I am pleased to say students arrived safely and on time to the Santiago Airport in the Dominican Republic, despite the fact that it was 3am! Upon their arrival, Marcos and I were so happy to meet our first New York delegation and new GGLs, Ms. David and Ms. Franks.  Even though some birds were chirping and roosters crowing when we arrived to our new home away from home, Fundacion Nuevo Futuro, students were in good spirits. In order to maximize our arrival day, it was necessary to get rest before reviewing all the new routines, rules, schedules, and culture and safety guidelines. Therefore, we started our day around 11:30am and met our food provider, Licelot, who introduced us to our first typical Dominican meal, mangu with chuleta guisado, yum yum. After lunch it started to rain, which was refreshing since it’s pretty hot in Bonao. We had the opportunity to meet and play with the children that live in the Fundacion – an orphanage and school. It was so great to spend time taking pictures, laughing, playing dominos, have small conversations, and playing some soccer in the rain. This gave us a chance to get to know each other a bit more before we started our culture and safety seminar. As the day progressed we started to feel more friendly and comfortable around each other and ended with our nightly meeting and unity clap. Even though we just met each other, we are all feeling like a big family. Our journey is just beginning and we can’t wait to see what the next days have in store for us. Big love to everyone for embarking on this exciting new adventure. I’m glad to be a part of it!!!