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.

Coming home

Hi Everyone!

Thanks so much to everyone who's been reading so far. Well, we're back home, and I just have a few more concluding points I want to add to the blog before we stop posting.

Even after only a week in Haiti, coming back involved a little bit of culture shock. I was so used to always being the center of attention, having people stare at me because of the color of my skin. It was a bit of a relief coming back. After having to have other people talk to people for me, it was a little shocking to realize that people spoke English. It's hard to break the habit of saying "Mesi" instead of "Thank You." But there were changes, not only on that level. You look around the airport, full of mainly white English-speaking American citizens, and you think "I bet almost all of these people have a house and food to eat every day." They all have plenty of food, and a choice of it, as well as clean water right in their homes. In Haiti, it was common to have to walk more than a mile to find fresh water. I would be willing to bet that the people in the airport simply have to turn a knob. I bought a piece of pizza for about as much money as people in Haiti might make in a few weeks if they have a good job. I watched them drive off in their cars and think "They probably don't have to walk miles to go to market to make a small living of whatever they have." All of the tall glass buildings in the city loomed over me, and I remembered that in Haiti, there weren't any skyscrapers. As we enjoy the luxuries in our life, people there die of malnutrition. My trip to Haiti had a large impact on my perspective on life. It gave me a real appreciation for all the little extra things in life, things you now notice much more. I learned a lot through my experiences in Haiti. Overall, the trip was an incredible experience and I'm very grateful to every who made it possible.

Orevwa!


-Lily