LearnServe Paraguay 2017: Excited about Paraguay (6/27/17)

Well, there are many things I am interested in and excited for on this trip. I am excited to meet my host family in Tobati. I am excited to speak to their kids and to eat their food. I want to live the life of a Paraguayan and to understand their ups and downs. I am most excited to spend time with the students of Paraguay because I am super curious to understand their way of life. I hope to teach everyone I meet about the United States and to share that it is a great country with a lot to offer. I hope that when they think about the United States in the future, they will remember our group and me and the fun times we had together on this trip.

Finally, I am excited about riding in a plane. This is my first time in an airplane (and I’m going to Paraguay!!). I am nervous, sure, and even a bit petrified but, most of all, I am excited. I’ll get to see the world from high above the clouds…

FAST FORWARD MANY HOURS (after a long day of travel)…

The plane ride was very cool, but it was not what I imagined. I imagined a small, cramped metal bucket with little to do but look out a window, smell the breath of passengers next to you and listen to the cries of babies. While all of that is true, there is so much more I never knew.

On the first flight from Washington, DC to Panama City, I was in the middle seat between two strangers. I slept for the first two hours, and the only sound I could hear was the rumbling of the jet engines. I woke to lunch, and, while I ate, I began to chat with my plane buddy, Felipe, and, for the next 4 hours, we learned so much about each other. You can meet some amazing people on a plane. My conversation with Felipe got me excited about finally landing in Paraguay and meeting and talking with Paraguayan citizens.

Without a plane, I could never have gone up to 25,000 feet (or more) in the air. I saw the clouds and flew through the clouds while in the plane. I experienced take off and landing and turbulence my cousin complained about. I even dealt with TSA! And, I think I saw Cuba!!! This was a new and exciting experience unlike anything I could have imagined!

Joke of the day:
How did the toilet paper cross the road? …

It got stuck in a crack.

Avery W., Thurgood Marshall Academy Public Charter High School