Esperanza

A whole week later and I am doing it in a bitter sweet kind of way.... My time in the DR is coming to an end this Sunday and I am not sure that I have realized it yet. It is hard to think about leaving when life has kept me so busy and going this whole time, 6.5 weeks seemed so long but like everyone said, it has flown by!! I can honestly say that this experience has impacted me and influenced my mind in many ways. In the US we learn to go about each day and do what you have to to get to five o'clock and "just get through it." I am about to go back to working and living in real life again. I hope to keep a more positive outlook on life and not get caught up in situations/work/relationships that make me think I just need to "get through it." Life is here to be enjoyed. We are here to touch peoples lives. People are here to help us see our reflection better. Being a nurse I have an abundant amount of opportunities to do this for people on a daily basis. I often take for granted what I have been blessed with, but being here in the Dominican Republic my eyes, heart, and mind have opened up. I have said in the past that one of my favorite words is Hope which by definition is: A feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen; want of something to happen or be the case. I like this word so much, that I included it three years ago in a tattoo that my 2 sisters and I got together. I have come to love this word even more when I learned it in Spanish, Esperanza. I love to say this word, it rolls off the tongue with a nice flick on the 'r.' With this new word I have a new light in my heart that I want to spread and continue to feed. This trip like I have said has been such a blessing and I want to keep pushing forward and growing. I know that once I get back into my routine it is going to be harder to give back and deliver hope, but I hope to look back at my journal and pictures and remind myself what makes me happy and fulfilled. Esperanza is what carries me each day. If you happen to know me at all then you know that I am a big dreamer who believes most anything can happen. After being here and seeing how happy the people are who live off of a pittance and still smile, laugh, and love I know there is still hope left in the world. This post is getting so cheesy but it's mostly because I am just sitting down and word vomiting all over my computer. A novel I just finished called The Poisonwood Bible had a fantastic quote from the mother in the book, "To live is to be marked. To live is to change, to acquire the words of a story, and that is the only celebration we mortals really know..."

Cruising to a beach in Las Galeras where we went for a weekend, courtesy of Catherine the director of the DREAM center, amazing place!

JT and I just posing

Christina, Catherine, and I on our way out to the Presidential elections celebrations

While sitting on the steps waiting for the dancing to start we had a photo shoot ;)

Whoops..... kinda forgot the CH in the alphabet... thank goodness for white paint!

Carolina and I heading to the pool for the last field trip with the kids

The kiddos with Hannah and JT, so excited!

Some of the cutest little chicos, all there names consist of a Luis, Angel, or Carlos I think in some random order ha

More kiddos at the pool

Clari and Clara, always dressed just the same lol

One of my new faves, thanks JT

Let the good times roll

Whew talk about a fast week!! I am now sitting on the porch and looking out on the lagoon, realizing that even though I anticipated this adventure going by quickly, I can't believe that its wrapping up in a week and two days ;( This past week flew by because I had my brother David Taylor here visiting me, it was his 30th birthday so we spent the whole 3.5 days he was here just Going! We did Monkey Jungle Zip line, massages on the beach, fresh pineapple for lunch, local plates of Dominican food, small jam sessions with Lauren Hill, volleyball with kids we passed on the streets, volunteering at the clinic where Taylor got to do Dentistry in Flip flops ;), dancing, more beaches, food and lots of fun. After hosting visitors I always wonder if they enjoyed themselves and had a good time, with my brother I assume he did, I know I had a great time having him here! JT took me to a new beach on Monday that was absolutely beautiful! It felt like a secret beach because there were only about 15 people there, it was in a half enclosed bay area and it was only about the size of a football field long. The water was crystal clear, there were random white ceramic heads on the cliffs, and shade for our hot tired bodies; I was in LOVE with this beach! I also was the assessor at the Transformation house on Monday for the Dr and had some of the kids who loved me but one little girl was screaming bloody murder when I looked at her ha her mom said that she doesn't like white people ;) Off to school with the 6-14 yr olds in Sociales (Social Studies) where such a wide range of children presents with a lot of challenges from the start. Half of them are still learning to read while the other half could care less about reading and more about the person of opposite sex sitting across from them... quite interesting to say the least. There are 3 different groups so most of the young ones are together but it's amazing to see the wide range of abilities. I mostly work as a teachers aide, hand out supplies, hold maps, and help the ones who can't spell/write yet to work on their projects... Honestly I LOVE it! Just being able to work close with children who have so little in life but appreciate what help and attention they get is a blessing to me. Some of these children can go days without hearing they are cared for and loved from their parents/caregivers. It is not uncommon for the children here to cling onto us volunteers because we hug them back and adore them, I was sad to have to tell two of the older girls yesterday that I am not staying for summer camp, I may be needing to figure out how to make it back here to be a counselor next year for five weeks.... Just saying... ;) This week we went out for Thai food up in the mountains as a thank you to the volunteers at DREAM and also this weekend we are driving out to Samana, a town where the director has a bed and breakfast she is letting us stay at. I hear from everyone that it has the MOST BEAUTIFUL beaches and is absolutely breath taking... we shall see, I am so excited, we leave tomorrow morning at 7 am! Another slightly exciting thing this week: JT, Maria, Hannah, and I are going to go to Puerto Rico next weekend for the last week here and figured out where we are going to stay....... COUCH SURFING!!!! We have contacted a fellow CSfer, he has a pimped out house right in Old San Juan and is more than happy to host all four of us for FREE!!!! Wahhhhhhooooooo we are so excited, Hannah is hesitant we might be axed up, but mostly we are excited ha ha ha I will update after the weekend, stay tuned.... Kj

