If you ever feel like life is passing you by and that there are  times that you do not  have enough umph to keep going, take a trip to Central America. The atmosphere, the people and the climate will shape you up in no time.  Going out of the country for the first time can be a very frightening experience. The constant rush and anticipation eats at you until you think you might go crazy. But then it stops, and an overwhelming sense of peace surrounds your being, both physically and emotionally. From the beginning I did not know what to expect, was I going to be lost in a language barrier maze or would I be able to scrape by on the mere basics that I knew?  Was there danger after every turn, or would my eagerness to immerse myself detract unwanted attention? What I did not expect was to feel like I had been introduced to a whole new aspect of myself.  There were times that I felt that this is what I was here to do. this study trip fit in perfectly for me at the end of my senior year.  I think that by coming to these parts of Central American, to places that are not focused on the materialistic aspects of life but instead the sheer simplicity of living, is the perfect way to set up the future of who I will become.  I was completely caught off guard when I found myself being not just very interested in the people we were meeting but also very interesting to them.  Especially in El Salvador there were many times that our group was on display for the people to see, but there was no awkwardness. "Miles of smiles" is an appropriate phrase for our reaction to being gawked and waved at throughout the city of Suchitoto. One of the most memorable things for me was being driven though the city in the back of a truck, basically an open truck normally only used for livestock in the US but that in El Salvador is like an open taxi.  Local kids would yell "hello!" So eager to practice their English.  I think that one of the most important lessons I learned was to acknowledge that we really are privileged, but to not feel guilty or disgusted with yourself, but thankful. I know that in my life I take advantage of things like a hot shower, but now I will try and discipline my mind to be more grateful. We live in a society today where things are made so easily accessible to us and now I know better what an impact that has. Now it is your turn to try and figure it out. So jump in with eyes wide open and hearts a poundin'.  - Sierra Connolly