Free day Part 2 :)

Hola amigos y familias! It’s Katherine and Chaya! Today we had an exciting day of rest and lots of free time! As we were discussing our question of the day, as a group, we all realized how important rest is for our bodies and minds. We started the day off with a late wake-up call at 9 am, which was nice after a couple of days of waking up at the crack of dawn. We had a special breakfast where the group could eat whenever they wanted from 9:30 to 10:30, giving them a little more freedom and time to sleep in. We technically had free time until 12 PM, but we used that time to work as a group on our Community Action Project presentation (CAP). Isabella and I (Chaya) made sure that everybody had a role in preparing, we had the artistic design group create the poster while the rest of us brainstormed ideas on how we would effectively convey our action plan. We explained each group member’s role and how each role helped us succeed as a group in our purpose and mission of the CAP. The three roles that we divided our group into were design, transportation, and tools.

We also took turns calling home, which was much needed since we had so much to catch up on. It was nice hearing the voices of our loved ones and letting them know that we’re okay. It was a little bit emotional but in a good way. Knowing that we only have five days left including CAP days makes us feel both excited to be home and sad that our time on this beautiful island is coming to an end.

After the phone calls and finishing our poster for the CAP presentation, we had a delicious lunch at La Salle, home base. We had fried chicken, rice, lentils, salad, tostados, and a cookie for midday dessert. (Chaya) For me personally, it was nice to have some lentils, very yummy. After everyone was very full from a good lunch, we ventured into the city. We made sure everyone was hydrated, had their sunscreen and bug spray. Even though these bug sprays aren’t helping me personally (P.S Mazer I’m okay – Katherine). Everyone split into groups of at least five glimpsers which was a nice freedom being that we always have a set schedule and this day we had time to ourselves.

The city was nice, it was very hot and humid, but it was beautiful, nonetheless. (Katherine) My group went to a lot of stores and got souvenirs for back home. Many of us had to buy working gloves for the CAP project because we underestimated the packing list. We accidentally bought dishwashing gloves due to a miscommunication with the locals lol. Don’t worry though Ms. Chernikova is being very kind by giving away a couple of pairs of gloves, and we both got pairs. (Katherine) Mom, I have bought so many souvenirs and still haven’t gotten a gift for everyone, why do we have such a big family, I have gotten everyone but myself a gift. The city was a beautiful change of scenery, so different from anywhere in the States, the mountainous views are unlike anything that we have seen before. Interacting with locals has taught all of us tons about the community and culture here in Jarabacoa. We found that almost everyone we spoke to was super friendly and welcoming. A group of us were hoping that we could get our nails done, but two hours out of our free time seemed like too much time wasted (even though it only costed $200 pesos which is under $4). We have found that food is so much more affordable here! I wish that the supermarkets back home were like this. We got ice cream and smoothies, which tasted so fresh. (Chaya) I spent a good amount of time hanging out in a very cute restaurant with friends which was a bit cooler than walking around outside. I got a tall glass of lemonade and two cinnamon rolls for only about $8, such a steal.

The bus rides on our favorite safari bus are always a blast, and today while riding home from the city we had Disney movie sing-alongs. We sang “Let it Go”, “Hakuna Matata” and “Part of Your World.” It was super nostalgic.

When we arrived back at La Salle, we made sure our group was on task and rehearsed our presentation before doing anything else. Good thing that we practiced straight after arriving since we ended up spending an hour rehearsing and presenting directly after. Everyone in the group had a speaking role during the presentation, and our leaders were pretty impressed with our hard work. All of us were pretty slumped after our long day in the sun but found some excitement in the tacos we had for dinner! You all know how much we love tacos. We had so many options to choose from: Hard shell, soft shell, burritos, beef, chicken, salad, corn, cheddar cheese, and mozzarella. The Sprite and Coca-Cola was nice too and felt like home.

The nightly meeting was bittersweet because we had to pass the torch to Cooper and Malaik. We all had tons of roses to share, from some of our shower’s heat being fixed to sharing our new souvenirs and purchases. (Chaya) P.S. Mom my shower is no longer freezing!

Chaya: Dad, it was so nice to talk to you on the phone today and I miss you, tell Grandma I say happy birthday! Mom, I miss you, tell grumpies I say hi, and give the puppy some cuddles for me. Maya, if you are reading this, I have so much to fill you in on I am starting to keep a journal, so I don’t forget.

Katherine: Mom, how do you have 5 kids and none of them are commenting on the blog, I bought you all presents and I’m not even getting a “hi,” “hello,” or “how are you?” Do y’all even care about me? ? Hey Sausage, I know you’re reading this, can’t wait to hear all about your drama :)))). Hey Anna, hope your sleepaway camp was gucci. Tell the boys I said hi, make sure they don’t forget me, I got them gifts! Tell papa I miss him too! Tell babulya I’m fine and not missing my phone, and vita hi too. Anyways that’s enough from me, can’t wait to get my door taped shut tonight, but that’s a story for another day ? TTYL.