A different swing

Getting back into the swing of things has been pretty easy since I got back to school. At home, at first  it was  hard to adjust but my northern blood soon adapted to the wintery cold. I re-learned the beauty of hot running water,  and had no trouble getting back my e-mail addiction.  I arrived back at Elon to a flurry of excitement from sorority recruitment, bid day, and the Steelers Super Bowl win!! It is so very easy to get wrapped up in the way things were, but at the same time each and every day in the back of my mind are memories and lessons that my trip to the Dominican Republic has taught me.

My favorite candid shot

The most difficult task for me has been explaining my trip to the Dominican Republic in the short sentence or two that people actually want to hear when they ask you, “How was your trip?”.  As my parents well know, I am capable of talking for days non-stop about my trip, my experiences, and the incredible people I met there.  The best answer I have come up with so far that it was an incredible experience, and in fact I have found more and more that the use of the word ‘incredible’ is probably appropriate. Incredible can be defined as, ” so extraordinary as to seem impossible; not credible; hard to believe; unbelievable”.

There is no way that someone will ever truly understand what I saw, felt and learned while in the DR.  Many of the things I did and saw even I would not have believed I could have encountered a month ago.  It was an experience I hope everyone can have some time in their life. An incredible experience that cannot fully be described in photographs, on-line journals, or even mere words.  It’s true influence can only be felt and truly believed by those who were there in first person.

I discovered…

…sometimes feeling small is the best way to figure out how to grow to be a bigger, better person

…beauty is a material thing  until you see it on the face of someone who is truly living and enjoying life every day to the fullest, and who values relationships and experiences more than any item money could buy

…As Eleanor Roosevelt once said “Do one thing every day that scares you” - you will find you can do things you never thought were possible

…it doesn’t take much more than the lack of a few creature comforts  to realize what is really important to true survival, and what is constant and unwavering even in difficult or challenging times

As I start my final semester of college tomorrow I pause to look both behind and ahead to what I have learned in the past month and what I still have yet to learn in the coming months and years of my young adult life.  I am scared and uncertain, but I know that fear and uncertainty can only mean that a challenge lies ahead. The Dominican people have certainly given me a lot more than I could ever give back to them, and for that I feel blessed and ready to take on the obstacles ahead, in hopes of encountering new experiences and new opportunities to learn along the road.

Getting back into the swing of things won’t be hard, but the way I view and approach challenges and opportunties will certainly be new and improved.

Wire crowns and other valuable things I gained from the kids in Las Charcas

Of all the people I met in the Dominican Republic it was the kids who taught me the most. Each and every day their contentment with life amazed me.  They had very little. If they had dolls, they had one or two Barbies, not the whole mansion, and if they had trucks, they treasured the handful they had, they didn’t covet the newest Hot Wheels deluxe collection.

Elaina wearing the glasses Alex made, and Molly and Erica rocking the "coronas"

It amazed me what they could make a game out of. I learned many new clap songs from the girls, taking me back to the good old days of elementary school. The boys taught us “Panuelo“, a game they derived after they captured my bandanna.  It was very much like steal the bacon.  We also played countless games of thumb war and monkey in the middle.   The stickers I brought were fought over like money and worn proudly on the shirts, arms, foreheads and stomachs of all the kids.  The simplest things kept them entertained and happy. My favorite day was when Alex, the young boy who had become attached at the hip to basically every girl in our group, found some left over wire from the re-bar and crafted it into the best pair of glasses I have ever seen! It was the cutest thing when he wore them around. Then he started making all of the girls ‘coronas’ (crowns) to wear. We were entertained for most of the day by his, and some of the other kids’ new creations with the left over wire.

Never was there a cry of boredom, a plea for more toys, or a pouty face that simply didn’t get what he or she wanted.  They were content and happy to play with each other and not a video game or computer screen, and they used what they had, whether it be a Barbie, or some construction site tools, to make up games and entertain themselves.

Christian helping to sift the cement

Their work ethic was unbelievable. I was clearly  put to shame when little 9-year-old Christian was able to shovel dirt for a heck of a lot longer than I was, and I’m pretty sure he didn’t even break a sweat. The boys would carry the wheelbarrows, blocks and buckets, and mix cement all day without a complaint or without anyone even asking them to help. They were happy to help and enjoyed showing us how to do things (not knowing that they were showing us up with almost every task, we felt like weaklings).  Even the girls pitched in. Sama (14) and Pamela (15) were up on the scaffolding pouring cement, or carrying buckets with the rest of us.

