So how is my life…
It’s been kind of simple and a little bit difficult. I’m pretty sure I’m at one of the pretties
sites in the country or in the pc world.
My site is on the ocean and it’s mad pretty with views of the national
park del Este. There are a number of
beaches but only two that people swim at, playa blanca (which is on the other
side of the river in the town over), and Hoyo Sumbador (which is just a sweet
swimming hole). For the first four
months I was rather confused about my assignment or purpose… Eventually after
visiting other volunteers and going to IST I’ve realized that the majority of
the volunteers in my group are in similar positions and that it’s just part of
the “process”. Since then I’ve started doing
small projects. I’ve started an English
class that is currently running 3xs a week, and I’m on my second Brigada Verde
club and this one looks like it might stick.
I’m going to my women’s group meetings every wed, currently we’re trying
to raise funds to replace the roof and put electricity in our building. I've decided to try to run a Construye su Suenos course with my women to help develop business skills so that we will be able to start a business.
Things that have driven me a little crazy in the past few months
1) All forms of travel... it's just scary and once I saw that accident coming back from Mini-vac I've been nervous about the whole thing
2)Dominican Come-ons- I thought I was going to excape the majority of the come-ons that the other girls were getting because I'm not super white and I don't look exceptionally foreign... but about a month ago they really started to set in and I get told (in that you know you want it to be me way) that I need a husband/boyfriend here to keep me company at night and make sure I'm not cold (as if that could even happen). Or asked if I have children or a husband and then lots of insisting that now is the time to acquire them.
3) The fact that I have been able to find a place to call me own... Not that I don't love my dona and feel mad lucky to be in the house I'm in... but I want to live in my own space...and cook my own food
4) Ohh when I say a word in spanish and they don't understand it but then when i explain the word they say the exact same word!
Things I'm happy I've done....
Jumped off a waterfall
Swam in natural spring
Swam in tons of beaches
learned spanish
there's way more but I really must go
