Weekends, oh weekends...

The last two days have been epic. E.P.I.C.

The kind of days that make me remember how beautiful the world is. How beautiful people are. And how much fun we - people who were not long ago strangers - can have together.

And the kind of days that remind me why I travel. Why I love meeting new people. And maybe not the exact right reason, but also one of the reasons I volunteer.

 

Traveling, yeah, you meet incredible people. You hang out for a day or sometimes a week and never see them again. But when volunteering...that's when strangers become friends.

Volunteering brings like minded people together for one main purpose - to give back. We work together, plan together, improve ourselves together, get stressed out together over lesson plans and travel plans...but we also have fun together. Get to get to know each other. Talk about life and love and happiness together. And take lots of selfies together.

Weekends for volunteers are a day to breathe. All week we run from one project to another, and when not volunteering we are planning...or sleeping. It is exhausting!

So Friday - our half day - rolls around. We get off of projects early, come home, take a break and eat some food. Then go out, chill at the corner store, have some pizza and drinks while talking about every single topic under the sun. 

And then... We leave town. Head to a beach or national park. We eat coconuts and swim in oceans and play soccer and volleyball. 

This weekend we went to Juan's private beach island. Juan is a local who lives at the volunteer house during the week. 

I don't have to detail...a beach is a beach. It was so beautiful, taking a taxi through Cartagena, and then a boat to the island.

Seeing locals, hearing their talk. Their laid back way of island living...

And my favorite... Dancing. Saturday night Irfan, Lili and I headed to el centro Cartagena for some beautiful, ridiculously fun Colombian dancing. Actually a little different from Central America - more salsa and upbeat and less merangue, but still the same amazing dancers, and even better with people I have grown to love. :)

After returning from the beach Sunday, we really stressed ourselves out by spending an hour or so trying to plan next weekends trip to Barranquilla festival. That is going to be some weekend...but we found out a little late that trying to book a hotel for 12 people a week before the third (or so) largest festival in South America is pretty much a bad idea. But, all is well, and excitement is growing!! 

(Stay tuned for epic stories!)

Good, good weekend. :)