Nothing like a sunrise together with this amazing group! Even though the sun never did rise the way we wanted it to–It all started at 5:39 am when Lauren came knocking on our door, we all barely walked to the top of the hill, still in the dark. The view was amazing even when the sun wasn’t out yet. It was fun getting a peaceful moment with the group. Going back to sleep felt really good. Then we woke up, had breakfast, and began our day. We had our CAP reflection and we talked about how impactful this trip has been. I was really amazed and proud of the things I heard, this group has actually matured beyond what we imagined. After lunch we took our last tour around San Victor and visited our favorite bakery and bought all the food. It was fun spending our last free time together while eating pastries along the sidewalk.
This day was all about reflection and sharing the love that has emerged from every single one of us in the group. I’m really going to miss all the personalities in this group. From the quietest to the insanely loudest. I never shared a room with a stranger, but getting to know my roommate was very fun and I enjoyed bonding with her and talking almost all night long sometimes getting to know each other. I loved sharing a moment with everyone, especially when we all spent time together on the benches at the top of the hill. I’m amazed at all the things we accomplished from the CAP project to meeting all the little kids that everyone enjoyed playing with. Every home we visited or every project we participated in we were treated like family by the communities. I’m glad I got to be a part of this trip and learning to appreciate more and work harder for my community. I definitely want to do this again, and I’m sure many in the group do too. Now the trip is over and we don’t want to leave each other when in the beginning we barely knew each other. I will never forget this trip to the Dominican Republic, my group mates, the amazing leaders, and the most generous communities I ever met.