It really made me become more aware of how kids (and myself included) act in the U.S. American children are very spoiled, always asking for, and most of the time getting, the newest toy, gadget or electronic to keep them entertained.  We are catered to hand and foot by our parents and are rarely asked to do chores.  The children I met in the Dominican Republic  are not spoiled by things, but blessed by their relentless ability to work hard and find contentment in what they have.

One thing I observed at the fiesta on the last night of the build was that the children were fed last after everyone else was fed. They waited patiently, received their food, and were content sitting on a rock, the floor, or whatever leftover seating there was. In the U.S. it is usually the kids who are fed first so that they will be well-behaved and content  sitting at their own table while the adults try to enjoy their meal.

Erika with her Barbies

In the Dominican Republic the children taught me to take a step back, respect my elders, and also respect and appreciate what I have and the simple joys of every day life. Thanks to Alex, Christian, Sama and all the other kids in Las Charcas I am now more determined to work harder every day and maybe someday become as strong both physically, but more importantly emotionally as they are.

Go with the flow (or lack thereof)

One of the major lessons I learned over the past month is that your essential needs in life are very minimal.

We live in a society where food, electricity, and water are not seen as a luxury, but a need that is fulfilled at the flick of a switch, a turn of the fixture, or a drive to the grocery store. When the power goes out we panic and wonder if we will ever make it through the few hours or (God forbid) days it might take for the electrical company to come fix the wires.  If there is too much snow on the ground to get to the grocery store we panic that we may starve without having milk or bread for a day. Water is something that is constant, something we use, and waste on a daily basis without thinking about it. How many times to you wash your hands and actually think about the fact that you are lucky to have running water?

I am as guilty as anyone to be subject to all of the above, but I learned during my month in the Dominican Republic that is is possible to survive, and live a happy and even more fulfilled life, with very little.  The bathroom I used in my host family house took some definite getting used to. The sink did not work, so I had to brush my teeth, wash my face, etc using a milk jug that I filled from the shower. The shower was another story. It did not have a fancy five setting massage shower head, it actually didn’t have a shower head at all. There was no real water pressure and no hope for hot water. I thought I had it rough until one day we didn’t even have running water at the house! Let’s just say thank God for rain barrels.

Electricity was also not a guaranteed resource. Several times a day for an hour or so the neighborhood would have blackouts. Waking up before the sun rises and trying to get ready for a long day at the build site is not easy, but it is doable.

The fruit and veggie basket in my host family's house

I lived for a month without peanut butter, chocolate, and my favorite cereal. I did not suffer from withdrawal, go into depression, or have any health problems without them. I survived, and actually learned to like a lot of new foods in the process. The Dominican people live off of what they have. They import very little in comparison to the U.S., though they do carry many U.S. consumer products and have the occasional Burger King or KFC, on a day to day basis they live of of what their land provides them. San Juan grows 75 percent of the country’s rice and beans and the farm fields boast acres of yuca, corn, papaya, and mango. Consequently these foods are used in many of the traditional daily meals.

Being back in the States, I have really been aware of the things I take for granted. Simple things such as water pressure, a dishwasher and washer and dryer, and a grocery store right down the road that has millions of products from all over the world right at your finger tips.  I appreciate these things more, but also realize my true needs for survival are very minimal. The following are five things I have found you can live without, and five things you need to truly survive.

Things you can live without:

1. water pressure, or running water at all – a bucket is an incredible tool
2. electricity – candles and flashlights work wonders
3. USDA certified meat – chicken straight from the farm taste just fine!
4. mirror in the bathroom – you can learn to put contacts in without it!
5. peanut butter – there are other food groups out there!

Things necessary for survival:

1. food – rice and beans get the job done!
2. water – you will not die if it does not come from a Brita filter
3. laughter – better than a daily multi-vitamin, and a universal language
4. sunlight – the best organic endorphines and natural heat this side of the universe
5. faith – trust in someone greater than yourself and the feeling of never being truly alone

One house.One week. One community

Minority Report

(written Jan. 17)

So for the first time in my life I am officially a minority.  It is very strange because growing up as a caucasian female from an upper-middle class family I have always been part of the majority, always just one of many in the crowd.

Here, in the Dominican Republic, I am anything but that. I stand out because of the color of my skin, my clothing and my ability speak Spanish with a thick and very obvious American accent.

The "Americanas" after a day of painting!

While the group of girls from Connecticut College were here for the house build it wasn’t so bad because we were all “gringas” and “Americanas” and got whistled and stared at on a regular basis.  It was more funny and entertaining than uncomfortable.  Now that I am again on my own (the group left last Thursday after we spent the night in Santo Domingo), I have an overwhelming sense of my minority status.  It is an experience that is certainly strange and overwhelming and often times very lonely, but I think it is something that everyone should experience at some point in their life.  You realize that your way of speaking, acting and doing things is not preferred by everyone and you learn to respect and observe the new culture you have been immersed in, instead of forcing your own cultural rules upon it.

