Today, we had a warm and wonderful reception from the Rotary Club of Town Center VA Beach. They not only welcomed us with open arms and lunch but also allowed us to speak on our adventures so far and took an active interest in continuing to support us. Hearing about all their amazing work and having such a joyful meeting reminded us about how important Rotary is and has been to us this year. It stood out even more after an attempt to attend a meeting the previous day which ended before it started because we’d both forgotten cash and been unaware of the $30 guest fee charged at a different club. It’s crazy to think about the different experiences we have as we visit and try to visit Rotary clubs but we are always grateful for the work these Rotarians do, regardless of how able we are to be part of it.

Beyond the meetings, we’ve gotten to spend a good bit of time with friends and family. I’ve spent a few hours on the phone with a friend of mine back in Colorado who is facing some personal issues that I hate not being more present for. We were able to visit AnneMarie, my sister/childhood best friend, who originally introduced Evan and I. We were able to get dinner and spend some time with her before I hopped onto a RYLA Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee Zoom call. After the meeting ended, I spent some time preparing for a RYLA presentation I’m co-authoring with Kai that he will present next week. We also, once again, put in several hours at the studio to finish the last touches before Friday. Evan even tried out a potential recipe for the event, a zero waste candy made of chocolate and orange peels.

In the next few days, the studio will be opening and we’ll be packing for our journey to our next host house.