An Unforgettable Trip

Spending 6 weeks overseas with OG gave me the confidence to go explore and travel independently. The simple travel knowledge I gained of backpacking ethically and responsibly will continue with me on my future adventures.
I am so grateful with how safe and comfortable I felt the whole trip. Roughing it is so much more fun if you can just laugh at the situation and embrace the dirt. The hostels we stayed in felt safe and homey. It wasn't easy to get homesick. Especially, the hostel in Iquitos. It was our home base for about 2.5 weeks and the hostess welcomed us with open arms and was extremely hospitable.
The language barrier was a struggle, since I knew barely any Spanish. Fortunately, the first week of the trip, we received some lessons from an amazing school and they were flexible with teaching us what we wanted to know. It was also so much fun too. Nothing like taking a boring language class in high school.
My favourite part of the trip by far was the jungle trek. We boated from Iquitos to a community on the edge of the Amazon called El Chino. Spear fishing and swimming in the Amazonian waters was an experience I will not forget anytime soon. Canoeing under the canopy of the trees with the leader using a machete to guide us through the waters ... hearing the beautiful sounds of the birds and monkeys playing overhead ... and just being in the moment, deep in the jungle was the most peaceful thing I have ever experienced. I would go back in a heart beat if that was possible. I would pass on the mosquitos though. Those buggers... Bring bug spray. A lot. And the natural stuff does not work (out of personal experience).
If you're up for roughing it, meeting friends you'll keep in contact with long after the trip is over, waking up early and staying up late, getting a little muddy, embracing new experiences, learning about a foreign culture, all with the safety of Operation Groundswell behind you, this trip is for you.