongside my classmates in the clinic setting as we problem solve and continue to learn together. I am impressed by them every day.

I’ve looked forward to this trip since interview day. I’m so glad the faculty at Marymount made this trip happen and that they saw something in me 3 years ago that allowed me to be part of this experience.