Time, something indefinite that we worry too much about. Whether it is worrying about the past, present or future; we tend to over think moments and try to plan ahead and forget to “live in the moment”, something that BLUE tries to demonstrate.

There’s just something about the campo that allows time to slow down, it allows you to take a deep breathe of fresh air and just appreciate what we have. As we were driving to the campo from the airport all the views were breathtaking and I didn’t know what to expect after each turn, and well that’s kind of how the trip went.

Our trip leader, alongside a couple interns advised us to not keep track of time but rather to enjoy the time we have. At first I was skeptical of it, on the first day I continued to check my watch and wonder what time dinner was going to be at or I’d wonder what we would be doing the next day. But as the trip went on, I started to worry less about what time it was or how many latrines we’ve built and more about just living life.

Campo life is just so simple and beautiful, that by living in the moment it taught me to take it all in and cherish those moments because they will eventually fade away into memories. One of those memories is when we played hide and seek at night with Damaris and the local kids. It was definitely a test to see if I was really “living in the moment” because the way that they played hide and seek in the campo was that you can not use a flashlight. Of course I played and it was such a great experience, not only did my connection with the kids and Damaris get stronger but my appreciation for the world around me got stronger. I learned what it truly felt to be a campesina, walking in the dark and using my senses and the light from the moon to guide me.

As you can imagine each day was a new adventure, whether it was my turn to pass the adobo or to construct a few doors, it was always something new and different. The best part of it all is that no matter how many trips you go on, you will always find time to…live in the moment.