Day Seven: Alyssa and Jhaviry

So, after unwillingly getting out of bed this morning after a long night of awkward & intense conversation we began our last day at the Gesundheit! Institute. We all quickly got dressed and swiftly walked to the farmhouse so that we could have breakfast and make sandwiches (which we found Kim graciously making). Today we were spending the day with Joel at his home Point of View Farms. Although we didn’t know what we would be doing on Joel’s land, most of us were excited about driving across a river in a monster truck to get there.

Jhaviry: So today was finally day seven, I thought it would never come, but now I’m sad that it came this fast. I was excited and nervous to cross the river in Joel’s monster truck, but when the moment finally came we all got on the truck and braced our selves for the ride of our lives.

Alyssa: My experience at Joel’s house was really fun and came with lots of firsts. To begin with, today was the first time that I’ve ever ridden in a monster truck, and at that we were driving through a river. The ride had lots of bumps but that’s what made it so fun. Within ten minutes of being in Joel’s farm I ended up feeding a BEAR, met some weird emus, owls, vultures and parrots. We then proceeded to move some rocks, and this quickly turned into a competition where Priyanka would lose her toes.

Jhaviry: After Joel’s we were all pretty worn out from our adventure at Point of View Farms. So after some more awkward yet funny conversations and a refreshing nap, we were once again on our way out of Gesundheit and were heading towards Pretty Penny. At Pretty Penny we were able to eat some delicious food, most importantly some of us finally got to eat meat again after a week of being vegetarians! I enjoyed a cheese burger with fries as well as some fun time with the rest of the group taking pictures and playing truth or dare while we waited for others to finish eating dinner.

While we were all excited to eat some meat at the Pretty Penny tonight, Tinley was a bit disappointed that she couldn’t eat steak. She had her mind set on ordering a steak, with a side of steak, with the juices from the steak in a cup. But, she was satisfied with her chicken and stinky fries.

Alyssa: When we first entered the Pretty Penny everyone who was already in the restaurant could tell that we were from out of town, but things were still good. Although not eating meat this entire week didn’t really seem to bother me, I was excited that I could give up my temporary vegetarianism. Although we had to wait a while to get served (there were 40 of us and one waitress), the food was delicious and I had lots of fun talking and laughing with everyone. There were moments where I became worried that the people in my group had gambling issues. There was a gumball machine in the restaurant and apparently if you got a white gumball you would get a free dessert. Once we found this out, everyone spent several dollars in their attempts to get the white gumball. No one won, so as a result we had a bunch of gumballs at our table and we proceeded to take pictures while blowing bubbles with our gum.

Tonight was our final reflection, and it was amazing. Although it wasn’t as emotional as our previous ones have been, we certainly ended on a high note, and everyone is appreciating themselves and each other more than ever. WE LOVE EACH OTHER!!!! :D

Jhaviry: Our time at Gesundheit! was definitely unforgettable. I’m going to miss Gesundheit and I’m going to miss everyone that was on the trip with me. Wildman and Elisa treated us like family and getting to know the other students from UMBC and Rutgers was also a great part of the experience I had here. This Alternative Break trip will definitely be something that I look back on years from now. I am also going to forever cherish the fact that we have all grown very close with each other and the fact that this group has grown to become one big family =).

Alyssa: Today was definitely the perfect last day at Gesundheit! Although it was relatively chilly, the sun was shining bright and we had a great day. Since everyone knew it was our last day at the institute we all really soaked in our environment. Whether it be Lakpa, Kim, Tinley, and Jacob canoeing in the lake (without falling in the water), or Jessica, Jhaviry, and myself hanging out with the other students, we all made sure to embrace our last day of being at the Gesundheit! Institute. The Gesundheit! Institute has definitely left a lasting impression on us and I am sure that I can speak for my entire group when I say that Gesundheit! is a place that we will never forget and will always carry with us.

Although today was our last day at Gesundheit!, our entire Alternative Break trip isn’t over just yet. After packing up our bags and saying goodbye to Gesundheit!, and the lady bugs, we await what tomorrow’s road trip back to New York City has in store for us.