I would consider the beginning of 2018 as a rough patch in my life, as I was forced to learn some hard lessons as most people do in their adolescence. In an effort to turn things around, I decided to inspire the rest of the year - with the main lesson learned - to have "COURAGE". Oh man - I did not think it would have resulted in the most enriching educational experience of my life - but it did because it took me on the Amazon Field School Trip. It was a 2 week trip, one week spent in the bustling and vibrant city of Bogota, and one week at the Calanoa Jungle Lodge near Leticia, Columbia.

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A list of the crazy and amazing things we endured:

• Boating along the Amazon river and through all the twists and turns only the jungle trackers know their way around.

• Saw pink dolphins

• Swam in anaconda infested black water (on my period)

• Swung from vines hanging from the giant Jungle trees

• Visited isolated communities in the Amazon Rainforest

• Walked past deadly animals - such as poisonous dart frogs, tarantulas, and a deadly Bees nest - every morning!!

• Trekked along the jungle cliffside, balancing on top of floating logs, and through the Amazon Rainforest at night (luckily not all at once)

• Cuddled a cute lil monkey who hid in my shirt

• Ate fried Larvae which was presented as a delicacy by a local Shaman (also pretended it was delicious to convince several other classmates to try... it definitely was not delicious but totally worth it for the prank)

• Learned native crafts such as basket weaving and ceramics from local women

• Planted a tree!!

• Learned how diverse the world really is...

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