Is there something on my head?

Taylor and I on the Callejon, main street in our little community

Out to dinner for birthday with Justin, I, and Taylor... Right before we saw Lauren Hill perform!

Happy #30 Taylor, what is that FunFetti Cake in the DR??

Taylor and I at the Monkey Jungle on Saturday

Seriously kiddos, can you get a little cuter? I see at least one child a day that I want to steal

Hannah, Nora, and Surprise!! Maria ;)

Happy Mother's Day Maria, breakfast in bed!

Volleyball with some random people, loved this!

Taylor, me, and JT at Playa Ensenada

Kiddos!!

Keeping busy with the kids this week. From the kids at the Transformation house to the kids from Barrio Blanco that we took to the beach on Tuesday, it's been a busy kid week! On Monday I was able to help the nurse out and give breathing treatments that the kids come in to get on a regular basis because they have asthma issues but no inhalers at home. I also was able to do some injections for antibiotics and it broke my heart when my chunky little girl flexed her bottom so tight because I know it just makes it that much more painful... I remember getting my shots in my butt when I was younger and I absolutely hated it!! Then the rest of the day it was off to Sosua and reading on the beach. A cross fit workout at night exhausted us and made us call it a night ha Tuesday I helped in Social Studies with Justin in the morning, they are learning about Europe aka Europa in Spanish. I headed down to the beach afterwards with Nora and Sarah some girls visiting this week and then met Margo and Rebecca to play with the kids from Barrio Blanco at the beach, it was so much fun ;) Today I went and helped Maria's class with literature and playing in the yard, great time! I got to go out to Caraballo which is a mainly Haitian village that has a DREAM school, about 45 minutes away, and see all they are doing out there. They have one building made of metal panelling that is about 40x40 ft and they hold 2 classes in it at a time, the kiddos are so obedient and sweet. It's amazing how much this place makes me grateful to have what I have been blessed with. It's a age old question I always ask myself, "If I wasn't blessed to be in my family and to the life I know, where would I be?" It is an important question to evaluate and ponder from time to time. I get to go pick up my bro David Taylor tomorrow around noon and I am so excited to show him this place! It started back up with rain today after 4 days of straight sunshine so I am hoping its not a permanent rain.... ahhhh This weekend is going to be cool, there is a HIV testing clinic on the beach and a concert at night, I shall update afterwards. Also I want to wish a happy Nurses Week to all my nurse ladies and gents ;) Beautiful Sunday morning view of the beach, not a cloud in site!

Driving the horses down the beach, so pretty and tranquil

Breakfast ;)

Picture of me at Tyler/Transformation house sign

Adam a ER nurse from Seattle that I met on Saturday and wanted to do some volunteering on his trip

Rebecca checking out a little guy with congestion

Rebecca and the little girls on the beach, getting ready to bury the girls!

