Country Dominican Republic

It’s never fun to be denied. Whenever we put ourselves out there, there’s always a chance that we could be denied. It seems a bit silly that we do this but we do. I did this in 2016, shooting my…

You know in life people say that they are starting a new chapter. Although I am in a new chapter of my life, there will be many things brought up in this chapter from the previous chapter.  I’m ready for…

Two days ago, I turned 23 years old. My birthday looked a little different this year, as did many others’ birthdays, I’m sure. This virus has felt like a pause, a reset, a time to reflect. This is not a…

I could have…I could have… I could have…  This has been the line that goes through my head several times a day. This line comes in many forms. Some forms of regret and others of gratefulness.  I could have sat…

Life feels upside down right now. A week and a half ago, I was evacuated from the Dominican because of COVID-19 and the closure of the Dominican border. The borders were starting to close but I wasn’t ready to say…

The first week of March, I had the opportunity to step outside of the space of the safe house, La Vega, and the DR. I stepped back into college life at Belmont. Joy, the founder of New Hope and I…

I love you,  Miss Jessica  I write this at the end of my morning message each day for my four girls in class. Everyday, they say it with me as we end the message. Well…’saying it’ is a stretch…we shout…

I was asked the other day what I had learned from this year and of course I was on camera and totally froze because there is just too much. Like the past blog, there are many things that I have…

Well here we are again after a bit of a break.  A restful, yet chaotic break back home.  While at home, I was able to step outside what is actually going on in my day to day here. It was…

Took the bus to the capitol today.  For those who have been in Santo Domingo know that the traffic is the absolute worst here.  The bus is cold (not used to this air conditioning), I’m wearing the ear muffs that…