A Difficult Farewell

If you had spoken with me prior to this trip, I probably would have told you that I was excited about loads of things. I might have told you that I couldn’t wait to help serve Paraguayan communities or to learn about the Paraguayan culture. However, as excited as I was, I never really thought much about what it would be like to meet the people. And on the first day, when I met the students at the school as well as my host family (and couldn’t understand a word anyone said), I felt overwhelmed with futility; I thought that there was NO WAY that I would ever be able to communicate with these people with my limited Spanish. However, as the week progressed, I learned that people do not necessary need verbal language in order to gain a true and meaningful understanding of each other. In fact, as simple as our conversations may have been, in these past five days I formed a deep connection with my host family as well as the fellow teenagers of Isla Pucu. It may have been difficult at times and taken good deal of patience, but through a mixture of forms of interaction, we were able to learn much from each other.

On the surface, besides a plethora of new vocabulary, my friends in Isla Pucu taught me how to kick a soccer ball, how to be a pro-dancer (we had lots of fiestas), and even how to smile for a camera. But in a deeper sense, the people of Isla Pucu have taught and inspired me to make the most of everything that I am given in life. In the end, it was this “people factor” (which I didn’t even consider before the trip) that made my experience in Isla Pucu a sensational one. Therefore, leaving this new beloved town of mine on Saturday morning was painful to say the least. It was so incredibly painful, that getting any sleep the night before was near impossible. 

In the morning, as a special goodbye, the people of the town put together a concert for us. Here, we were serenaded with Isla Pucu’s traditional harp and guitar music. The band was composed of Isla Pucu’s finest young musicians. This sad, yet joyous music effectively expressed the great emotions stirring in the room. When the songs ceased and the time finally came to say goodbye, nearly everyone, Americans and Paraguayans alike, was crying profusely. I was surprised when even my massive host father, whose accent was so strong that I never did understand a word he said (and vice versa), was reduced to tears. As I exchanged my final gifts, laughs, hugs, and kisses with all of these people that I had become so close with, I realized just how touching this whole experience had been. I promised myself that I would one day return to this community.

-Jake