And now a word about our sponsors...

We're here in beautiful Boracay for our mid-term break, and I feel compelled to express gratitude on behalf of the whole team, and from the depth of my heart especially.

There is something to be said for immersion in a culture, as one of our hosts, Albert Lee, and I discussed yesterday. In the past two weeks, our team has seen and done so many things that you would never get with an ordinary tourist experience. Rotary Foundation's GSE program is one-of-a-kind in scope and in delivery. Additionally, our local hosts of Rotary District 3780 are some of the most delightful, friendly, and hospitable people you would ever want to meet. I am mildly frustrated that I have difficulty uploading photos because there is so much I want to share with all of you, but it is a frustration I can live with gratefully. If that is my biggest problem of the day, my life is golden.

Yesterday we flew to Boracay and were met by Jay, an assistant and close personal friend of the mayor. He arranged for our transportation by van, boat, and then van again directly to our resort. We have the top floor of a two-story villa overlooking a garden of palm trees, flowers, and exotic birds. We took a 3km hike up the beach to a place called (fittingly) Shangri La and rested until our private outrigger boat pulled up onto the beach to pick us up. We all climbed aboard the outriggers and sailed back down the coastline to our resort. This beach actually is on the South China Sea, as we are on the west coast of the Philippines. We had massages on the beach (I'm learning so much about the benefits of self-care from the Filipinos), then retired to our rooms to prepare for dinner. Our dinner was enjoyed in the resort restaurant (open air) and hosted by the mayor and his lovely fiancee. Then we went to a local videoke bar for drinks and entertainment, then took a stroll down the beach to another club to enjoy the music and nightlife. This morning, our hosts Chito and Al accompanied me to Mass at Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary. I am pleased to say I am becoming adept at participating in the Taglish Mass (said in a combination of Tagalog and English, though this morning's was a mix of the local dialect as well). My biggest decisions for today are when and where to eat next (we eat every 2-3 hours) and when to get my massage. Life is good.

So again, on behalf of the entire team, thank you to Rotary Foundation, District 7430 who sponsored us and District 3780 who is hosting us, and our families, friends, and co-workers who support us as we travel this amazing journey. Mabuhay!