We got our day started by waking up at 7:30 am! This morning for breakfast, we had a delicious meal which consisted of eggs, toast, pineapple and papaya, along with a refreshing glass of passion fruit juice. After eating, we took our bus to La Cañada de Los Gatos for our last day of the CAP project. We were helping the workers make a mixture for the cement that they used for the aqua bank. Everyone worked very hard with a positive attitude! Unfortunately, we didn’t get to finish building the aqua bank because of the materials’ late arrival. However, the workers at the community are so awesome that they decided to keep working on the project without us, which we are so grateful for. After working, we all ate lunch together for one last time as a family. Saying goodbye afterwards was a bittersweet moment for all of us. We really enjoyed our time here getting to experience the culture with this community and we will always feel like a part of their family. 

After a long day of work, we had some time to relax at the local swimming pool. Everyone had tons of fun and it was a great bonding experience for all of us. We then left the pool to go back to the hotel to have explore time with our ambassadors. We all went to the bakery to enjoy some tasty treats! We also had a group discussion about our experience working with the community for the CAP project. After all the activities we all got together to enjoy a Thanksgiving dinner to celebrate our last CAP day and our appreciation for all of those who helped. 

Hey After dinner we had our nightly meeting where we discussed the day and eventually passed the torch to Maleah. Then the other delegation here in Constanza came over to play a friendly game of charades. We had so much fun and it was a perfect way to end the night! 

We enjoyed our time as leaders of the day and we are looking forward to our last full day here in the Dominican Republic!

Michelle Berger, Plainfield North High School

Vanessa Ayala, Hinsdale South High School