A little bit about me and my trip to La Republica Dominicana by Melis A. '08

My first personal entry, how exciting! For some background info about me: I’m a rising sophomore planning to major in Mechanical Engineering and Premed (we have a really cool major that lets you combine Mech E with another area of your choice, it’s called 2A), I live in Next House (where the sidewalk ends), I’m from Bethesda, MD (a suburb of Washington, DC), and I <3 MIT (among other things, including parentheses)!

I just got back from my second visit to the beautiful town of Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic. I went with my family and we stayed at a French-owned resort. After surviving my first brutal Boston winter (and since I live in Next House I spend even more time than the usual MIT student fighting the wind and trudging through the snow), I really needed a sunny vacation.

I spent a lot of time reading Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson by the pool.

The resort had a circus school, so I learned to go on the flying trapeze! The first time is absolutely terrifying…but you get used to it.

I learned to windsurf last year (I’m in the middle of the picture, with the yellow and orange sail), I’m hoping one day I’ll be good enough to go on the Charles.

It was a very international environment, with many French and Dominican employees as well as guests from around the world. These are some of our friends from Norway, England, and the D.R. (My parents are on the far right, I’m sort of hidden in the back.)

Well, now that my tan is fading I guess it’s time to get back to work. One month until I’m back in Boston.