By Nicole – 1 week volunteer

I was lucky enough to be able to spend Christmas in the village.  We took the day off from seeing the elephants and got to spend the day celebrating with each other. It was a nice day off to call home to our loved ones and just enjoy each other’s company and the perfect weather. It’s pretty chilly at night here now so it definitely felt like Christmas time. I couldn’t have asked for a better Christmas this year.

We had a plan to make stew and watch holiday movies that night. It was fun to play Christmas music, help chop everything for dinner, and get in the spirit. We quickly learned that life in the jungle likes to throw some curve balls into your plan – which made for lots of laughs and great memories with each other. It turned out to be the perfect day!

Spending time here in the village has been so amazing. After a few days, the villagers became more comfortable with me and I got to interact with them more. Their amazing spirits are contagious. Being here makes you really appreciate life. It’s so eye opening to see how happy the villagers are and how much they value their relationships with each other. As my time here is unfortunately coming to an end, I am really cherishing every minute I have left in the village.  Coming here has been the best decision and I am so glad I was able to do it.