It makes me consider how I view minorities back home.  Do I stare at the Hispanic family in the grocery store or laugh at the way a recent immigrant talks?  I have certainly experienced some of this treatment, but I have also many times been embraced because of my difference and encouraged to learn the language and participate in the culture.  The people here are very welcoming and want to learn all about you, and at the same time show you their culture and teach you how to cook their food, speak Dominican ‘slang’, and play their games.

Now that I know from experience and I have a new outlook on what it is like to have a minority status, and the way I feel when I am stared at or judged for my differences, but also the way I feel when I am welcomed into the culture like a member of the family.  As I meld back into the majority upon my return home, I hope I will never forget the strange and lonely, yet enriching and challenging experience of being a minority.  Embracing the opportunity to learn and share culture is something that I will never forget, and hope to share with others.

Me with my host family, Katherin and Dolores, who adopted me as their "Americana" daughter and sister for three weeks. Living in their house was the best experience as I was able to live and learn the Dominican culture in the home of my adopted family!

Some more of my favorites…

Me and a few of the kids at the build site

Alex, Natalie (brother and sister who recieved a house from CV last May), Me, and Chelsi (we built her new house!)

Brenda and Brianda - I got to spend the night at their house in Las Charcas, their house was built by CV last summer!

Let´s start at the very beginning…

Ok so now that I have a little bit of time to write I am going to try to type out a few of the posts I have written by hand over the past month. Bear with me because this keyboard is a little bit different than the one I am used to. The following are the first few posts I wrote…its interesting to look back at them now and see how things have changed, and everything I have learned…

Post 1 (sorry I forgot to write dates, woops)

After flying to Philly and sitting on the runway for two hours I was finally on my way to the DR! Getting off the plane was the first time I felt truly alone. I finally got the guts to ask myself ¨What the hell were you thinking?!¨.  After a brief moment of panic I got my luggage and made it through customs. Little did I know I was about to walk the Santo Domingo red carpet. Upon exiting customs you walk down this ramp with about a hundred people on each side staring at you.  All I have to say is props to Paris Hilton and all the other celebs who make walking the red carpet in front of thousands of people look easy. I´m pretty sure I looked like a deer in the headlights with my Elon t-shirt and massive amounts of luggage. I looked all over and did not see Jose anywhere so I stood awkwardly at the end of the ´runway´and again, began to panic. After a few minutes out of no where Jose emerged like my knight in shining armor! I was saved! Never have a been so happy to see a complete stranger in my entire life!

We got in the car and began our three hour journey from Santo Domingo to San Juan. We drove along the ocean and through the mountains and the views were amazing! On our way we randomly stopped at a vendor and Jose bought this stuff that looked like caramel fudge…I soon learned it was called ¨Dulce de Leche¨and tastes basically like cookie dough, only sweeter and without the threat of salmonella! I realized that if all else failed I could live off of dulce de leche for the next month.  We stopped again a little further down the road and Jose got out and soon emerged from the restaurant with two beers! ¨Presidente¨to be exact. So yes, we ate our dulce de leche and drank our beer on our drive. I was completely content :’)

Finally we arrived in San Juan which was probably about 20 degrees cooler than hot and humid Santo Domingo, but it still felt like a warm spring night. We went to my host family´s house and I got to meet Dolores, aka my Dominican Mom! I had dinner with Jose, his wife Dalia, his 2 year old son Jose Andres and Dolores!

And so my  journey began…

Post 2

¡Estoy agobiado!

I soon realized that my ability to communicate was very limited. And as a communications major, obviously I love to talk, so it was so frustrating the first few days. I realized the Spanish I had learned over the past seven years helped a little, but general conversation was something I would have to get used to. Dolores speaks SO quickly I honestly don´t think she breathes when she talks. Even when I ask her to slow down a little bit it is still hard. It is definitely pretty lonely when no one else speaks your language. Things usually come very easily to me, usually I am a fast learner but i have realized that it is going to take more than just a day to acclimate and feel comfortable here.

I have been reading a lot and am currently reading The Shack, by William Young. I would definitely recommend it. It describes the story of a father whose daughter is murdered and the decline and rebuilding of his relationship with God. So far it has inspired me a lot about getting through tough times and knowing that you are never alone – and loneliness is something i think I will feel a lot here, but I think it will be good for me to learn by observing and listening, and really doing some soul searching.

