The fall surely marked the busiest I have been in the Dominican Republic. I felt like I was running around between conferences, meetings, graduations, and writing graduate school applications - which made for a much needed December break. Luckily, I got just that - a full month with virtually no obligations. My mom came for nearly three weeks, which were spent in the Capital, my community, and exploring different beaches. My favorite memory of her visit was the community dinner in Las Tablas where she met nearly everyone I know in my town. We shared a big dinner with 300 people and my mom got a very positive (if not too idealistic) picture of my life and work here.
My dad, brother, and sister-in-law came to visit for the last ten days of my mom’s vacation, which we spent in Samana. The Samana peninsula always amazes me by its untouched beauty. We all had a wonderful time swimming in the ocean, drinking tons of pina coladas, and enjoying the nice weather. This year’s Christmas was among my very favorites, and one that I will never forget.
Now I am back to my current reality, a.k.a. sitting in my tin-roofed house in a small, desert campo. It certainly will take time to readjust to life here, but I am ready to begin the last stretch of this journey. I have begun to plan my last several months here and how I want them to be spent. I’ve got a working list of goals to accomplish before I leave this island:
1. Create a girls’ group
2. Support a youth-led Escojo class
3. Organize women’s group that will collaborate with Escojo
4. Tutor my three 1st graders
5. Teach one more business class
6. Stretch and strength exercises for 30 min daily
7. Get back into shape so that I can win a Dominican road race
8. TRAVEL the country!
9. Study Spanish daily
During my first year of Peace Corps service I felt like I was in survival mode. I was struggling to keep up with the constant noise, obnoxious men, and other cultural differences that made life more strenuous than normal. I also dealt with my Spanish deficiencies and how to design my projects.
Things will be different this year. For the most part, I am no longer surprised by cultural differences or the language barrier. I have already graduated a girls’ group, business class, and two Escojo groups, which means that now my focus lies in how to produce sustainability out of such programs. Now, two new struggles begin:
what do I take out of this experience?; and,
what comes next?
I often wonder how I will bring all of my experiences living in the DR back to the US. Will I live differently than I did before? How will I react to living with constant electricity and clean, running water now that I know how most people actually live in this world? I expect my remaining time in this country will help to resolve some of these concerns, and my return to the US will ultimately provide the answers over time.
In terms of what comes next… it depends on a few things. If fate allows, I might leave this country a bit early to jump into the next phase of my life: graduate school. The only thing I can do now is enjoy my time here and trust that how I will experience life after Peace Corps will reveal itself soon.
