I'm a Student at UMass Boston!!

I finally sent in my registration for my Kreyol class, and the application for homestay with a Haitian family while I take the class. I am officially a student at UMass Boston! In three weeks I will be starting my class and I cannot wait! I haven't heard about the family yet, but I am excited to get to know them and practice what I learn at their home with them.

So, now that it is getting closer to my departure date (which is still TBD), a lot of people are asking me about it. Here is what I know so far: I am leaving sometime at the end-ish of July. I will be working with a girl named Callie who is down there now but is leaving at the end of August. She will kind of show me everything and hand over the reigns for the Responsible Sexuality class and soccer program for adolescent girls. The soccer league is an incentive for girls to finish the sex ed classes, because typically adolescents receive little or no sex education. I'll be living in a volunteer house a little ways away from the Haitian Health Foundation offices. I do not have to pay to go down, and will receive about $100 a month for whatever I need to buy.

I have received mixed reviews on my year of volunteering. Those that have been to Haiti commend me because they know the need. However, some of the people closest to me do not understand why I have such a strong desire to go. The only way I've been able to explain it is something like this: Over the last couple years I have really gotten into volunteering- I love it. After going to Haiti this past January, I did not want to come home. I had decided a while ago that I wanted to do long-term volunteering after graduating from UConn. After my trip to Haiti I could not imagine a better place to spend a year. Now is the time for me to do it! It's not that I don't have anything keeping me here-- I am giving up A LOT having to do with the people I love-- but I do not have anything holding me back.

I do not have a job, I do not own a house, and I do not have children of my own. I do, however, have 3 nieces, a nephew, and a god-son. I will miss the first year of my newest niece's life, the first year of high school for my oldest niece, and the first year of school for my middle niece. And missing a year of my nephew's and god-son's lives will not be easy. This is one of the hardest parts for me, because these are such important years in their lives that I will be missing. 

The opportunity cost of my trip (look Dad, I learned something in ECON!!) is great but the benefits and rewards are equally significant to me. I lost opportunities for what could have been great relationships and friendships, and am leaving friendships, family, and a relationship. All of this is going to be so difficult I force myself not to think about it to save myself from tearing up in public. BUT it's only a year!! My 4 years at UConn just flew by, so I know we can all make it through one little year. 

My mom was not surprised I decided to do it once I returned from my trip in January, and I was terrified of telling dad & mum because they did not want me to go for 10 days, nevermind a year. Both ended up being understanding and supportive of my decision. Most people understand once I explain why I need to do it, but there are still others trying to work through it. Even I wonder about it sometimes, but I always come back to my original decision.

So. That's that.

check out haitianhealthfoundation.org and go to "Programs" to see more about the Responsible Sexuality program.

2 Finals Down, 2 to go.. Oh, and 1 16 page paper...

Let me start by saying I hate my writing. Yet, here I sit writing all of this, and telling everyone to look at my blog, practically begging for people to follow it (DO IT!) But it is because this experience is going to be a huge part of my life. And Haiti is important to me. And Haiti will be the focus once I start my Kreyol class at UMass Boston at the end of June, and then get to Jeremie at the end of July. These first couple posts will serve to explain why I'm going, and what it means for me and everyone around me. I don't want to get tooooo personal, but I feel like it might happen. Sorry.

So after my last post I studied a little more, ate, and went to my psych exam. Finished that in 15 minutes, then went and sat and waited for my deviant exam. I think I did okay... we'll see when grades are up! My biggest stress right now is my 16 page Haiti independent study paper. I am about halfway done, but I want it to be really good. It's about Kreyol and is actually pretty interesting... but maybe that's because I love everything Haitian.

Which brings me back to the point of this blog in the first place.

This past January I went to Haiti for 10 days and it changed my life. 7 days in Port-au-Prince and 2 in Jeremie showed me so many things I didn't even know existed. (That only equals 9 days, I know I know, but we were traveling and stuff.) Orphanages, homes for the sick and dying, health fairs. Poverty and sickness, but above all that is the rich culture, and amazing, heartfelt welcome I felt from the people. 

Long story short, at the end of the 10 days, I did not want to come home. Everyone else had a great trip and was ready to return, but all I could say and think was that I didn't want to come home. I loved having no phone and no computer... nothing. Funny, since I'm on here right now, but true.

Now I'm tired and need to get up early to study for econ and finish my paper. Joy and rapture. More on Haiti later :)

Procrastination

So I'm excited about this blog but I don't really have much to say at the moment. I'll really start it once I begin my Kreyol class at UMass Boston in June. 

Right now I am in the Chapel basement at St. Thomas so I can procrastinate from studying by being on the internet instead. I have an Abnormal Psych exam at 3:30 and Deviant Behavior at 6. Sounds interesting right? Well, you're wrong, it's not.

Anyway, I just wanted to get a post up and let everyone know the purpose of this blog. If you're looking at it, you probably already know that I am volunteering in Haiti for a year beginning at the end of this July. I'll go into more detail about my previous experience and why I want to do this later... I really should get back to studying. 

In the meantime, become a follower of my blog!! I think you can do that on the homepage.. I actually have no idea. And admire the sunset... one I will be looking at every day in the caribbean...