Fun Day (No. 2)

Greetings from Max & Elly!

See all the pictures from today’s adventures here!

Today’s question was: How can we use our precious time together to create moments of joy & belonging? We think this question was very pertinent to today’s activities. After a power outage the previous night and sleeping without air conditioning, we started the day off with breakfast at La Bruja (provided, as always, by the wonderful Angie.) We ate ham & cheese sandwiches, and some fruit, which was reminiscent of home. We then made our way to Playa Uverito (Uverito Beach,) where we would spend the majority of our day. In the hours before lunch, we got up to many beach-going shenanigans: Some of us scoured the shore for sea shells and glass; some drew & dug in the sand; some lounged by the pool to get their tan (wearing sunscreen, of course;) but the majority of us unwound in the ocean. We found & tossed around a coconut, played monkey in the middle, played chicken on each other’s shoulders, played keep it up with a soccer ball, and some even made up a new dance to la huevos (the eggs)!

For lunch, we had a variety of delicious food: grilled & fried chicken & fish; french fries & fried plantains; and salad for the vegetarians. Following more of the same pool & beach activities, we all returned back to the hotel in the afternoon, exhausted & well-pruned. We were given a warm welcome by our beds and our showers. Well rested, we then presented our Community Action Project designs to Fabian and the rest of the school’s environmental committee. After receiving feedback and being late for dinner (which, thankfully, Angie was too,) we ate delectable burgers & fries (a real taste of home.)

The theme of today was “Fun Day!” And fun is what we had. After dinner, we discussed today’s question and how it tied into the phone-free nature of this trip. Through this excursion, many of us have realized the negative effects that our phone usage has on our lives. We talked about how the regular social gatherings after dinner that have become tradition would not happen if we were to have our phones, and many of us commented on how much clearer our minds have felt this past week.

Just Elly here! Hello family! I turn seventeen in three hours, so if I don’t get to call you tomorrow, much love! I’m sure you’re all thinking of me as I am of you. Hopefully tomorrow I’ll be able to get a cake from the café down the street. Shana: Sorry I haven’t been able to call you, I tried but couldn’t reach you! Netania: I hope the rest of your drive home was nice!

Warm regards,

Elly Hiranandani.

From Max: Hello to my parents and my family, I miss you all! I hope everyone is having a good week. Also, hello to Aunt Karen; I hope you are doing OK.

Love you,

Max Pearson