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