Emotional....

Wow...so I was worried at how calm I was leaving the DR. I didn´t get emotional when the kids left...nor when I left my team. But that sure did change. Yesterday I broke down. I am happy to be in Nicaragua but the work is catching up to me. Im sick of living with 30 people in communal housing. Im sick of waiting to eat until everyone else has eaten...or waiting to go to be until everyone else has gone to bed. I MISS MY D.R. TEAM soooo much!
The living conditions here are much more practical. Yes, we have running water, a toilet that flushes, 3 bathrooms instead of one and a half and people who get things done quickly instead of waiting hours or even days. I love the kids...its a great group of teenagers! Life here is a lot easier than it was in the DR. However, I miss sleeping with my girls, laughing as we go to bed and as we wake up, hanging out with Dominicans and playing dominos.
Since I came here, it almost feels like that life never exsisted. For the past few days without internet as a reminder of my DR friends, I felt lost....I was mourning the life that I just left.
Thankfully, my boss needed me to stay home today to get some things done so I had time to go to the internet.
Honestly, Im ready to come home. If they didn´t need me here, I´d be on a plane to Minnesota...or Columbus to visit Meag ;) I´m counting down the days.
I miss you all! Can´t wait to see you SOOON!!!!!

I want to play dominos!!!

Walked around Granada today...Im still in love! It hasnt changed. Its even more beautiful...cleaner, more brillant bright, more alive...after spending time in the Dominican Zona Colonial. You are always sure to find something new and exciting as you walk down the same streets. Today I found Cafe Chavalos, a cafe started by a woman to help get kids off the street and off of sniffing glue. I watched a documentary on it a few months ago.

You are always asured genuine smiles as you pass people hanging out on the sidewalks or on their porches. The most genuine smiles Ive ever seen in my life. The people move in a purposeful and yet relaxed way. The gringos and the nicas mix perfectly...seems like it was always that way.

Ive been eating up a storm. There is something special about their rice and beans and meat. It makes me feel healthy!

I stopped by CafeEmail which is no longer an internet. It is now a restaurant and bar. Weird. Mario was there but he is the only one left from the original group. It was good to see him.

Tonight Im hanging out with Jaqueline. Tomorrow I meet up for dinner with my Visions team and then we leave for Jinotega on Monday! I just found out the kids come on Tuesday. Not much time to adjust but Im excited to get it started...and hopeing it goes by quickly so I can go home!!!

Missing everyone LOTS!!!

Kids are gone...

cleaning is done...heavy lifting was done by the dominicans :)

The kids left Wednesday. Thursday, staff finished cleaning and wrote evaluation letters for each kid. Thursday night was my last night so we went out for dinner at the mall and out to play pool/dance.

Friday morning Alberto, Juan Andres, Bouchy and Johan took me to the airport at 3:30am. Slight scare because Alberto thought I had my passport but I had given it to him (like I was supposed to) but we found it.

I hate the empty feeling of being alone after leaving people you know you wont see for a long time. It was a lonely day at the airport. I went through Miami and on my way to Managua. Doña Lorena was anxiously awaiting at the airport. I got to the door and she was the first person I saw...a short little ladie pushing through the crowd screaming KATY!!

Granada is HEAVEN compared to Santo Domingo. I didnt think I would ever say this but I feel cold in Granada compared to Santo Domingo. It also seems really clean here but just about any where would beat Santo Domingo. I LOVE NICARAGUA!!!!!!

Busy busy!

Crazy busy around here. I took 2 of my 4 days off to travel north to Puerto Plata. Found a great hostel with tons of awesome people. Spent the day at the beach...checked out a sweet resort, slept in a tree house. I was sick for a bit but I got over it quick. when I got home I found out that a lot of the participants had been sick too. must have been something we ate.

Weve been working on the community center building a second floor and raising the first floor to avoid flooding. The camp is going great. im like the principal in charge of making things run smoothly. the participants are teaching english, music, art and sports classes to about 100 dominican kids. we have a lot of help from the community of san luis where we are working. The community used to be a sugar cane plantation that was hit hard by the 1998 hurrican and so many of the teenager dominicans that we are wroking with were orphans. the lions club director has taken them under his wing and now they work in partnership with visions. they get to go with us on all our adventures which is cool because they would normally not leave their neighborhood.

Last saturday we took all of us plus our dominican friends to the discoteca. Our original plan crashed becasue the club in the caves was closed. People dont really plan ahead here so we fuond out as we drove up. We caravaned to 3 other places on the ocean drive but there wouldnt accept 22 underaged gringos. Finally we found a place but the group was tired of driving around so it was kind of a bust.

Yesterday we visited a batey, a haitian immigration community. Mixed in among the houses is the city dump...garbage galore. Disgusting and yet if you look past the garbage, there is still beauty in the people and the place. If you look not to far into the distance you will see the center of santo domingo...skyscapers that look like riches contrasting the poverty of the batey.

Today was the 4th beach trip. one of the participants has an ear infection so i stayed home with here. its been nice to relax, watch movies, and use the computer...and not have 22 teenagers screaming in my ear!

Tomorrow is a double work day, Friday we leave for a weekend trip to the mountains. monday is our last day of work. Tuesday is our last beach trip and Wednesday the participants leave. Us staff will have 2 days to clean up and say our goodbyes. Then, Im off to Nicaragua to do it all over again! Im exhausted and not sure if im up for it but its nicaragua, a new group, and a new team. Its goign to be great!

I miss you all. Wish I was enjoying the nice Minnesota summer.
Let me know how you are doing PLEASE!!! Peace out!

Sorry I wasn´t able to finish my last entry. My hour of internet was up. Not much time now either...supposed to run a meeting in 5 minutes...that means 10 minute dominican time. Tons of work. I am exhausted. Lots of miscommunications. I am frutrated.
Got to go. Ciao

Lone Traveler

Finally...my day off has arrived. I'm sitting in an airconditioned internet cafe in Boca Chica chilling with an espresso. I decided to treat myself because these days are few and far between.
It's wierd traveling alone!

2 days until participants arrive!

The participants are coming on Thursday...on flights from all the the US. We'll be picking them up from 10am till 4pm from the airport.
We've been trying to get stuff done. We've created a kitchen, 2 showers, 22 beds, made tons of "don't drink the water signs" etc. I've cleaned so much it's not even funny. We still need to make a few more beds, buy supplies and food, and make the final details. We're on halt because there is no money and no car (the battery broke.)
It will all get done.
Peace out.