Day 5 by Rocio

Hawaii! This trip has been amazing to me and there's many reasons why I say that. From the moment I got the scholarship I had many thoughts rushing through my head. Ranging from "Am I even good enough for this?" or "what should I take, I've never traveled this far?!" I felt overwhelmed but extremely excited to see what was waiting for me to experience.

These past days have been wonderful and I can't seem to find the proper words to describe exactly how I feel every moment of the day. However, this day was very special to me in particular. It started last night, when I was able to open up a little bit more to my peers whom I've gotten so close to. It might not seem like a big deal but to me it was a step out of my comfort zone. Putting more of myself out there is very important, and I appreciate how respectful and supportive everyone around me was. Not only that, but also how they let me hear more about themselves and see them open up as well.

Today we went to Wailoa Estuary, which had a very interesting meaning to me. While doing rotations I felt in tune with the nature around me. It was very peaceful and welcoming for many reasons. The waters were calm, there was an abundance of fish, and the weather was amazing. However I felt the conversations that I was part of held the most meaning to me. One that I won't forget was talking to Monica, Lauren and my group. We were comparing the similarities between Hawaiian culture and our different cultures back at home, such as language, beliefs, food & stories. It was great knowing how much we share in common with one another and even better learning the differences. I love and highly enjoy learning about others because I feel they give me this piece of them that'll I'll always cherish and respect.

During dinner as I watched everyone settle down I realized that opportunities like these don't come easy, especially where I'm from. I felt thankful that I was given this chance to open my eye to a broader view of life in general. I have big plans and although at times it may get intimidating to go out and make change I only hope I do something big, bigger than me. Finally, at the end of the night, it felt really nice that Lauren gave me the Mahalo bear. The kind words she said mean a lot.