Free Day Adventures

What’s up family/friends?! We miss you all so much!!

Today we were in luck, as we had the privilege of waking up at 9 am. We were greeted with a delicious breakfast that consisted of scrambled eggs with onions, toast, a ham and cheese roll-up, a variety of local Dominican fruits, and the juice of the day, tropical fruit punch. No better way to start the day!

Considering it was our free day, we were granted two hours of individual free time after breakfast. Most of us enjoyed group talks that allowed us to get to know each other a little more, fun pool time, reading, making bracelets, taking naps, and more! This was our time to revamp after a long week of exciting activities. 

Lunch came next at noon, where we had chicken and vegetables, rice, beans, plantains, and some fruit! We enjoyed our meal together in our common space, talking about our lives back home and what snacks we planned to buy during our shopping excursion later in the day. While lunch wrapped up, we reminded our group to reapply sunscreen and bug spray, as the sun and bugs alike are VISCOUS!!!

After our relaxing morning, we boarded our chariot- a cute baby blue bus, to go on our city adventure. Within 30 minutes we arrived in San Pedro de Macoris. We divided into four groups, each with a GG adult, and embarked on an afternoon of souvenir shopping. All four groups started at Iberia, the local supermarket in the area. Students bought snacks, shirts, keychains, hand-held fans, jewelry, and more bug spray (there is never enough!!). Groups then split up to shop at small storefronts within the city, such as small clothes, shoes, and jewelry stores. After a few hours, most groups ended up at the local ice cream shop. Students got an array of ice cream and frozen yogurt, all at an outstanding price of 200 pesos or under! Groups engaged in various conversations over frozen treats, such as what everyone sees when they close their eyes (Yes, we will explain later….all we can say for now is envision a star in your head!!). By now, we had been exploring for over 4 hours and our ranch was summoning us home. 

Yet again, we had a one-hour free time and most of us spent it napping…what can we say, shopping is tiring! We wrapped up the day with a great dinner, our plate was full of rice, fried chicken, potatoes with cilantro, and fresh salad! After dinner, a few students started calling home. It is time for us to call home for a quick 15-minute convo. Parents, family, and friends– PLEASE answer any calls from an unknown number tomorrow! It may be your student hoping to talk. We look forward to talking to all of you!

To end the night, we met in our gazebo in the middle of the beautiful property. Here, we had a seminar that allowed us to prepare for community day tomorrow. We will be spending the day with the community at a Batey near a sugar cane plantation an hour away. After we filled out our travel journals with the details and the plan for the day to come, we started reflecting. This started with roses and thorns and our favorite parts of the day. Many shared that they had laughed so hard that they cried. If you ask us, that is a sign of a successful day. We ended the evening by passing the torch to the next leaders of the day, AJ and Sabrina! We know you guys will KILL it. After our nightly meeting, everyone retreated to their rooms for a refreshing shower and a great night of rest.

Also… Please comment, we miss you dearly and we would all love to hear from each and every one of you! 

Peace out,

Frances and Emily ?