Excursion Day... Intern Outing!

The past few days have been the busiest yet! But I feel like if I wasn't busy, I wouldn't enjoy everything around me as much. Yesterday Jess and I taught English at the baseball site just like we always do every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. But then after I got to join in on a game of baseball with the boys. Since I was here in January, they already know that for a girl I can play decent. I feel like I've earned those boys' respect and they ALWAYS insist I play. Jess always tell me that I fit in so well with these boys, and they have taken me under their wing as their sister. And being their "sister" comes with much trash talking and teasing. I always tell them, "Estas hablando baba" which means you are talking trash! I played the outfield, b/c I hate catching baseballs they are so small and white! I also told them they had to pitch it slow to me (muy suave- very soft!) b/c I wouldn't be able to hit it if not. The pitcher pitched it kinda slower and I smacked it over the left fielder's head.. he wouldn't pitch it slow to me again.. wonder why? :)

In the afternoon Jess and I had volleyball practice with the girls in our community, and I love when she introduces me and tells them I'm going to be here for six weeks and they all smile and say wow!

Needless to say, I've been getting a LOT of sun these past two days. I've been told a couple times how dark i'm getting. I have mixed feelings about it b/c I'm getting HORRIBLE tan lines, and Kaity and Austin's wedding that I'm in is in August!

The interns have been having more bonding time lately. Last night at the dinner table I randomly said, let's have hangout time after the worship service? A couple of the boys were quick to be sarcastic and say no, but we all ended up talking for about 2 hours after and really starting to get to know each other.

Today was the Excursion with the teams. Katy got to go white water rafting, and Me, Mack, Myles, and Peter took the rest of the group on a hike to the lower falls. It was quite amazing, and tired me out as well! I will post pictures on facebook. We, as interns, are gaining more independence as we had to take them without the staff on the hike, and then took them into the city by ourselves as well. But that's all part of the "job". I felt confident leading them around, and everything went so smooth.

While we were getting ice cream after dinner, Pete (one of the other interns) decided to tell a couple of the shoe shine boys that were begging us for money, to sing to me, just to embarrass me. At first I was like there isn't any way they will actually do this, will they? But I was wrong, they loved it and got like 7-10 other boys in on it. I was sitting on the ground as they surrounded me and rapped to me. It's definitely one of my most embarrassing moments.

On our way back from dinner, we saw this festival that we keep passing daily. It was pretty much a place where music is being played, and all these little booths with things being advertised and sold. I would compare it to like a market or like a town fair in the states. All of us had been so interested in it, but never knew whether or not we wanted to go. Finally, knowing that we as interns have some freedom, we mustered up the courage to ask to take the truck and go check it out by ourselves. Our leaders really like our group and say we are all really trustworthy so they let us go. It was our first outing together, and by ourselves! We felt really independent and so apart of the Dominican culture. The outing was definitely a success, and we can't wait to find more things to do together! :)