Leaving Isla Pucu this morning felt like leaving a friend you’ve known for a long time. I made so many close connections and so many friends there, it was so sad to leave. These eight days have gone by so fast, it felt like we were just on the plane yesterday. Because I wasn’t going to see anyone in the morning, I had to say my goodbyes last night. Saying goodbye to all the kids was really hard, and I did not want to leave. My host mom, Mirta, gave me a big hug goodbye. This morning I slowly packed my bag and said goodbye to my Isla Pucu home. At the plaza as we gathered to leave, Jeremy and his host brother David got out of the car – Jeremy wearing an I ♥ PY shirt and David wearing an I ♥ DC shirt. We are all going to miss David so much.
After goodbyes, we all climbed into three different vans and took a four-hour-long journey to Ciudad del Este. Along the way I smelled the familiar smell of burning trash, a scent that filled the streets of Isla Pucu. I already want to go back. Halfway through, we stopped at a lunch place where everyone had sandwiches, except for me because I am allergic to wheat. I had sopa paraguaya. We continued our drive for another two hours or so, and finally reached our destination. Tired and hungry, we stumbled into our rooms and rested until we had a picnic-style dinner at the pool patio. Rachel, Maddy and I went back to our rooms and I experienced a hot shower for the first time in four days (one of the things I won’t miss about Isla Pucu). Today we all made sure we friended our Isla Pucu family members and friends on Facebook before the night ended. We just can’t wait to see what’s in store for the rest of our trip!
Amanda S., Bethesda Chevy Chase High School