By Daniel DeCaires
Bearing in mind that the Clinica Verde HIGHER trip in early August was the first time I have ever left the country, I can say without any reservation that it was the best experience of my entire life. It was so much more than traveling to a foreign land for me. My trip to Clinica Verde with the HIGHER program was one of the most fulfilling and uplifting things that I have ever been a part of.
I’ve realized over the past few years that this is something that my generation is beginning to crave – this sense of being a part of something much greater than oneself. Going to a place, seeing the people of a community, and being a part of something bigger and greater than my own urges and desires was incredible, and I will remember those moments for the rest of my life.
As for the young adults I was traveling with in the HIGHER program; I wish I could adequately describe the look on their faces as they experienced something that most of them had only read or talked about. I got to witness the mental transformation of a few kids as they realized that the world was much bigger than everything they had experienced so far. I got to watch a few of them as they helped over a dozen women hear the sound of the heartbeats of their unborn children, which was enough to bring tears to more than a few eyes. It was great to see them set aside their tweets and status updates for more than a week, while soaking in the culture of a different country. I can’t express how beautiful a thing it was to feel such a surge of energy among such young spirits as they gained a perspective that very few their age have the chance to gain.
Daniel DeCaires is a business intern for Clinica Verde and a chaperone of our HIGHER program for students. This summer he accompanied a group of students to Nicaragua for the first time.
