Jesenia reflects on her EdVentures trip experience to Barinas, Venezuela. Some highlights included rafting down rivers, hiking in the mountains, and bonding with classmates. While waking up early and sleeping in close quarters with many girls was challenging, she appreciated learning independence and overcoming difficulties. The rafting excursions stood out as the most memorable and fun activities. Overall, she is grateful for lessons learned about appreciating what you have and making the most of new experiences.

1. September 25, 2012
Jesenia Duque
Technology
EdVenturesReflection:
I still remember my first EdVentures trip when I was a sixth grader, we
when to Delta de Paria not a very nice memory. It was a challenge to live for
five days in a camp with no phone or any of the good things I have at my
house. In a way it was useful for me to value my home more, especially with
the food. It was my first year so everything seemed to be difficult to me. On
our second year they took us to a camp that‟s located via Caracas called
„Campamento La Escondida‟. That was a great year since we had the chance
to wall climb, horse ride, zip line and much more. On my eighth grade year we
were taken to the same camp, which wasn‟t a good idea since we did the
same activities as the year before. This year was the best EdVentures ever! I
will never forget it.
The only bad thing that I can think of this trip was that we had to wake
up at three in the morning to catch our flight to Barinas, but the moment I was
with my friends I started to realize how awesome this field trip would be.
When we got to Barinas we were first taken to a “Zoo”, it was more like a
place where they killed animals to be cooked and eaten. We got the chance to
see how it was that they toke the skin off the dead animals, it was disgusting.
The nice thing was that we saw some fancy birds, turtles, monkeys, pigs and
cheetahs. From there we took of to the camp that was about two hours away
from the city of Barinas. The camp was called „Arazzari Camp‟ it was
specialized in rafting. We had lunch and then went for a two-hour hike in the
mountains. By the time that we got to the camp it was starting to rain so we
stayed out playing volleyball in the fresh rain.
In our second day I had the best experience of my life, we went rafting!!
That‟s what we were waiting for the entire trip, and it was now time to do it.
We got to choose our own helmet, life vest and paddle. Unfortunatelythe river
we were going to was closed so we had to go to another one that was hours
away, therefore it took longer to arrive. After hours of sitting in the bus bored
waiting and waiting, we finally got there. And I must say that the long trip was
totally worth it. We rafted for two ours but we all had so much fun that it
seemed to be only a few minutes. I fell off the boat once and it was very scary
because the currents would take you really far away, in the end I had the best
time of my life.
On Wednesday we were taken to Merida, fortunately I took a sweater
because the breeze wasn‟t very nice to receive. We did a hike of about one
hour and a half up to the Paramo to see a famous lake, but when we got to
the highest point there was so much fog that nothing could be seen. We had
lunch in that area and on our way down we got to eat fresas con crema, they

2. were extremely good. On our way back to the camp we all fell asleep since
we were very tired of walking in such a cold climate that we weren‟t used to.
When we got to the camp we had dinner together and showers to go to sleep.
We needed to rest since the next day we would go rafting for a second time
but now it would be in a harder level so we can be more active and have more
fun. That rafting was the best ever, I mean if the other one was good this one
was like four times better. This time I didn‟t fall and the currents we way more
faster. When we got to the camp we played volleyball in the court they had in
the camp so we had some fun together. The bad part was that when we were
having dinner the lights went out so everything was in complete darkness. We
could hear many different animal sounds and were starting to freak out. So
the next morning we were leaving the camp back to Puerto La Cruz.
When we woke up we had the surprise that there was still no light!
Packing in the darkness was a challenge since it was like five in the morning
and nothing could be seen. Some people ate breakfast while others decided
not to, I ate a little because the trip would be long and I get hungry easily. It
was a long trip yet I don‟t remember much because all I did was sleep.
The best part of this EdVentures: rafting, new friends, challenges,
lessons and most important learned how to live for five days by yourself.
Rafting was an experience to never forget and I hope to do it again.
Socializing with the sophomore class was awesome since I got to meet them
more; they are amazing people to hang out with. I learned a lot of things on
this trip especially how to take care of me by myself and so now I can see
how everything is without the help of an older person‟s supervision.
The bad parts of EdVentures: having to sleep in the same room with
twenty other girls, no technology, one bathroom in cabin, and having terrible
hair days. Sleeping with twenty girls in a room sounds like a crazy thought,
but on this trip we had to do it. The bathroom was chaos but we learned how
to share it equally. I really missed my phone, ipod and laptop but in the end I
realized that in order to have a good trip and to have fun, you don‟t need that.
Yet with no droughts my nightmare was having to look in the mirror and
seeing my hair like a sponge, I had no way to deal with it. In the end we had a
great time and not every trip is perfect.
Every EdVentures I learn something new. This year was a special one
because I learned how important it is to appreciate everything you have in
your life. In sixths grade I would not understand it as much as I understand it
now, but it‟s a simple message. On this EdVentures I learned to accept the
difficulties of life and how to deal with them. Even if we had challenges, big or
small we still had to overcome them in some way. I glad I had an amazingtime
with my closest and also new friends. From now on I will get the best out of
my EdVentures trips. When we have our international trip I hope to have the
best experience ever with my awesome peers. Life is about taking chances
and living new things everyday. “Life is a play that does not allow testing. So,
sing, cry, dance, laugh and live intensely, before the curtain closes and the
piece ends with no applause.