Today started out like a fantastically plain day. I had already woken up a little late after talking to my two best friends back home until their sun was setting and mine was almost rising, (that time difference is definitely one to work with) and had missed what seemed to be a lovely walk with some of the other girls. But this simplicity soon wore off. As soon as I got to breakfast, I realized that although the walk had been beautiful and eventful (Shalila got to see two monkeys – whattt!!), Jess and Brittany were greeted by an awfully scary thatch roof spider. *If you don’t know what they look like, Jess compared it to the size of a dessert plate.*

After a yummy breakfast, we all had global health class in the fancy-shmancy boardroom (which we can now luckily call our class room – yay for cozy chairs!), and soon headed out to grab a bite to eat. Luckily, our hotel is super close to a nearby shopping center with a few great lunch options.

A beautiful afternoon ensued. We all gathered for the visual approaches portion of our class during which we conducted interviews with each member of the class. Since we were told to choose our partners beforehand and were prepped with some interviewing tips yesterday, all we needed was a place to film. And a beautiful place did we choose: not only does our hotel sit in a gorgeous valley, but is also has this awesome stream running through its grounds. Since it was early afternoon, we were able to find a place right near the stream with a perfect amount of sunlight and lush foliage. Ugh, it was just amazing.

Soon after our interviews (which I hope you will be able to see soon!), we transitioned into an impromptu photo shoot – each member of our class shares a similar passion: we love to take pictures of ourselves. Seriously, I think that our poor professor has like at least a couple hundred pictures of us posing for our next “prof pic.”

Jokes aside, it was an awesome experience to bond with the class but also put into use the skills we have been learning about.

Before dinner, we decided to take a combi (a taxi of sorts that shoves as many people as it can fit) to a nearby shopping center that is even bigger than the one in walking distance. Man, were we ready for a great shock: this center has a movie theater, an apple retail store, dozens of little boutiques and surprisingly enough, a Kentucky Fried Chicken – haha, who would have guessed?!

For now, onto a fun night of soccer and bonding with the rest of the class. We’re having a blast!