Oh the joys of crappy internet connections. I am currently
exemplifying how one’s plans can be made, changed, rewritten and acted upon
very quickly. Not only have I left one friend’s house with intent to visit my
Pantoja family, I now am waiting for two hours in the nicest bus stop in Santo
Domingo (which is not saying a whole lot) and trying to see if I can get the
wifi to connect. No such luck so far. Odds are against it happening, but if it
does, I will post this.
Anyway, turns out that I was unable to visit with my Pantoja
family really because my host mom had to go up to the Cibao region for her aunt’s
funeral, and it was just the host dad there, but he was leaving in a bit, so I
stood out in the courtyard with a guy who used to be deeply in love with me on
the other side of a clothes line, where he was washing clothes. He did not look
at me and I tried not to look at him. It was very awkward. I wanted to get out
of there.
So, instead, I just stood there until I felt like I had
stood there long enough and caught a series of public transit options to the
Caribe Tours bus stop. I will be here for the next two and a half hours because
that is just the way it works. I fear it will be bored but it could be worse. I
would like it better if there were a wheat free option in the cafeteria, but
the ice cream was locked up, so I ate a couple of gummi worms and am holding
out for a meal in Samana. I do remember that there is ice cream next to the
station there, so maybe I can treat myself to a snack while waiting for my ride
back to my friend’s site.
There is one good thing about being gluten intolerant in a
country like this. You really do learn how to ignore the desire for food and
just gnaw on a banana or something until better food comes along, like a cup of
ice cream. And ice cream is so wonderful in this hot climate. I STILL have not
gotten my helados bon and I am determined to remedy that as soon as possible.
It was very nice visiting a volunteer’s site and doing
volunteer things. Maybe I am trying to live the life I could have had
vicariously for three weeks. Maybe that is why the urge to find the guagua to
Barahona and leave for the south and live there is still so strong. I cannot
shake it, no matter how hard I try. And I am trying as hard as I can. When the
heart wants something badly enough, it has a way of steering the head around to
its way of thinking, and that makes doing the rational thing extremely
confusing – because the irrational becomes rational and the rational becomes
undesirable.
Puerto Rico is my future. I have no idea how or what I will
do there or what will come of this, but I will not let myself decide to leave
Puerto Rico for Barahona until I have at least made the attempt at shaking off
the desire to live there for a year, applying for a visa, all that.
Anyway, I just wanted to let you all know how I was doing,
and to pass a bit of time here in this bus stop. It is what it is.
Wandering Wolf