Monday morning, our site leaders searched for a new service place because our previous site cancelled on us the day before. We weren’t able to find a new service site, so we decided to explore Philadelphia. Everyone ate breakfast, got dressed, and prepared for our Monday adventures. We stopped at Reading Terminal Market to grab lunch. Everyone ate something different, but the people I ate with got some fantastic Cajun food. Reading Terminal Market had such a large variety of foods such as seafood, soul food, deli, Asian, desserts, and more.
We were able to see the Liberty Bell, which was great to see as the history fanatic I am. We also went to the United States Mint Department of the Treasury to see how our coins are made. Then, we made our way over to see the Betsy Ross house, the woman who created the first American flag. On the way, we passed Benjamin Franklin’s burial site. Some of our group wanted to ride bikes, so we rented the city bikes, rode as gracefully as we could, and made our way back to the house safely. Working up an appetite, for dinner, we had spaghetti, salad, and cheese bread that was very delicious! After dinner, we decided to split up. Half of the group went to grab pretzels while the other half went to grab ice cream and milkshakes at Big Gay Ice Cream. I had the Salty Pimp ice cream cone, and it was so good. We all returned back to the house to play card games and word games while having a lot of time to learn more about each other.
-LeAundra
Monday was a great time exploring Philly—it’s no wonder it’s the City of Brotherly Love. There’s a feeling of friendliness in a lot of places in the city, especially towards tourists, that I’m not used to feeling in other large cities I’ve been to. We went to lots of places, but Reading Terminal Market was by far my favorite. The vast amounts of foods from different cultures was astounding, but what was really cool were the people working the kiosks and such. I met a fascinating older woman named Margaret playing the piano because she was playing one of my favorite songs, and told her such. We got to talking and I found out that she used to be a ballerina in a large dance company in New York, but when she grew older, couldn’t dance anymore. She missed feeling like a part of the music, so she taught herself the piano. She became absorbed in it, and now plays it wherever she goes.
It’s crazy thinking about how all the people I pass on the streets, or see in places like Reading Terminal Market have their own stories and such that make them fascinating. That to me they’re just a passing face, or a person sitting at a table eating a (seriously delicious) Philly cheesesteak, but really they’re so much more. Being on this trip has really got me to think about all the little details that make up a person, and is making me curious to find out more about strangers along the way. I can’t wait to see what else this trip has to offer, and to meet more people along the way.
-Jessica
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