Travel connects you not only with yourself, but with the people around you. The majority of my travel in the past has been with my family, so this trip was the first time I was traveling without a close friend or family member. It might have been the nerves or the ridiculous amount of ice cream I ate the night before, but I was sick to my stomach and it would not go away. I met three of the other members of our team in the airport, complete sleepy strangers, and we headed off to the Dominican Republic to meet the other two trip members.

We all finally got together in the airport and this group of misfits were off! A long car ride to the lodge in which we were staying, provided our first group bonding moment. Let me tell you, after hours of travel, people will try to sleep in any position, place, or on any person possible to get comfortable, and we were no exception. The countryside and the mountains in the Dominican Republic are absolutely gorgeous with a natural beauty that pictures don’t do justice, however, there were a few bumps in the road. This is how we got to know Bearded Brad. Brad could sleep through anything, whether it was dance music, cop cars, or bumps that made the whole bus shake; Brad was a sleeper. During almost every car ride over an hour during the week, Brad was asleep at some point, maybe because his rooster friend next door woke him up early in the mornings.

The lodge was made up of unique-looking houses with palm tree tops and a beach which was less than two minutes away. My roommate, Megan, and I had our own little hut. Megan loved the dogs that roamed the lodge and always kept a smile on her face, regardless of how many bug bites we ended up with. As a group, we spent a lot of time on the beach whether it was swimming, having discussions, or taking a bunch of silly pictures that probably shouldn’t exist. After long work days in the community of Cano Dulce, a small village about 10 minutes from our lodgings, we spent the rest of the afternoons on the beach and laughing about how messy we got during the build.

Work days were physically challenging for all of us and were the days we went from individuals to a team. We worked on insulating and constructing walls of a kitchen of a house in Cano Dulce, which consisted of wiring and cementing the whole area. This is where I got to know John, Makalee, and Rachel.

John, a former Boy Scout, actually had experience with building and hammers, unlike myself. Always cracking a joke, John naturally, knew how to do every project we completed, even if he hammered his thumb along the way. When it was time to mix the cement, Rachel lifted more buckets of dirt and water than a person should in their lifetime. Makalee and I both experienced the Caribbean rainy season mid-cementing the outside of the house. Rachel was always there to help my small self to reach the higher places, and she never complained, unless we ran out of mangos. Makalee experienced the power of the sea when she lost her sunglasses in a tragic tumble.

It took a couple of days and hours of work, but we finished our part of the house, leaving behind sweat, a nosy dog, and smiles from the children around us. I am eternally grateful for this trip not only for the amazing places and experiences, but because of the people with whom I connected. It took a couple of flights, some bumpy car rides, and breathtaking views over 1,000 miles away from Knoxville for me to get to know five students that I saw in passing on campus. I am thankful for the laughs, the jokes, and the ability to assist those who are in need.