Greetings and Waits.
Greeting: Today I hung out in the lounge with my fellow volunteers at the Santo Domingo office. Pretty darn cozy. It was so welcoming to be there and *know* that at long, long, long, long last, I am a volunteer. I feel there are more differences between the day of being a volunteer and not a volunteer, than there was of having my birthday. Normal enough, I guess.
Greeting: Everyone has told me that my site (described below) is incredibly popular among the volunteers. Today, I learned that that is very true. Many times, my name and site introduction was followed by some sort of wow, cool, hey, I like that place, I've been there. Hehe.
As a side not, apparently I've been bragging. But can I help it? I mean, I'm not trying to brag. Here's a sample of how I have been bragging.
Person says. "Yeah, I'm not getting very much cell service. I have to go to a certain tree."
I say, "Yeah, I was having the same problem. So I had to go to the beach because my signal was better there."
Everyone in earshot: "Stop talking right there."
Me: "What? It's true."
"Just stop."
Me: Sigh. *shuts up*
Greeting: Met a fellow Vermillionite! It was quite the coincidence. I happened to be wearing one of my old USD shirts, because it was the most comfortable shirt that I still had clean in my closet of the few I'd left in Pantoja.
Vermillionite: You are from South Dakota?
Me: No, but I went to school there.
Vermillionite: Oh my gosh, I am from Vermillion!
Me: No way!
Turns out we know a lot of the same locals. Which is cool. The Vermillionite had even studied International Studies there for a year.
Now for the waiting.
Waiting: Come the morning, or sometime tomorrow, I bid adieu to Santo Domingo. And I give a fond hello to my new home, that lovely land with prime cell phone reception on the beach.
Waiting: Until I can look out along the beach road down the south, gaze upon the turquoise sea, see the curvy mountains nearly reaching the water, and thank whatever twist of fate gave me this place to live for two years.
Waiting: For the next three months, when I get to know that community much better. For the time after, when I know who, what, when I'll be working with. Some things are clear, others are not.
What matters, then, is the now.Tonight, I'm in a hotel in Santo Domingo. It is what I call the lap of luxury: wifi, shower, and a television we are listening to in English.
Dominican Wolf
Greeting: Today I hung out in the lounge with my fellow volunteers at the Santo Domingo office. Pretty darn cozy. It was so welcoming to be there and *know* that at long, long, long, long last, I am a volunteer. I feel there are more differences between the day of being a volunteer and not a volunteer, than there was of having my birthday. Normal enough, I guess.
Greeting: Everyone has told me that my site (described below) is incredibly popular among the volunteers. Today, I learned that that is very true. Many times, my name and site introduction was followed by some sort of wow, cool, hey, I like that place, I've been there. Hehe.
As a side not, apparently I've been bragging. But can I help it? I mean, I'm not trying to brag. Here's a sample of how I have been bragging.
Person says. "Yeah, I'm not getting very much cell service. I have to go to a certain tree."
I say, "Yeah, I was having the same problem. So I had to go to the beach because my signal was better there."
Everyone in earshot: "Stop talking right there."
Me: "What? It's true."
"Just stop."
Me: Sigh. *shuts up*
Greeting: Met a fellow Vermillionite! It was quite the coincidence. I happened to be wearing one of my old USD shirts, because it was the most comfortable shirt that I still had clean in my closet of the few I'd left in Pantoja.
Vermillionite: You are from South Dakota?
Me: No, but I went to school there.
Vermillionite: Oh my gosh, I am from Vermillion!
Me: No way!
Turns out we know a lot of the same locals. Which is cool. The Vermillionite had even studied International Studies there for a year.
Now for the waiting.
Waiting: Come the morning, or sometime tomorrow, I bid adieu to Santo Domingo. And I give a fond hello to my new home, that lovely land with prime cell phone reception on the beach.
Waiting: Until I can look out along the beach road down the south, gaze upon the turquoise sea, see the curvy mountains nearly reaching the water, and thank whatever twist of fate gave me this place to live for two years.
Waiting: For the next three months, when I get to know that community much better. For the time after, when I know who, what, when I'll be working with. Some things are clear, others are not.
What matters, then, is the now.Tonight, I'm in a hotel in Santo Domingo. It is what I call the lap of luxury: wifi, shower, and a television we are listening to in English.
Dominican Wolf
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