Final Reflection - Sarah Peer

Before leaving for the Dominican Republic I had no idea what to expect. I knew it was going to be a great opportunity for me to experience a new culture, food, traditions, and much more. What I did not realize were the friendships I would be making and the memories I will cherish forever.  

            

 The Dominican’s know how to cook delicious food! I’m so glad the trip allowed me to step out of my comfort zone and to try something different. Even if we did have rice, beans, and chicken most of the meals, I could not get enough of it. Who knew plantains could be caramelized, wrapped in bacon, raw in syrup, and smashed? I don’t think I would have touched plantains if it wasn’t for the trip. My favorite dish that we had in Punta Cana was yucca. I am bringing back some recipes and planning on making a Dominican meal with my family. My carry-on suitcase on the way back mainly consisted of Dominican coffee requested by my parents (I think we might need more already). 

 The day camp was one thing truly unforgettable. The connections we made in the matter of two days between the kids were incredible. It was really inspiring how the children tried to communicate with us through hand signals. They wanted to talk to us as much as we wanted to talk to them. I will never forget the smiling faces on the Dominican day campers when we were doing crafts and going to the beach. I quickly learned that I needed to step up as a leader in order for the kids to have a fantastic time.

           

I would have never imagined that I could become such good friends with people in one week. From the Dominican teens to the Alleghany 4-H group, we all bonded like we knew each other for our whole lives. The teens were the nicest and most spontaneous people I have ever met. There was never a dull moment with them. I am so grateful that the Dominican teens were with us that week to help us communicate with everyone. I will always remember the laughs and journeys between us.  At the end of the week we gathered each other’s social media accounts to keep in contact.

             

After looking back on the trip I have learned that not every great thing has a price tag on it. There are so many things that we take for granted. This trip helped me learn to appreciate the small things in life. It would not have been possible without our outstanding leaders and parents.   

Sarah Peer, Shenandoah County  

Wednesday, August 12 Second Day of 4-H Day Camp

Friday, August 14, Heading Home

Everyone was exhausted this morning and to my knowledge everyone is still exhausted now. How could you not be with all of the dancing from last night though? We all met in the lobby at 6 am this morning piled everyone into the two vans and headed for the PuntaCana Airport. 

What we saw when we arrived was a different story. Last night we thought we had said all of our goodbyes but as it turns out the Dominicans will miss us just as much. The Dominican teens arrived at the airport at 5:15 am to make sure they could say goodbye one last time and also to wish Carter an AWESOME sweet 16. 

After saying our final goodbyes to everyone we were led through the airport VIP style. It was all very quick and easy. We then loaded onto the plane to Atlanta. Atlanta however was more realistic. Lines, lines, and more lines. After getting everything together for our next flight we had about two hours of down time until our next flight. During that time everybody went searching for a bite to eat, went to the bathroom, and of course called their parents! We had time for a small reflection on what we thought of the trip and what we liked most about last night at the Giudicelli’s. At 3:15 pm our plane took off and headed for Dulles airport. 

I think everyone was sad that we had to leave but who wouldn’t be? We were in the Caribbean. However, I also think everyone is excited to see their parents, siblings, and friends and to tell them everything that we did and experienced. And for me personally I am looking forward to meeting a new furry member of the family. This week has been a blast and really a once in a lifetime opportunity. I am happy I got to experience this trip with the people who came this year. You guys are tha bomb!!

Rachel Harriman

Shenandoah County

Thursday, August 13, Snorkeling and Dominican dances

 As we started our last day in the Dominican Republic we had an amazing breakfast at the hotel. We then went to meet at the gazebo. After meeting and having everyone we walked to the dock and got on the boats to go snorkeling. We snorkeled about an hour and stopped at two different places. The first was where all the coral was growing and the Ecological Foundation was growing more coral. Our second stop was at the underwater statues, this is where there are twenty three statues under water that you can look at.

 

After we got done snorkeling we had a little bit of free time before we had lunch. Most people either got in the pool or took a nap during this time. Following our free time we went and had lunch together at the hotel’s restaurant. Pizza seemed to be the popular item at lunch today. We had a couple more hours of free time before we got ready to go to the Giudicellis house. The teens that have been with us all we met us at the resort and swam in the pool with us and also went to the beach. We all had a blast as it was our last day together. After all our fun we went back to our rooms to pack, shower and get ready for our evening. 

For our final evening the Guidicellis invited us over to their house. They fixed us one of the best Dominican dinners I have had all week. We had salad, pork, rice with beans, yucca, and carrot cake for desert. After everyone got their stomachs full we talked for a little while and then the dancing started. We all learned how to do traditional Dominican dances, like the merengue and the salsa, and the Dominican teens showed up to add to the fun. After all our sad hugs and goodbyes we went back to the resort for our final (and very short) night at the resort. 

 

Tiffany Heishman and Andrew Rhodes

 Shenandoah County