Sunday, March 3rd

Bridget Ryan: Hi everyone! I’m a Junior Econ & Psych major from Connecticut, and I’ve been involved in LEVEL for the past two years! This is my first break trip, and I’m really excited to have the opportunity to combine my love for campus ministry and the mission of LEVEL. We had a busy day of travel yesterday, so it was nice to be able to settle in on this rainy day.

We started the day bright and early at 7AM to go to mass at a local Catholic church. Our group was immediately welcomed into the church by some awesome southern hospitality. We all received books from the church about rediscovering Jesus which is very appropriate for the start of Lent. The priest gave a great homily about acknowledging our own struggles before trying to “fix” anyone else. It was a great way to kick off the day.

Our next adventure was to the massive Walmart right next to the hotel. We were on a mission to get snacks for the busy week working on the farm. Personally, I was extremely excited to get some strawberry Poptarts and Easter Reese’s eggs to fuel me this week! Then, the group got lunch at Panera and we were able to sit with people that we didn’t already know well. Bonding over bread-bowls! (:

Because of the cold and rainy weather, we stayed away from the farm today. Instead, we went to see The Upside, which is a new movie with Bryan Cranston and Kevin Hart. It is about Bryan Cranston’s character, a quadriplegic who suffered his injury during a tragic accident. His relationship with his life auxiliary, Kevin Hart, changes them both for the better, and it was eye-opening to see the mental and physical challenges that come along with disability. It was a great movie to start off our week as we explore ability on this trip.

After the movie, Tracy and Bob Byrnes welcomed us into their home for dinner with Villanova Alumni from the Charlotte area. The night was filled with great food, laughter, and joy. Getting to spend time with their family’s dogs made everyone extremely happy! We ended the night with a reflection where everyone was able to share their goals for the week, and it is clear that the group is pumped for our first day working with the animals tomorrow!

Mia Latran: After a long, but exciting, day of travel yesterday, the group woke up this morning feeling refreshed and ready to take on our first full day in North Carolina. We went to a nearby Walmart to pick up some last-minute essentials and I, unsurprisingly, got lost in all of the aisles of snacks.

Unfortunately, the rain prevented us from doing any work today at Rocky Creek and Triple Play Farm, but we took the opportunity to stay indoors and go to the movie theater. As a group, we saw “The Upside” which recounts the real-life events that transpired after a wealthy and successful man named Philip became a quadriplegic due to a paragliding accident. His search for a life auxiliary ended when ex-convict Dell Scott walked in asking for a signature to prove to his parole that he was actively looking for employment. Dell ultimately is offered and accepts the job, despite being the least qualified candidate by far. Philip and Dell form an unexpected friendship built on genuine love, acceptance, and inclusion that breaks barriers, defies stereotypes, and combats stigmas. I hadn’t seen a movie in a long time prior to walking into the movie theater this afternoon, but I loved every second of “The Upside” and I think that it spread an important message about ability.

After the movie, we went to Tracy and Bob Byrnes’s beautiful home for dinner and reflection. At their house, we met and mingled with many Villanova alumni and heard their stories about how they have turned their passions for service and inclusion into various careers. I ate four plates of Tracy’s delicious homemade lasagna for dinner (and a couple of garlic breadsticks) and topped everything off with a couple of brownies and a chocolate cannoli. I think that it is safe to say that I am definitely eating well down here in North Carolina.

After dinner, we had a really nice reflection with Tracy and Kris, who will be in charge of our projects this week at Triple Play Farm and Rocky Creek. We talked about what we are looking forward to and what we, as individuals and a group, are hoping to get out of the next week. I’m excited to gear up tomorrow and head over to Triple Play Farm and start meeting and working with all of the animals.