My in-country experience was great! I never thought how amazing it would be to participate in a study abroad program, and even though it was just for a week, I can absolutely say that it was the best spring break in my three years in college! While abroad, I did not want to forget all of the wonderful things we did, so I wrote everything down day by day in a Word document, which I will use to summarize one thing we did each day.
On Sunday, March 2nd, we went to Old San Juan with Jaiza and her daughter, and we first stopped at the Roots Fountain. The history and importance of this fountain are placed right in front, and a summarized version is: “The fountain was designed by architect Miguel A. Carlo and built by E. R. del Moral of San Juan, PR, under the administration of the honorable Rafael Hernandez Colon, Governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and during the tenancy of Mr. Miguel A. Domenech as Executive Director of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company. The sculptures are the artistic creation and work of Luis Sanguino from Segovia, Spain. It was begun in November 1991 and finished and unveiled on May 30, 1992, in commemoration of the Fifth Centennial of the Discovery of America and the inauguration of this promenade.”
On Monday, March 3rd, we spent our first day in Labcom! We spent some time with Juan watching his presentation that introduced us to some of the basics of what Labcom does and where they tend to gather information from. In the middle of the presentation, Michael came in, and we were able to ask him questions, which was important for us because it gave us ground on what he wanted us to highlight and the language we can and cannot use.
On Tuesday, March 4th, we spent some time in the reforestation and the plant nursery. The reforestation was important because we were helping them open up more space for children to plant more of Puerto Rico’s native plants.
On Wednesday, March 5th, we spent our second day in Labcom, but this time it was more hands-on because we got to take water samples and test them for things like chlorine and nitrite, which is important so we can see how CARAS helps the environment.
On Thursday, we went to the beach and spent some time in Yunque. Yunque is a forest, and this day was important for us to admire things around us as well as the nature in Puerto Rico.
On Friday, which was our last activity day in Puerto Rico, we went to the Marquesa Forest Park, and we did some community service. For community service, we painted an elderly woman’s house her favorite colors, which was so nice because I could feel how happy she felt in the end. When we arrived at Marquesa Park, I was so excited because I love animals, especially birds; I just find them so carefree and beautiful to watch.
Since I am from Puerto Rico, I did not really have many cultural expectations. The only cultural expectation that I had was that the food was going to be delicious, and it was! I also expected to be translating for the group, which I did, and it was nice because I felt useful and helpful.
From our readings, I think that “Comparing the effects of community service and service learning” as well as when we talked about points of discomfort proved to be most relevant to my experience in-country because during our week abroad, we participated in various community service activities. This experience vividly demonstrated how community service and service learning can often complement each other, despite their inherent differences. It became clear that both approaches can work together to enhance our understanding and impact within the community.
When it comes to points of discomfort, before we went abroad, we met with our partners, and one of the things that they kept on saying was the most important thing to have in order to complete the week successfully was communication. Communication is crucial for several reasons. It helps build and maintain relationships, fostering trust, understanding, and cooperation. Clear communication is essential for problem-solving, as it ensures everyone understands the issues and proposed solutions, leading to informed decisions. It also enhances efficiency by streamlining processes and reducing misunderstandings, saving time and resources. Additionally, sharing thoughts and feelings provides emotional support and strengthens bonds. Open and honest communication can prevent and resolve conflicts by allowing the expression of different viewpoints and finding common ground. Lastly, communication is key to sharing information, ideas, and knowledge, promoting learning and innovation within groups and organizations. In essence, communication is the foundation of human interaction and is vital for personal and professional success. To make sure all of us had a good time, we made sure to voice our feelings when it came to activities, food, and the outdoors. By doing so, we were able to create a better understanding of one another and make sure that everyone felt heard and comfortable.
Saturday, March 8th, was our flight day, and it was honestly bittersweet. I had gotten a card for our leader as a goodbye gift, and my friend ended up getting her flowers as well. Our partner was nice enough to get up early in the morning to make sure she had time to get us breakfast and to make sure that we got to the airport on time. My friend and I were the first to wait out in the lobby, and when our partner came, we greeted her with parting gifts and big hugs! Once everyone finished eating breakfast, we headed down to the airport and were just chatting away. When we got there, we kind of took a moment together and said our goodbyes. We received hugs from our partner, and then we left and headed into the airport. While spring break is over, and we will no longer be in charge of this project after this year, I will never forget the good times I had with my fellow peers and the new bonds I have created back home. So, thank you so much for this experience!