On the 5th, 6th, and 7th of September, some of ASF’s new students and their Link buddies went to Las Estacas, Morelos to build new friendships and a sense of community.

Las Estacas is a gorgeous natural water reserve located two and a half hours away from Mexico City filled with rivers, pools, water activities, lagoons and waterfalls . Every year a trip is organized to welcome new students to ASF and help them build friendships with Upper School students from all grades.
This year, around 51 new students, 32 buddies, and 21 members of student leadership all attended the trip knowing they would miss two days of school, but they’d be bonding with other students for three days. As a new student myself, I can confidently say that Las Estacas was a trip filled with joy, laughter, and unexpected new bonds. Some students new to ASF shared their apprehension leading up to the trip, saying that they didn’t have many friends and weren’t sure what would come out of this experience. Speaking with those students after the trip, they said they’ve never felt more at home or welcomed at a school.

On the first day of our adventure, we arrived after a long bus ride and the first thing we did was have lunch, and then we headed to a rally with our newly formed groups. One of the most special things about Las Estacas is not only forming friendships with other students in your grade or class, but getting to know people in other generations and having role models as well as new friends. Later that night, we showered and got changed, and ended the day with dinner and a joyous game which the team “Los Saltamontes” won.
On the second day of our trip, we woke up to a delicious, traditional, Mexican spread, which included chilaquiles, scrambled eggs, Mexican pastries, fruits and cereal. Afterwards we headed to the boys sleeping area, Quinta Margarita, and teams rotated between multiple team-bonding challenges. We had lunch and made our way over to to yet another rally filled with splashes and laughter. We closed the day with a yummy pizza dinner and a disco party that lasted 3 hours! Staff members there said they had never had a party as long and exciting as ours. We headed to our cabins where we contacted our parents for a bit and went to sleep for the last time there.

Sadly our adventure came to an end as we woke up on September 7th and had our last breakfast. We didn’t have much time, so cabins took turns heading to the convenience store to stock up on snacks and souvenirs for the long journey ahead.
After 3 days filled with laughter, joy, and smiles, we headed back to ASF with sadness, but knowing we came back happier and with more friendships was the greatest feeling.
Here are some more photos below that show the true beauty of Las Estacas, and all the smiling students having fun!
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