1 Week

So, I've been in contact with the newest volunteers coming down here, and it has really made me think about my experience. The latest questions I got from the girl taking over my position were not simply about what kinds of clothes she should bring, but questions that led to a really long response from me. Probably more than she wanted to know, but it was nice getting it out there. It is something I'd like to share with everyone, especially those with similar questions to hers which were: What made you do this trip to Haiti? Do you think you'll go back to Haiti? and Are you excited to be coming home?

This was my response:

What made me do this trip to Haiti.. hmmm. This is a story I think I've told 100 times! By the beginning of my senior year of college I knew that during the year following my graduation I wanted to volunteer long-term. I had yet to decide where... though another choice of mine was at the Christian Appalachian Project in Eastern Kentucky. I did an alternative spring break there my junior year, and really liked the organization. Then, January of senior year (Jan. 2009) I came with my church group from college down to Haiti. It was an immersion trip, not as much a service trip. It was to learn about and witness first hand Haitian life and culture. We spent about 7 days in Port-au-Prince and two days out here in Jeremie with Bette and HHF. By the end of the trip, the rest of the group reflected how it was a great trip and really eye-opening, but that they were ready to get home. But, all I could think was, I don't want to go home! If it could have worked out, I would have stayed down here from that week on.

I knew as soon as I got back to the US that Haiti had to be the place I would volunteer. I knew the girl I ended up replacing was getting towards the end of her time here, so about two weeks after I was back in the states, I emailed Bette and asked if I could come for a year. And it was decided! I came down in August of last year after having the summer at home, and doing the Kreyol course.

In the very beginning it was hard for me. I had left a boyfriend at home, and my sister had just had a baby in May... so I felt like I was leaving a lot behind. I contemplated leaving early, saying I just couldn't do it. But I knew then, as I know now, I would have regretted that for the rest of my life. It didn't work out with the boyfriend, (though it wouldn't have if I'd stayed home either... I think this trip was a blessing in that sense as well...) and I get to go home and see how my niece has changed and really begin to build a relationship with her. I have learned so much about myself, and really grown as a person during my time here. I've learned to put things in perspective and broaden my worldview on so many levels.

It is not just about your job. As with most jobs, it is what you make it. It's about the relationships you form and all the experiences you gain and the lessons you learn. I liked working with HHF but that with the combination of my life outside was really, really what did it for me.

I was an English major for my undergrad, mainly because I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and I love reading. I played with the idea of going into publishing, but when I really think about it, it seems like a lot of work, very little pay, and most importantly, I don't see it directly helping someone. When I was little I wanted to be a nurse, but during my high school chemistry class (which I found very difficult) I thought I had an epiphany that I COULD NOT be a nurse because I was not great at chemistry. Well, in the years following that class I have learned that I'm capable of a lot more than I gave myself credit for back then. And now, I'm going back to school for nursing!

I am excited to get back to school, to eat an ice cream cone, take a hot shower, and kiss my newest niece, but I come near tears every time I think about leaving this place. While coming here and adjusting was hard, I think it will be significantly harder going the other direction. I currently live in Manchester, CT, grew up in Coventry. And that's where I'll be for the next few years! If you're from anywhere in New England/Northeast, we can definitely meet whenever you're home again. Let me know :)

Oh, and will I come back? Well.. if home is where the heart is, I'll never be completely at home in the US.

Cap Haitien

Like I said, I am going to make an effort to catch up and write during my last 2 months here… And now here I am, 8 days before I leave. Sorry. Here goes. I’ll write about the trip we took to Cap Haitien. For those of you who don’t know, Okap (what Haitians call Cap Haitien) is in the Northeast of the country, not far from the Dominican Republic. From what I’ve seen, Okap is the second biggest city in Haiti, second only to Port-au-Prince.

When I first met Ann back in August, we started talking about making a trip to Okap. It took us a while, but we finally got our act together and made it happen. We planned with our friend Prophete, and found a hotel to stay in right outside the city. The first leg of our journey was to get to Les Cayes. A friend of Prophete’s was taking his private car there so kindly let us ride with him. We left around 4:30 in the morning and arrived about 10AM. I basically slept the entire ride with my head rolling around and my mouth open. I’ve made that ride on a bus and on a moto, and I chose sleep over looking at the view this time.

