My experience as a member of Dos Pueblos and traveling to Nicaragua several times has been incredible and inspiring. As a founding member of the youth delegations, I have seen the trips develop and change. New delegates are always very nervous going into the trip but end up falling in love with the experience. One of the most special parts of the trip is the connection that we have with the members of the Acro-Iris team in Nicaragua. We work closely with them on the work project each year and we also have a great deal of fun with them. We always keep in touch through Facebook and look forward to seeing each other all year. Despite our limited Spanish and their limited English, I consider our connection extremely strong and we get amazing things done together!

Being a part of Dos Pueblos and traveling to Nicaragua multiple times has not only been a life changing experience, but has also given me insights into what it means to be a part of a family in our sister city. Most of the delegates that have been a part of these trips aren’t fluent Spanish speakers. But who’s to say it was going to be hard to communicate? As an original member of the youth delegation, I’ve seen myself and many of the other delegates build strong relationships with the Arco Iris through the music we listen to, inside jokes, and shared moments together. I think one of the best things about Dos Pueblos is that the only criteria there really is, is to be yourself. One doesn’t have to know a lot of Spanish to build lifelong relationships, everyone is unique and brings different skills and mindsets to these delegations which makes our presence there more personal and our friendships last longer.

This was my first year being a part of the Dos Pueblos youth delegation, and I have to say that it was truly one of the greatest experiences of my life. I had no idea what the experience was going to be like going into it, and it shocked me when I met the Arco Iris kids because of how similar we all were. I think one of the most touching memories of the trip was when we were unloading all the bags of supplies and organizing them because I saw the look on everyone’s face and you could just feel the gratefulness and appreciation radiating from everyone. The warmth and kindness that these people have is something that makes me hopeful because it lets you know that there are millions of other people in the world just like them around the world. I will definitely be going back next year, and I’m already excited thinking about February 2017!