One of my new little buddies ;)

Swimming lessons!!

Rebecca and her WILD girl

Margo playing with the girls, she is such a giving person

Just relaxing... Not a care in the world!

Lady in Caraballo doing her laundry

Found this awesome bridge painted with a special message for me and all my nurses this week!!

Week of Random

Let's do a late Saturday night update! So I am sitting in my house, listening to the crickets chirp, the bugs buzz, the bullfrog croak, and the stinking LOUD Moto's driving off!!! ha Here in the DR the guys LOVE to have a loud motorcycle, the louder it is, the more manly you are and therefore the cooler you are, I don't get it. Mostly it's just annoying and makes the street smell like gasoline all the time ha Since I live right off the Lagoon I get to hear lots of nature and tonight the clouds have cleared away and I can see some of the stars... Wait a minute, oh now I also am hearing the Campaign truck (the Presidential elections are in 2 Sundays from tomorrow and its a pretty big deal, all the time, literally parades daily) that is about 1/4 mile up the road from me but the stereo system is so loud that it sounds like it is right outside the gate ja ja Man I am not complaining because I am in paradise ;)Seriously I am loving every single minute of this time here! I have had time to read, I finished my classic novel, Wuthering Heights and maybe I need to re-read it again, I did enjoy the tragic love story but I think I rushed through it in angst to get to my next book and I have a feeling WH is more of a novel to be savored and not scarfed down... Any input anyone? I read a quick read this week, it's the 3rd book in the Something Borrowed series, it's called Baby Proof. It was a nice easy less tragic in the end kind of book. Prior to that I read the Book Thief which I recommend to anyone who likes a good read. It's a book set in Nazi Germany before and during WWII and it gives a different perspective of a young German girl, the writing is impeccable! So since my last update.... I hit up Playa Grande with Andrew, Christina, and their two visiting friends Shawn and Sarah, it is PARADISE! Then on Wednesday and Friday I got to man my very own station in the A Ganar English class which was fun, and the students told me "I was a great Prefessora" ha I didn't do much of anything but just reviewed and made them speak English the whole time rather than Spanish... Goodness I can't wait til I can understand Spanish and actually respond in Spanish! Thursday was a day of RAIN so I spent most of it indoors or on the porch, I have turned Dominican and no longer leave out if its raining ;( Friday afternoon I went to a neighboring neighborhood called Barrio Blanco. It is the next on up from the Callejon where I live, but it is much worse off and destitute. There are shacks and shanties, one after another. A good friend of ours lives there and his whole house what flooded up to the mattresses the other night, I just can't believe that its life for so many people. Margo, who also helps teach A Ganar, along with her husband are doing a improvement project in the neighborhood to build houses for the people. At least on person in the family has to be able to help build up the house; the whole community has to help build the houses; if you want a house then you have to contribute work time; each house is built at the same rate so people don't drop out of helping once theirs is built; each house costs between 5,000-7,000 to build but have a septic tank, one bathroom and 2-3 bedrooms. I believe right now they have 18 in the works and are trying to get donors/funding for the one house that is on the Lagoon and completely flooded the other day. Its so sad! After that Rebecca and I headed to a Crossfit class, you know this made me a happy camper!!! Today I took Maria with me to the Monkey Jungle to volunteer, we triaged, worked the pharmacy, and took a little adventure to get some large fruit looking melons that you carve out and make into bowls, the insides are poisonous... eeeek. This next week should be busy for me, church tomorrow, clinic on Monday, beach with kids from Barrio Blanco on Tuesday and then David Taylor to visit me on Thursday for his BIG 30!!!! Wahoo... Keep you updated, love you KJ Maria, Christina, Sarah, Rebecca, Hannah, and I at Mojito bar on the beach

Christina, Andrew, Shawn, Sarah, and I at Playa Grande after our fish lunch ;)

Some of the Barrio Blanco boys in Margo's class

Margo teaching the kids English words with a game of Concentration

Helping clear out the nose of a little 7 month old boy

Our Medical clinic at the Monkey Jungle

Maria, ella es muy fuerte!

Entrance for the clinic

Working hard in the Pharmacy