I leave the country July 16th and there still seems to be so many unanswered questions. Will I get my visa in time? This is the most pressing question because without a visa I cannot go. The other questions such as what if I decide to go for less time is less pressing because I know regardless I am going and I can go even if I decide to stay nine months instead of the original year that I had plan.

Things have changed dramatically since last December when I accepted the Lumos Award to teach overseas in South Africa. Most importantly, the guy that I was dating at the time is now my boyfriend and things have gotten pretty serious. I was even considering not going because of him but when it came down to it, I knew in my heart that I had to go. The question of going for a shorter amount of time has been played with but I never sat down to figure it out and it turns out if I would have made this decision earlier it would have been a lot easier. Right now, I don’t know what will happen to my award if I decide to go for nine months instead of a year. My guess is that it will decrease and while that will suck 🙁 I still think it’s worth it if it means I’ll still get to go for a extended amount of time but come back earlier so I can start life on my own.

One of my main concerns about going abroad is the whole money thing. I just graduated from Belmont but choosing to accept this award means that I have no money coming in for a year (or nine months) and as an extremely independent young graduate I want to avoid going back home by ANY means necessary. So accepting the award was a risk in itself. It’s hard to find a job while you’re in the States, imagine trying to do it from thousands of miles away. Needless to say, I am looking NOW. People might think that’s a little excessive but I was told the same thing when I was looking for a job (or at least what to do after graduation) my fall semester of my senior year.  It worked out then and I’m praying that this will work out too.

As for as the project itself, I know I’m going to love it once I’m there but all the paperwork and the money and the logistics seriously take away from the awesome experience. I know it’s going to be great. I went to South Africa before my fall semester of my junior year and it was the amazing (Check out my blog from then at coming2sa.blogspot.com). I went on a safari, bungee jumped, learned how to surf and sandboard, the list goes on and on. But one of my favourite experiences was tutoring at a local school which just happened to be two houses over from where I lived. I tutored elementary-aged learners for most of my time there and it was this experience that I cannot wait to do again.

The main purpose of my specific project is to teach, a career path that I am exploring. I loved it then and I hope that by getting more experience in the classroom, it will help me decide if this is indeed what I want to do with my life. I am anxious for this journey to begin. I’ll be back soon with developments about my visa and how long I decide to stay.

Well I’m back! Stateside again and acclamating very well.  I would like everyone to note in the minutes that I am a very skilled airport-er now and can handle the airport like a big kid. Customs was still very scary. Saying goodbye at the airport to the poeople that had become my adopted mom and dad for three months was sad, but not as sad as you would think. It’s not because I don’t love them, it’s because I know I will see them again. They are in my life now, a permanent part of my journey (as is Dove) and it wasn’t goodbye just see you soon!

I am forever grateful for the things I have learned and experienced in the Dominican Republic. I am so thankful for Lumos and Cynthia and Dr. Monteverde for providing me with the support  I needed to make this happen.  I am thankful to Nini, Dea, Marlenis, Terry and Demaris for taking me under their wing and allowing me to be apart of their families. It wouldn’t have been the same without them. I am thankful for Liz, James, Chulo and Bella my family who loved me through all of my moments and created a billion memories with me. I am also so thankful to every little face that let me be apart of their lives for three months, they let me teach and they taught me, I am so grateful. Lastly, I am thankful for my family and friends stateside that supported me in this adventure and welcomed me home with open arms.

I have learned so many things from this experience, but one of the biggest things I may have learned is that you can live that life you want. There is a plan for you and it is a huge adventure that you can make happen. This trip seemed crazy last December when I started thinking about going and one year later  have come and gone there.  I am now even more excited for the next amazing thing I will get to do.

I would also like to leave a challenge. If you are reading this you have more than most. You have been blessed by being lucky enough not to be born in a third world country. Use that blessing to help someone else. You don’t have to travel like  I did, but you do have a gift that you can use in some way. I would encourage you (whoever you are) to find that gift, tap into it and use t to help someone else!

I’m not sure if this will be my last blog so check back. I will def be giving a convo at Belmont in Jan. so more info to come on that 🙂

Mustard Seed is the name of the very first pre-school I ever attended. It was a great experience. I only went for half a day and some days (most days) my grandmother would stop and get me lunch at this little local place called Jinny’s. It’s one of my first memories.

Mustard Seed  also happens to be the name of a home for disabled children here in the DR. We spent the morning there today and it was fantastic. I have often found that I can be sort of ungraceful in situations where I’m not sure what to do and today I was fumbling. What was amazing was that the people that run Mustard Seed were so wonderful and helped me to just jump right in talking to the kids and just giving them hugs. Sometimes, especially here, kids are cared for but don’t get a lot of physical attention because parents are so busy doing other things. Just the human touch, rubbing there hands, holding them, made a difference. There were so wonderful and it was a brilliant experience.

The Mustard Seed was started years ago by a Jamaican couple who had already started a similar program in their home country and wanted to start one in the DR. They literally started in a hut with a dirt floor just taking in kids that they found or were dropped off at their door. They really had no means to be undergoing that kind of endeavor, but they made it and saved the lives of so many kids. It has now grown to the home it is now with special chairs built just for kids with special needs, a full staff and a safe loving home.

I am so glad I got to go today!

I’ve heard people say that dance is art in motion. Well, this is not the kind of art you would find in a fine gallery in some swanky down town area. This is the kind of art you see in someone’s home and have to ask “Where did you find this?” Then you they tell you, “Oh, my daughter, she does this and her grandfather before her and it’s just  in our family.”  You leave their house feeling like you have shared something special and that they have given you a gift.

Watching people spin and dip to the sound of Dominican music was this art;this gift. We went to a Rancho Tipico, which is the common name for a dance hall. They play music very loud, so loud in fact you can’t talk to the person next to you. It’s ok though, you’re not there to talk, you’re there to dance. The worst dancers on the floor look like seasoned professionals and the best dancers perform with the ease and grace of someone who has been doing it their whole life.

These dances aren’t taught. Everyone here dances. It’s an expression of joy and a way to literally step away from the stressors of life. There was no fighting, no air of conflict. There were only people doing what these people have done forever and to me it was art.

There is a grandmother here named Lola. Lola is not tall. I think in her younger days she must have been 5’4”, but time has pushed her down to 5’2”.  She has long brown hair that is mostly covered by the hairs that have turned snowy white that she wears pulled back in a bun. Lola is kind and loving and when she hugs you she makes you feel warmand safe like how a good mother does. At Lola’s house there are 16 children.  She is their protector, provider and teacher. Lola’s children are the most well behaved and respectful, yet their personalities are not stifled. They are the product of a loving home and a strong woman. Lola came to pick up her monthly food allowance last week and brought 6 of the children with her. They dance around Lola in the way Earth dances around the Sun. Orbiting in reverence and love. She is one of the most remarkable people I have met here and I haven’t even had a full conversation with her. I have grown to know her children very well and they are beautiful. There are 18 children in our orphanage in Haiti, in Lola’s house there are 16 children.