It's Not Goodbye; It's I Will See You Later by Jaclyn Tregle

My time in Concepcion came to an end. It was very difficult to say goodbye to all of the wonderful people I have met here, especially my family. In the beginning of the week, we had a dinner to honor all of the teachers and staff  and translators that graciously took us under their wing by letting us participate in school lessons and activities. The translators sacrifice their own time to be with us to increase our ability to communicate with the teachers who did not speak any English.  On the last day of school, we had a small field day. We played games in the gym such as, kickball and dodgeball. We also had another Zumba session! It was a lot of fun playing and dancing with the students. I could not thank everybody at the Colegio de Concepcion San Pedro and the translators enough! I am very grateful for my experience in Concepcion. 

My translator, Jasna, and one of my teachers, Monica.

Kickball with the dean!

 Throughout my three weeks in Concepcion I was blessed with a very special host family. My mom, dad, and brother made me feel at home from the second they picked me up from the airport three weeks ago. I could not have had a better matched family. When I got sick with a cold, I was cured within a day. My mom made sure I was taken care of properly, and she made me hot water with herbs and honey to cure my sore throat. They also took the time to show me the beautiful sights of Concepcion, such as Desembucadora, Chilan, Talcahuano, the ferias, and many more. Also, they had to sacrifice time, too, to pick me up from school events that lasted into the night.  These people have truly impacted my life. I've always wanted a brother and now I can honestly say I have one. Felipe is the coolest brother any girl could ask for. We shared many laughs together, and always had a fun time. It will definitely not be the last time I see my family. It's not goodbye. It's I will see you later. I love this family as my own, because they are my family.

Last dinner at a Peruvian restaurant...yummy yummy :)

Mi Familia

Until next time, Concepcion!