“Playing baseball in the Dominican Republic was a positive and life-changing experience for me in a myriad of ways. Before the trip, I never thought it would be so easy to get together and bond with a bunch of kids that spoke a different language and lived a completely different way of life. In spite of these cultural differences, both Americans and Dominicans were able to play baseball and have fun together like it was business as usual. Not only did the Dominicans play against us in a few friendly games of baseball, they embraced us as their own teammates in the last game when we mixed the two teams so that both would have Americans and Dominicans playing on them. ”
“This experience showed me that ultimately, people are people; it doesn’t matter where you’re from as long as you treat others with openness and respect. There were so many other ways that the D.R was such an amazing and unforgettable experience too, and I encourage anyone who loves baseball, and just wants to have a great time to go. I guarantee you will become a better, stronger person, and realize things that you never have before. Besides, it’s pretty cool to tell people that you played baseball in the Dominican Republic.”
NOTE: Cody Lewis traveled to the Dominican Republic the summer after his senior year in High School. Now a student at the University of Virginia, Cody was recently selected to participate in a semester abroad in Egypt, studying politics and Arabic. Cody recently had this to say:
“I’m very excited to go, and also very nervous. However, since I was able to travel to the Dominican Republic a few years ago, I feel a lot more prepared to take on the challenges of living abroad.”