To Higher Heights

Today was our first day at Higher Heights Academy. The kids are younger, the school is smaller, and the worksite is alot hotter. And by alot hotter i mean 105 degrees. I honestly do not think I've ever sweat more in my life, but the progress we made, made it all worth it. Our goal was to lay a meager 2 rows of blocks to make the foundation for an extension to the school, and we surpassed it. We laid 5 rows! That progress made the entire day of blistering heat, dripping sweat, and even a little nausea completely worthwhile. I would say that today was the most rewarding day solely in terms of work that we've had yet.  Something I have to note is everyone's concern for each other's well being, on and off of the worksite. I can honestly say that there was not more than 10 minutes that passed by without someone asking "Do you need someone to switch out for you?" on the worksite, or more generally, "Are you okay?", "Do you need water? bugspray? sunscreen?" The list goes on and on. Its so relieving to see people who barely knew each other before, if at all, be so concerned for one another.  Despite the changes we've experienced as we moved from Treasure Beach to Negril, that is one thing that hasnt changed among all of us. There are hundreds of things that I am grateful for on this trip, but that is definitely one of things I will always remember.  --Nicolette Malave  

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