Post 3

The top 5 things I have learned from the first 2 days…

1. You can not talk too fast. Breathing between words and sentences is underrated
2. Even without traffic patterns or laws somehow i have not seen a single car wreck
3. Kids are the best because I feel like they don´t judge me and are basically at the same speaking level as I am (especially 2 year old Jose Andres)
4. Dulce de Leche = cookie dough without risk of Salmonella

Post 4

After my first day going to the community of Las Charcas where we  built the house…

Today was the first day I went to Las Charcas. It is a farming community that is very impoverished but at the same time, beautiful.  On our ride there along the bumpy road we saw rice fields, potato fields, yuca, and beans. Everything is very primitive there were horses pulling plows, people carrying water, hand made fences and houses – but at the same time there were cars, mostly motor bikes, and everyone seemed to have a cell phone. In fact the whole day the only type of electricity or modern technology I encountered were cell phones.

We worked all day digging and pouring the foundation of the house. I helped a little bit sifting cement but for the most part I could not do much of the actual construction so I managed to become best friends with all of the kids that were there. Literally the whole neighborhood came out to help. The women cooked lunch while the men helped with the build and the kids just came and played.  I have found that talking and interacting with kids here is so much easier – maybe its because I feel like they don´t really judge me and are kind of on my level language wise.

I am absolutely in love in love with this little girl Natalie! She is about 3 years old and has the most gorgeous curly dark hair and the biggest brown eyes you have ever seen!

The family that will live in the new house we are building is a single mom, Daisy, with her three kids Brayan (16), Sama (14) and Chelsi (2). Sama and her friend Erika love to ask me questions and play games! They have one that is like Stella Ella Olla (for those who became professionals in elementary school) accept it is about a dairy farmer? LOL

The biggest hit today was my camera. The kids love to be in pictures and they were thrilled when I let them take a few on their own. They love that they can look at the picture after it is taken. I let Sama watch my camera for a little bit while I worked and she protected like it was treasure.

I really can´t put into words what this place is like. The people, scenery, culture are all so beautiful and they just make you smile and laugh all day.

After typing out my first few posts I wrote in the first few days I realize a lot has changed and I cannot wait to post more upon my return to the states and reflect back on the experience as a whole. I know this post is kind of random, but I figured I would show you my thoughts from the beginning of my trip to be able to further understand my future posts about how this country has changed me and the way I view my life, and the world we live in.

A picture says a thousand words…

Since I don´t have much time to write, and I don´t think I can even put into words how this trip has changed me, I figured I would at least provide some pictures. These were all taken over the past week during the house build. We built a house, but even more so we built a stronger community, a new family of volunteers, and will take away a lot more than what we could give to them.

I am alive i promise!!

Hi all,

This is literally only my second time using a computer in the past two weeks so I havent had time to add any posts…but no worries i am writing them by hand so i can type them all up when i get back. The Dominican Republic is an absolutely incredible place. So much to say…too little time. But I am alive and safe, we just finished our house build yesterday and today we are in Santo Domingo – aka there is internet access in the hotel!

Thank you for all of you well wishes and concerns! Only a week and a half left…it is really flying by!ç

Besos y Abrazos – hope to update soon!

Tomorow, Tomorow, I love ya tomorrow you’re only a day away…

Less than 24 hours. Actually 20 hours until I am in the Dominican Republic!

I am anxious and excited and at this point just want to get there!

In preparing for my travels I read up a little bit on the history of the Dominican Republic which is actually really interesting…

The Dominican Republic started as a Spanish colony after it was discovered by Christopher Columbus. The Spaniards basically wiped out the native people, the Tainos, after exposing them to disease and hard labor.  Later, after Cortes found gold in Mexico, the Spanish gave the island to the French who developed it into a very wealthy province.  Eventually the “Black Army” in Haiti overtook the French and the Haitians claimed the entire Island. In 1844, thanks to the Trinitaria uprising, the eastern two-thirds of the Island was finally established as the Dominican Republic we know today.

In modern history, the Dominican has endured U.S. occupation for 8 years during the First World War, and a slew of dictators who gained power through rigged elections and party pay-offs. The most recent election, in 2008, put President Leonel Fernandez in power once again. Fernandez has helped the economy by stabilizing the peso, but citizens still have concern about the high unemployment rate and high level of poverty in the country.

A little history lesson was a great way for me to get a feel for how the country came to be what is is today. Please see some of the links above if you want to learn a little more in detail.

As I head out on my trip I wanted to share a few of my favorite travel quotes (and for those of you who know me, you know I love quotations!)…

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” — Mark Twain

“Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.” –- Miriam Beard

Travel Quotations