In Les Cayes, we found a bus going to PaP at a gas station. We grabbed a pate and a couple donuts then sat in the bus waiting. After it was FULL we started on our way. Again we all slept a little bit in between stops where people gathered around the bus to sell us food and drinks. I bought tablet (like a delicious peanut brittle) and we got a lemon-lime soda. At one stop this one guy was yelling, “Makwòs, Makwòs!!” over and over and over again. It’s a type of sweet that is sold in a block, but listening to the guy shout it over and over drove us crazy. When we asked what it was he answered, “Makwòs!” to which we said, “DUH, but what is it??” Finally we found out that it was the sugary sweet stuff.

When we arrived in PaP, we needed to get to the airport so we could pick up our rental car from God-Given Rental Car… and boy was it. We finally got a woulib (ride) from one of Prophete’s friends who brought us to the airport. We went in and the very serviceable employee took good care of us. We rented a Daihatsu Terios. It was a small hatchback but it had 4-wheel drive should we have needed it. It was white, so of course we called it Ti Blan, like me. From PaP, Prophete got us on the main highway (if you can call it that, but here, all things are relative). After about 4 hours we arrived in St. Marc, a small city that was still bigger than Jeremie. We stayed overnight with Prophete’s mom. She made us dinner with a spinach-like vegetable from the Artibonite region of Haiti. It had crab, which I avoided, and we put it over rice. The next morning she made spaghetti that was spicy and delicious. We got back on the road before 7AM and continued to Okap.

We finally arrived, and thanks to Devon’s Lonely Planet book, which included a map, we were able to easily find our hotel. We stayed at Hotel Rival, just out of town, and right across the street from the sea. I would recommend this hotel to anyone! It was in good shape, clean, comfortable, had air conditioning, and hot water! The room rates included a large breakfast as well. After we paid for the room for a couple nights, and put our things down, we took the car into town to find something to eat.

After parking on a safe side street, we found a small restaurant on one of the main streets. The great thing about Okap is that the streets form a grid with vertical ones being letters, and horizontal ones being numbers. In the restaurant we asked what the options were for lunch. We were told fish and chicken. There was a Haitian guy sitting and eating at the bar. As we discussed what we wanted and tried to figure out if the items were fried or with sauce, the Haitian guy pipes up with, “It’s like chicken with gravy” in perfect English. And that’s how we met our friend Jimmy. Apparently, he had spent college in L.A. which explained his almost nonexistent accent. Jimmy was a night nurse working at the new clinic for prosthetic limbs in Milot. This hospital has hundreds of foreign doctors going in and out to help all the people from the earthquake who lost limbs. They can arrive there free of cost if they lost a limb in the earthquake. The specialists will fit the prosthetic limb and help the people get used to it.

After we ate lunch we got in the car and drove up to Labadi where Royal Caribbean cruise lines has their port. We got into the port but didn’t get to Labadi. The boat that was available was too expensive so we opted not to go to the actual town of Labadi. From outside the gate, though, we could see Royal Caribbean’s ROLLERCOASTER, and jet skis, and water trampoline, among a bunch of other fun things. We only got to look though, so we headed back toward town. That night we stopped and got ice cream! And then headed back to the hotel. After we all had hot showers we basically settled in for the night, reading and watching ESPN2 or, The Lebron James Channel. We had a TV but that was the only channel that came in…

We had made plans to meet Jimmy in Milot the next day to see the hospital. He gave us a quick tour of the actual hospital, and the makeshift clinic for amputees. I made a fast friend who held my hand during the whole tour, and then let go when it was time to leave. Overall, we were impressed with the operation there. It made me envious of all the nurses.

Jimmy decided to come along with us to the Citadelle, and he brought a buddy of his that is also a tour guide. After the drive up to the parking lot that the people there have named, “Parking” we started our ascent to the actual citadel. Some people took donkeys up the road, but we decided to walk… it actually wasn’t that bad. The Citadelle was pretty cool… it has a really interesting history behind it. And it’s not really regulated, so you don’t pay to get in, and there aren’t really any areas you can’t get to (except for the random bedroom that remains a mystery to me).

After walking around and taking pictures we headed to Palais Sans Souci (in French that means ‘without eyebrows’ which makes me giggle, but it also means ‘without worries’ which makes a lot more sense). Unfortunately, there’s not much left of the palace so we were forced to use our imaginations in envisioning what once was a grand palace.

The trip after that wasn’t anything too exciting. We had a good dinner at a really nice restaurant, where I was able to find an ice cream sundae!! And then drove around for another day where we saw Fort Liberte, which had some nice views, and went to the town of Ouanaminthe, the border town with the DR.

We then got to drive back to St. Marc, and then to PAP where thankfully we flew to Jeremie. Even though Prophete hates flying, I was grateful for the break.