Sunday, February 27, 2011

Back in the arctic tundra, unfortunately!

I have been back for over two months and it definitely has been very weird. One of the changes that have been hard to adjust to, is obviously the weather. I lived on a tropical island for 4 months, where it was sunny almost every day and was usually at least 70 degrees. Now I am living in the middle of the United States in the dead of winter where it has snowed multiple times and the sun barely comes out to say hi. Not to mention the fact that I have to layer up and add gloves and scarves every time I step outside. While in the Dominican Republic, my daily clothing attire consisted of jeans, flip flops and a t-shirt.
Another change that I have had to get used to is school. Yes, I was in school while I was down in the Dominican Republic. But, I would have Spanish every day and my EDP class two times a week and service two times a week. Then we would have retreats, would go to campos and go on trips and vacation. The schedule that I lived by in the DR is definitely different than the one that I live by now. I am constantly running from class to meeting to class to another class and lets not forget my job. I have to say that I miss being able to relax throughout the day and have multiple breaks to hang out. It has been weird having more than 3 classes and having a huge homework load that I am constantly working on.
Overall, I miss the welcoming people of the Dominican Republic and how relaxed everyone and everything was. People would take an hour after lunch to relax, play sports with friends, or read. Imagine how happy Americans would be and how healthy they would be if they could have an hour in the middle of the day just for themselves.
I am so thankful for my experience in the Dominican Republic and I wish that I took more advantage of the opportunities that I was given and traveled more on the weekends rather than staying at ILAC.