I know I will be back again!

During my stay at Aldeas de Paz I was involved in the NGO program and in the
Youth, Care and Community Program which focuses on the Mama Elba Especial
Escuela in Santa Barbara de Samaná. In the NGO Program, I completed a variety
of tasks from creating projects that should be launching in the coming months,
updated listings, and attended meetings. In the Mama Elba Especial Escuela, a
school for children with a wide range of disabilities and you truly wouldn’t know
it from their energy and excitement they show to be in school and interacting
with their peers and volunteers. While living in Samaná, I lived in one of the
Guesthouses and I immensely enjoyed the living situation as a whole and
wouldn’t have traded it for the world. Throughout my time at Aldeas de Paz, my
roommates had been from the UK, Germany, and Italy. Living in the
Guesthouse and meeting people from around the world is such an interesting
experience and easy to replicate but impossible to duplicate with the same
results as I have experienced during my time at Aldeas de Paz. You should try
though, it won't disappoint! On the weekends, you’re able to go wherever you
want to go and normally the volunteers will plan the weekend day trips and
anyone is invited to join! My favorite place to go while I have stayed here in
Samaná is Cayo Levantado, which is only a short boat trip away from the
harbor, it is paradise. If you’re interested in volunteering with Aldeas de Paz, or
even anywhere where you have never been, try to go with no expectations
because that will make your experience more enjoyable and it won’t hinder
your stay and you’ll find your experience far more enjoyable. I am going to miss
many things such as the kids at school, my walks into town, my housemates

whom we shared many nights on the terrace just talking together. It was an
incredible experience and it’s made possible not only by Aldeas de Paz but by
the individuals that volunteer and create that environment. I am happy with my
time and experiences that I have had here in the Dominican Republic and I
know I will be back again!