Back in the 'burgh

Even though we had only been in Haiti for a week, coming back to the states was still somewhat of a culture shock. It was weird and then kind of a relief to hear everyone speak English again. As we were flying over Miami, I noticed all of the skyscrapers. There were absolutely none in Haiti, even in the capital. When driving back from the airport, I welcomed the paved roads. The streets in Haiti were rarely paved and when they were had huge holes and rocks on them. Another factor that was surprising was how orderly everything was. There was no one running through the streets, weaving in and out on motorcycles with chickens hanging off the back. I realized that I kind of missed that. The hustle and bustle of Haiti was so interesting. Everything happened so fast and so much at the same time. There was so much life around you that you couldn’t help but feel energetic. I have noticed that I miss that here. I could drive for ten minutes and maybe see one person. I miss being constantly surrounded by people and life. That really creates a connection with people that you would otherwise miss. Back in Haiti everyone knows each other; you can’t help it. You work together, celebrate together and practically live together. Here, everyone stays inside, caught up in their own lives. People don’t bother to connect as much. I don’t even know all of my neighbors. Although when you look at Haiti, you might automatically notice things that they are missing, it is important for us to look deeper and perhaps realize what we are missing.