A Beautiful Bond

Hi families!

Today started bright and early as we said goodbye to Hotel Piergiorgio and made our way back to Hotel D’Elania in Constanza. The four-hour drive up the mountain was a little smoother going down for some of us, but still super cramped—and honestly, most of us slept through it! We only stopped once for a quick bathroom break before continuing the journey.

Once we arrived, we were welcomed back with a delicious traditional Dominican lunch: white rice, stewed beans, baked chicken, and crispy tostones. After lunch, we had a sweet bonding activity where some of us sat in a circle while others shared quiet affirmations. Both of us—Faith and Lily D—felt it was a really meaningful experience. Some of the things we heard from each other were surprising in the best way. It was incredibly heartwarming and reassuring to learn how others see us.

Later in the afternoon, we visited Bernardo’s place to dive deeper into our Community Action Project (CAP), which officially kicks off tomorrow and runs for the next three days. We’re super excited to get started and give back to the community.

Afterward, we headed back to the hotel to freshen up and get dressed for our fancy dinner at MonteCarlo Pizzeria. Of course, we had a mini photo shoot before we left—we were all dressed up and feeling our best! Dinner was pizza (yum!) and afterward, the real fun began: dancing to 2010s pop music. That dance party is definitely going down as one of the most unforgettable moments of the trip. We laughed, danced, and made memories we’ll cherish forever.

To end the day, we gathered for our nightly meeting and got ready for the exciting day ahead.

Love, xoxo,
Faith & Lily