Hasta Luego D.R.

Saying goodbye to my community was a tearful, stressful, and fun affair. My departure from the Dominican Republic had been built up by my neighbors for months. I was constantly asked why I was leaving and if I would please stay just one more year. Luckily, once they realized they couldn't convince me to stay, my neighbors decided to channel their energy into throwing two big good-bye parties.

There is no such thing as a full vehicle in the D.R.

The first party was a trip to the beach. My neighbors rented un safari (a flatbed truck with benches and a roof typically used to shuttle tourists on excursion tours) and we jammed out to dembow and bachata all the way to the beach. Once at the beach I was treated to all the spaghetti and fried chicken I could eat - Dominican beach staples. The highlight of the trip was watching a pair of pre-teen boys from my community play in the ocean for the first time in their lives. Their faces expressed so much joy.

My house cleaning saviors

The second good-bye party was held the following week - the night before I left the D.R. In the interim week I did some serious house cleaning, giving away and selling everything that couldn't fit in my backpack and two suitcases. Luckily some of my younger neighbors pitched in to help me organize everything I had collected over the past two years. Still, my house was a chaotic scene the last few days as up to twenty neighbors at a time perused my things. At one point one of my neighbors even took a swig out of a bottle of rum I had in my kitchen. When I called her out on it she asked, "Well, there is only a little bit left, so can I finish it?" Seeing little point in arguing I let her finish off the bottle. Most of my neighbors were not so egregious, many picked out items they could give to family members rather than for themselves. The only other fighting that occurred was over my collection of photos. Everyone wanted a picture of me, and if not me a member of my family, and if not a member of my family an American. So to all my American friends, it is possible that a picture of you is now displayed proudly in a Dominican home.

Receiving an award from the community

My good-bye party was held at the library and just like at the inauguration, so many people showed up to see me off that the crowd spilled outside. The tears started almost as soon as the event with my project partner, Clariza, begging that someone else continue with the introductions because she was about to cry. I managed to hold myself together until my host-mom sang. Words cannot express the love I hold for her, and that became very apparent as I could barley speak through my tears when I thanked her for everything she and the rest of the community did to make me feel welcomed and loved.

The following morning my host mom stopped by to say goodbye one last time. She even brought me a cup of hot chocolate. I then traveled three hours to the capital where I boarded a plane to the U.S. with both Romeo and Pato, yep, I brought my dog and cat back to America.

Enjoying couches and air conditioning in America

We have now been in America over a month and all of us have been readjusting well. Romeo loves going on walks free of the fear of street dogs attacking us, Pato enjoys lying on carpets, and I finally got my first smart phone. I keep in touch with my neighbors via social media and phone calls. Still I can't help but feel like I am missing out on so much. I miss chatting away with neighbors over coffee and reading books with the kids. However, I am confident that my community's prospects are only going to continue to grow. Just as I was leaving a new volunteer arrived to continue work in the community. I am excited to see what she and the community accomplish over the next two years. I plan on visiting within the next year so if anyone has any Spanish books they would like to donate please send them my way ;).

The Benefits of Working on Vacation

There are few things more amazing than the generosity of strangers.

Today I took sometime out of my vacation in the States to visit Hilldale Elementary School in New Jersey and talk about my service in the Peace Corps. Since November I have been skyping every month with the 5th grade students as part of Peace Corps' World Wise Schools Program. But today was the first day I met the students and staff in-person.

One the 63 cards I received.

When I entered the classroom students immediately began to whisper to one another, "Is that Susan?!," and "Susan's here!" I felt like a celebrity. The students then gave a presentation of about why they think the Peace Corps is important, and thanking me for my service. They said the most adorable things like, "Roses are red, violets are blue, if you need help Peace Corps serves you." My heart melted when one student said that he wanted to join the Peace Corps because his parents were immigrants, and he wanted to serve the U.S. and help others abroad. 

The love fest continued with a the 5th graders presenting me with a Hilldale t-shirt and duffel bag, both personalized with my name. The students surprised me one more time by announcing that they had fundraiser an additional $500 at the elementary school and that the language honor society in the high school raised an additional $500! I was floored. This time last year I didn't know Montville existed, and yet the community has done so much for me and my neighbors in the Dominican Republic. I feel so incredibly blessed by their geneoursosity. When I return to my community next week I can't wait to see my neighbors reactions to the great news. I predict a lot of dancing.

Thanks to the help of Montville residents, family, and friends we have reached a quarter of our U.S. fundraising goal for the library. But that means we still need to raise $4,200. Please help us out, as so many already have, and make our community library a reality by the start of the new school year.
To submit a donation CLICK HERE!

Just a reminder: All donations are tax deductible, and 100% of donations will go to our project. 

Also, you can donate offline. Although donating on-line is the fastest way for projects to get funded, you may also donate by mail or over the phone:

Send a check to:
Peace Corps Headquarters
Office of Gifts and Grants Management
1111 20th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20526

Please make check payable to Peace Corps Partnership Program
Please also note the project number (14-517-025) in the memo section of the check.
(Please print and mail this donation form with your check, so Peace Corps can contact you with information regarding your donation, if necessary.)

-or-

Call the office and Peace Corps can take your credit card information over the phone at 855.855.1961 x2170.

Food, Glorious Food

In less than a week I will be in America. My mind is already there, and the rest of me can hardly stand the wait. I have had a countdown going since I requested my vacation in February. I plan on seeing people and doing fun things, but most of all I plan on eating. A lot.

Doughnuts are my version of a nightcap.

The Dominican Republic isn’t so bad that I have gone without fast-food and sweets. Typically when I am in the capital I hit up McDonalds and eat a few donuts. But when I am in my community I definitely suffer from cravings that I am unable to satisfy. No bowls of ice cream or chocolate chip cookies for me.  My local grocery store doesn’t even regularly stock butter, just margarine that you don’t have to refrigerate (a great selling point here). Overall, I am probably a healthier person for not having access to as much junk food, however, when given the opportunity I will binge eat.

For example: Only once have I seen bacon at the grocery store. There was one package, and I bought it even though it was turkey bacon. I ate the entire package over three days. I ate it so quickly because 1. bacon is delicious, and 2. I was afraid the bacon would spoil because my house only has power 50% of the day.

As I count the days until my arrival in the U.S. I have been making a list of all the food I want to eat while I am home. The list is now over 20 items long and includes everything from risotto to Mallomars. I expect to gain at least seven pounds during the two weeks I am home. I know a Volunteer who gained five pounds per week, so I know my estimate isn’t ridiculous.

I am telling you all this so you can prepare for my arrival. I apologize in advance if I talk about food too much, or if I already did. However, I promise not to take pictures of every food item I eat, unlike another Volunteer I know.

One last thing: While I am in the States my community will still be working hard on our library. Please help us out and donate here. Thank you!