Arrival: Success (Saturday, 11/17)

Circa 5am in the morning, 71 weary-eyed individuals boarded two buses en route to New York City. After catching some z's and discussing our excitement for the coming trip, we arrived at John F. Kennedy Airport.  Then began the epic adventure that is checking bags, traveling through the security line, securing some sustenance from the food court, and arriving at our gate in time for boarding.  Shepherding 71 travelers and well over 100 pieces of luggage requires the highest degree of planning, organization, and teamwork--but we made it look effortless!

In the sky, we took advantage of the time to catch a few more z's and watch some of the high quality television that JetBlue airlines had to offer (no sarcasm here: the programming selection included classics like Hocus Pocus, Mean Girls, and both Home Alones). One remarkably smooth landing later, we traveled through customs and began to grow used to the inescapable heat of the Dominican Republic. We boarded another bus and took off on a 2-hour ride to La Romana, during which time we enjoyed beautiful views of a sunset over the ocean until we reached Casa Pastoral, our home away from home for the week. We finished organizing all of our bags and went up to our dorms for some restful sleep to prepare for our first day of work preparation.