Hello Global Glimpse families! We’re Leslie and Kim, and we’re excited to talk to you about what our day included!
We all can’t believe that we are a week away from returning home! Time has flown by really, really fast! Our days together have been filled with many activities throughout the day, and having a “Fun Day” today was very much needed to help us relax. Like any other day, it started off with the usual 7 A.M. wake up call followed by a good breakfast (like usual). Although it was a Fun Day, we were on a very tight schedule. After breakfast, we quickly gathered our things and made our way to the bus to enjoy Playa Palenque. On the bus ride, we jammed to Giovani’s mixtape like always. We were all enjoying swimming in the water until we were caught in a rainstorm. However, we continued to swim until it was time to head back home for lunch and our project proposals. We finally got our CAP projects confirmed and are set to host a community education forum, create informational brochures, and paint a mural regarding the importance of nutrition, sex education, and the importance of general education. and we’re excited to begin the planning of what will be a great turnout. Right after the CAP meeting, we all gathered our English materials for tutoring at the school and returned home for dinner and our nightly meeting.
Collaborating with each other to come up with our CAP project proposals taught us the importance of teamwork. The ending result included all of our projects combined together for one big event. We are all compassionate and dedicated to helping the community of Dios Dira. Although we are limited with time we are committed to making the most out of the time we have and allowing the community to come together and engage through our project.
This day was full of surprises. To start off, no one was expecting our Beach Day to be interrupted by the harsh rainstorm. Secondly, realizing that our CAP project was set was unbelievable since just a few days ago, it seemed impossible to brainstorm realistic and sustainable project ideas. Although our day seemed packed with activities, it turned out to be a very successful day: we got to enjoy ourselves, agree on an exciting project, and teach our students and help them improve their English skills.
We are most proud of our peers for dividing and working together to come up with a proposal to present to those who will be collaborating with us. Coming up with ideas on the first day was a rocky start; however, we managed to get some help from our peers on what was sustainable with the time we have here along with our limited budget. Aside from the community project planning, there were some difficulties with tutoring, but the great thing about our delegation is that we can surpass the challenges and we’re ready to face them with a positive attitude.
Being at the beach and enjoying the ocean water along with the heavy rain, we really owe a lot to ALSA which was the organization that watched over us and made sure we were all safe, without any injuries. We know that if we were in the same position as the people of ALSA, we probably wouldn’t have had enough courage to stand in the pouring rain and hold ourselves accountable for the safety of more than twenty people. From the very first days of our stay in the Dominican Republic, we noticed that Dominicans are very passionate people. During our project presentations to the community representatives, they showed much dedication towards improving their community. It’s inspiring to see that aside from the many problems that the country faces, the community is willing to allow us, the young adults, to contribute our ideas and allow for a say in the actions being taken to make a positive change. We know that our time and materials are limited, but that didn’t stop the representatives from finding a way to combine all of our ideas to work on a great project that will hopefully result in a fun and learning experience.
Being El Lider Del Dia comes with a handful of responsibilities. First off we have to wake up earlier than usual in order to get ready before the wakeup call. Along with that we have two more reminders to make in order to be prepared for the activities of the day. Today we had to be the MCs for our project proposals and that was nerve-wracking but also a fun experience. Speaking in front of our friends, GGLs, and community members allowed us to reveal our leadership skills. It was a very fun experience, but there was definitely a lot of behind the scenes work that was done. Not only did we have to check up on all the other Glimpsers, but we also had to be one step ahead of the next activity. It gave me a glimpse of all the hard work and effort that is put into organizing a busy day and making sure it runs as smooth as possible. It was a day where we seemed to take over the roles of the moms of every Glimpser since we constantly checked up on the Glimpsers throughout the day. We also had to remind them to drink enough water and stay hydrated. Overall, this day helped both of us improve both our vocal and leadership skills.
Although the day was packed with various activities, it allowed for me, Leslie, to discover new things about myself. I learned that when I am passionate about something, I contribute all of my ideas to come up with an even greater one. Although working as a team can be a challenge for some people, I noticed that since we’re all extremely passionate about our project, we listen and pay close attention to all new ideas and details. Lastly, being one of the leaders of the day, I learned that it is a difficult but very much doable job to organize and lead a day full of activities. Of course, it would not have been possible without Kim’s help, along with the help of our amazing GG leaders and coordinators. With three events packed into one day, it allowed me, Kim, to learn about myself more. I learned how to be a leader with the help of Leslie and our GGLs. Also, I learned that working with your fellow peers and exchanging thoughts and ideas is better than working alone and not sharing. We divided ourselves into different groups depending on what skills we were good at and brainstormed ideas together to make one big project proposal. We are all compassionate and dedicated to helping in any way we can. Overall, being El Lider Del Dia was a privilege and an experience I will always hold close to me.
Although we dearly miss our families, we are very excited to start on our project and see what the outcomes are. We want you to know that although we haven’t communicated as much, we are constantly thinking of you all. We love and miss you all. See you soon!
(P.S. Happy belated Birthday to my brother, David! I hope you had an amazing day! Love you!! –Leslie)