1 year living in the DR
3-20-11
So March 4th marks the 1 year reunion of me being here in the Dominican Republic. As I sit here reminiscing on the past years frustrations, triumphs, tears, smiles and times of major confusion, I realize that I have definitely come to love this country and am turning into a campesina.
I remember my first impressions of the DR were that it was a dirty country, full of trash on the streets, it was so unorganized and lazy. Now living here for a year I feel like I am now starting to see past these traits and also see them in me. I definitely am a lot more lazy. If it rains, I don't want to leave my house, if it's cold I won't go on my morning runs and I am also more prone to ask for bolas, no longer embarrassed to show that I don't want to walk. Maybe its not so much that I am lazy but I am getting comfortable. I speak like my neighbors, I live like my neighbors (for the most part) and I have to be completely honest when I leave I miss my neighbors. It is such a simple life to just sit by the colmado and talk about the day. I love learning new things from them and compartiring with special dinners and cross culture chats. I can honestly say the DR is starting to be a big part of my life.
Hitting the one year mark also makes me feel like everything that I have done is finally making sense. I now know what my role is in the community, I now know who the people I can trust are and I feel more comfortable in my community to be myself and not this stuck up professional. I have one year left! My time is now not a large amount of hanging out but a countdown of work I still have to do. I want to leave my community knowing I am leaving something physical (like a library), and emotional (like my presence, youth groups and memories). I definitely feel loved. All my neighbors and community members are super overprotective of me, they always claim me like I am their volunteer, always asking if I am thinking about staying forever, and telling me never to leave.
It's only the one year mark but I know that I will be very sad when it is finally that time to say goodbye. I feel like a dominicana already. I am very anxious to see how much I grow from here. Vamos a ver...
The cutest little girl in my barrio, they call her "China"
For some strange reason, she adores me. I think it has a lot to do with the bike.
The cute barrio girls. We tried riding the bike together and fell. Haha. Finally a dona told us not to do it. I am so glad an adult was around. :)
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