The journey to Cochabamba, Bolivia lies on the horizon, and it’s so close that it doesn’t feel real.  As I anticipate our time in-country, the significance of our work and the privilege to immerse ourselves in the context of a nation and culture rich in history, traditions, and resiliency weighs on me.  Its gravity is not one that discourages; rather, I bear it with excitement and a yearning to learn as much as possible.  Throughout the semester, my teammates and I progress through a project forged by ten years of trust, consistency, and reciprocity.  As built on previous years, we commit ourselves to quality deliverables for our client, CEOLI, so they can better prepare and serve the future of their country: the children.

CEOLI’s work profoundly impacts its community because they are the only organization that provides education to low-income families for children with disabilities.  Every year, they scrape what money they can and dedicate themselves to nurturing these children into independent and autonomous people.  I deeply respect their commitment to the children, and after meeting with the founder, Ron, I felt the love he and his team have for what they do.  It’s not easy to run a non-profit organization with no help from the government that requires equipment, supplies, space, and staff to accommodate different needs and learning styles.  The entire time we spoke with Ron, I noticed how much he smiled, and that left an impression on me.  Our project contributes to something beyond ourselves, and I am grateful for the opportunity to work towards real, long-term impact.

Through our scope of work, CEOLI tasked us with procuring technology to aid in the children’s education, compiling training materials for hydrotherapy and sensory therapy, and developing network connections within the United States.  Beyond that, our group wanted to fundraise to support their finances, and, so far, we raised over $2200!  I’m well aware that I shouldn’t speak for other people, but, alas, I will.  As a team, we honor the importance of CEOLI’s mission and want to make the most of our semester in this partnership.  This drives us to go further than just meeting the requirements, and we will keep working towards pouring our best efforts into our time internationally and the rest of the semester.  

As the countdown to Cochabamba continues, I think about the experiences and growth that we will undergo while in-country.  My teammates and I are excited to get to know each other better through this time while also gathering information to further contextualize our project.  Bolivia and, by extension, Latin America’s history and culture are vastly different from ours in the United States, and we cannot apply our standards and expectations to our final deliverables.  We will prioritize learning as much as possible about everything we can.  Whether it be their education system, thoughts on the gravity of their economic circumstances, or how their art developed over time, I know my teammates and I will value that information, use it to inform our projects, and internalize it to build our own personal worldviews.  We educated ourselves on the many facets of Bolivian life, but we will never truly understand until we see and experience Cochabamba and interact with the locals there.  

I am the most excited to meet the people of Cochabamba, and I am aware that navigating a new culture will be difficult.  I anticipate that the language barrier and differing cultural norms of communication will challenge my teammates and I to conduct our business and hinder understanding between the locals and us when trying to get to know each other.  While I put consistent effort into learning Spanish, my proficiency is far from fluent, and I lack the knowledge of grammatical structures that could further enhance my ability to speak the language.  As a life goal, I want to learn Spanish beyond this trip and read and communicate in a language that shapes global dynamics.  I will do my best to speak in Bolivia’s native tongue as much as possible, but I know my team and I will rely on translators.  At no one’s fault, meaning may get “lost in translation,” which could complicate the situation and lead to incorrect interpretations of what the other person says.  

However, we learned to combat that by discussing methods to be proactive, open-minded individuals even when communicating across cultures and languages.  We must do our best when interacting with our client and the people of Cochabamba and be active listeners when they speak to us.  Different cultural norms may make us appear rude, for example, Americans speak loudly compared to other countries, and we have to practice mindfulness to respect everyone.  In addition, we are guests in Bolivia, so we must take initiative to ask questions and be curious.  How can we learn without wanting it?  Yes, just being there, we will gain knowledge not previously known, but in order for us to make the most of this experience, we should take it upon ourselves to ask those clarifying questions, strike up conversation with a stranger, and listen when being spoken to.  Doing this will motivate the whole team to be active participants in this opportunity and show our utmost respect to our host country and city.*

As I scramble to pack and prepare for my time in-country, I want to reflect on this experience as a whole for a few moments.  The past eight weeks have educated me and broadened my viewpoints on interacting with others, the significance of service learning, and traveling as a whole.  I’ve had the travel bug since I first studied abroad after my freshman year and then again post-sophomore year.  Following this school year and because I work four jobs, I funded my own vacation to Iceland.  There, I will be a tourist, and, in my previous study abroad experiences, I played that role.  While I appreciated my time there, I was never forced to think so intentionally about the culture I was entering into.  Through working with my team and discussing best practices, I now know how much work goes into genuine respect and building relationships in places around the world.  I’m excited to take my curiosity to Bolivia, serve and impact an organization that means so much to the local community, and deeply reflect on what I learned.  This experience will change our lives, but I also think it will change how we see the world, and that is a gift.  

Y asi, yo estoy muy emocionada para Bolivia!  Hasta luego!

* Gross, Tricia and Michele McDonough.  “Top 10 Characteristics of an Effective Project Team.”  29 May 2010.  Discussion on 12 Feb 2026.

** Image credits: https://southamericaplanet.com/cochabamba-city-tour-museum/