So I just read the blogs from my past team mates and I realized that, although a lot has been written about our experiences while working at Community Servings, few touched upon the individuals that make this group so unique. And so I have decided to share with you a glimpse of what makes the Boston group so special.

To be honest, it’s kind of hard to pick a starting point, but given the fact that we do have a dean as our learning partner, I guess we could start with Gene….  (BTW, Ricky literally just walked into our hostel’s dining area wearing Alexis’ flowery winter hat, and proceeded to call it a B!%#h hat. What is wrong with this man? )… But as I was saying, Gene Kelly. I mean, how could the trip possibly be a disaster when you  have the Dean Of Sex as your learning partner? (yes we do talk about sex a lot, but I swear it’s always for academic purposes) I had very minimal interaction with him before coming on this trip, and I therefore had no idea what to expect from him. But I can honestly say that he was probably the best Learning Partner we could have ever had. He has been very present in our discussions and I attribute the groups openness and ability to laugh with, and at, each other to his candid and easy going personality. He has become more than a teacher. He is a dear friend that I’m sure most of us  have come to love and cherish.  He has also been our driver and chef, but I can you blame us? The man can cook and we can barely make breakfast on our own.

We also have Ricky who, as you can see from above, is quite a trip. If you do not know who he is, get to know him. He is one of the nicest, most goofy, slightly attractive guys you will ever meet and he makes us all want to go to bed with him #inbedwithricky (but not actually. His bed is just closer to the door so we all just congregate on and around it all the time. don’t listen to him if he says otherwise).  And then there’s Alexis. I’m not sure how to even describe her. You will not know it when you first meet her but she’s incredibly hilarious and makes us all laugh uncontrollably, especially  when it’s not socially acceptable. Interestingly, she never really has to say much to do it either. It’s all in her face, which makes is it a lot harder for strangers to understand why we would all just suddenly burst out laughing at 8 AM while riding the T on our way to Community Servings. She make’s as all look crazy but it’s ok because we love it. Also, Ricky thinks that she’s not real and an enigma. I’ll let you decide. Know her!

We also have Jolly who is such a sweet heart (Unless you are late. Please do not waste her time. You’ve been warned), both Julias who are great, Carly who is not only funny and nice, but also has an amazing sense of direction (we would all be lost about 95% of the time if she was not here), Ashley who is such a trooper and always ready to help you out (get her on your team and you will be successful. thank me later) , Barbra, AKA Barabara, who’s secretly sassy and  very good at getting her way (I’m not sure how she always manages to get people to listen to her. It’s an art form) Aubrey who’s basically like the mom of the group, Zach who’s a GENIUS ( no seriously, he is) and ME. I’m sassy so there’s that.

I can not fully encapsulate all that we are in one blog entry but I could honestly say that we would not be complete if each of us did not contribute to the mixing pot that is our team. We spend a lot of time together, literally day and night, and although it’s sometimes challenging,  it’s amazing to see how our friendships have developed and just how well we work together. This dynamic makes it easier to carry on that positive attitude to the kitchen and make the service that we provide all the more special.  I wish you could all experience all the fun and laughter that we share but we can’t all be this great. But that’s ok. You could get to know us all instead and maybe, just maybe, you could experience some of the magic. See you soon,

From Boston,

Stacy