Today, as always, began great. A morning alarm woke us all up and notifications from GroupMe summoned us to come to the breakfast room. Many of us took longer to make it to the breakfast room on time but we eventually all came together. The breakfast room was filled with the slugness of us all, but we had no idea what the day had in store. We were about to have the ride of our lives.
Scuba Dogs Society
We started off our day heading to Scuba Dogs Society, which is a non-profit whose mission is to clean coasts, green areas and bodies of water. There, we split into two groups. Some of us struggled into our snorkel gear and headed into the ocean to search for litter. In the water, we saw lots of fish and even a sea turtle. There was lots of coral and the water was crystal clear. The other group worked to clean up the surrounding beach. In total, we collected 436 items and saved a sea cucumber and a snail. It was so fun to be in the water and by the beach here in San Juan.
Enjoying Puerto Rico’s Beauty
Our service trip to Puerto Rico took an unexpected turn towards adventure this week. The Ryan Nece Foundation ventured into the El Yunque National Forest, whereupon we learned about the Native species and vegetation. Apparently, bamboo can grow a couple inches a day. This was followed up by a long and humid hike to Britton Tower, as well as a nice stop at some local waterfalls. The day ended with a fun swim at the local watering hole, accompanied by some fun rock jumping.
The day ended like most days with everyone spaced out on our phones. Reflecting as we scrolled through Instagram, we all felt a sense of connection to each other. We bonded on our climb up the hill having to persevere to reach the top. We communicated more and felt a stronger friendship. Today was full of fun and asking ourselves the question: WWRD? (What would Ryan Do?)
Student Authors
Ronnie Hardin, Clara Dalhoff, Leyton Perkey
