This Summer, 14 students and three faculty members are traveling to the Dominican Republic to build a house for a family with the organization Cambiando Vidas. Please enjoy the blog posts below from Billy ’26 and Katherine’27 where they share their first impressions of the Dominican Republic, highlighting smooth travel, beautiful scenery, and early connections with peers that set a positive tone for the trip.
Katherine ’27
Today was an early day with a departure from the hotel at 6am. Once we arrived at the airport we went through security and got some food. I enjoyed this because all of us girls went to Starbucks and had the opportunity to talk about Deerfield and bond together. From there we boarded our 4-hour flight to Santo Domingo. I was surprised by how quickly we went through customs and security there. Then, we had about a 5-hour drive ahead of us. This drive was probably one of the highlights of my day. Jose told us that during the drive we would pass by the largest mountain in the Caribbean. This mountain also blocks hurricanes that occur in the DR from affecting us in the U.S. Throughout the drive there were many beautiful sights and some very friendly people. Once we had arrived at the hotel, we were able to check in to our rooms. Then I was able to talk to my roommates about the day. Following this we went to dinner, and we all shared our highs of the day which we similar, many of us enjoyed the drive. Then Arabella and Blythe shared a very insightful presentation on housing in the DR. I learned a lot about the differences in housing between where I live and where many families live here. Ms. Koyama also shared a sad but also inspiring story about a Deerfield boy named Aiden Day. He made a big impact on many lives and communities around him. I am looking forward to striving to make an impact similar to his on this trip and am excited to see what the next few days have in store for us.
_______________________________________________________________________
Billy ’26
Waking up early on the first day honestly set the tone for what the rest of the trip is going to be like. I was nervous I would fail to wake up early, but I was downstairs and ready to go on time. The airport was quick and easy. Very little stress going through, which honestly surprised me. I was able to talk to Mrs. Koyama for a little bit and enjoyed it very much. We also sat next to each other on the plane, but I took a two-hour nap just about twice because of how tired I was. Once we arrived in the DR, I quickly realized we are in a completely different place, with different ways of life. The drive from Santo Domingo to San Juan was very interesting. The conversation and games played with people sitting around me kept me busy for most of the drive. However, I found peace and enjoyment by looking out the window, observing the new country I am in. I found the integration of animals within the society very interesting; they go around with almost no surveillance. The natural beauty of the land was amazing to look at. The mountains with the sunset were truly special. One thing I think is very cool about people who live here is that many of them drive motorcycles and not cars. Often, I would look out the window and see a citizen pass by as they are going about their day. I enjoyed my initial interactions with this new place, and I am looking forward to what the rest of the trip has in store.