Incredible.

July 6, 2013. I can look each and every one of you straight in the eyes and tell you I would have never imagined doing what I just did the last three days when I knew I was joining the Peace Corps. What I could imagine, with a very limited understanding of what my service would entail, never once included vacation with friends, beaches, dancing, music, and chocolate milk. And while part of me does have some guilt for doing so (I can't ever seem to escape it), I couldn't be happier that it happened and that I was so incredibly blessed when I received this placement. And blessed to have been ignorant to the possibilities because it just makes the moments that much sweeter.

I left my site on the 4th of July and embarked to the capital at 7am. I managed to snag an awesome air conditioned bus (with the help of Linda and another community member who told everyone on the bus to take care of me :D), make it with time to grab breakfast with Cori and make the 10am guagua to Samaná. Two and a half hours later we made it and with the help of a man without a leg, we got another mini guagua to Las Galeras (one more hour). Oh, and after I argued with a taxi man who wouldn't let us be, trying to get us to pay RD$300 a person when the mini guagua cost RD$100. Ha. I was quite proud of myself... :) 

We arrived here:

And had an apartment-type room. There was a double bed, two benches with cushions in the living room, a kitchen, bathroom, and patio area. We fit 9 in there (some sleeping on the cement floor...but it was cheaper and way too much fun with all of us together!). 

That night entailed cooking tons of pasta, chocolate milk, beach, buying a new dress, and going out to dance at a restaurant on the water. About 100 volunteers were there (Dominicans too) and there was a  huge bonfire to end the night at 1am. What. An. Incredible. Night. (maybe except for my chancletas breaking and having to walk over 1km barefoot on rocks...Yes, they're still hurting). 

The next day was arising at 7:30, egg sandwiches, coffee every few hours, relaxing, interneting, beach right next our place, getting lunch out, and then returning to this beach from the night before: 

With this behind us (the restaurant and volleyball net which I did get to play on :D)

Until this time of night:

Returning to our place we spent the night tranquilo ordering four pizzas to split (first halfway decent pizza I've had in-country!), hammocking, chatting (in English!) about our lives (or about nothing at all), and eventually sitting on the beach listening to the water crash into the sand and staring at the stars waiting for another to shoot across the black sky. Just... Paradise. We didn't go to bed until 4am knowing we had to arise at 7:30am and it didn't matter one bit. 

What an incredible group of people. An incredible place I get to call home. And the incredible ability to take advantage of moments like this to remind me that every little thing is going to be alright (Bob Marley is always with me). No I haven't moved forward with things I need to get done in my site but getting away, being with friends, and soaking in the water that surrounds this tiny island brought me back to the present. Reminded me to breath. And told me that I do have what it takes to turn this around. I've gotten this far. The only thing stopping me is me. But I've got too much around me pushing me forward. So why continue fighting back?

Arising from my corner on the floor I packed my things and headed back to reality with Cori and Sarah; going in and out of having to speak Spanish and I have to say, doing it quite well. Trying to sleep on the guagua was a fail but closing my eyes and shutting out the world was a perfect way to switch my mind back to my actual home. I skyped with my family at the office, got letters from family (some from April and some from May), got empanadas for lunch, and headed to the Metro.

Flawlessly making it home (I can't tell you how good that feels still) I was greeted by three of my girls with big hugs. I unpacked, showered, had fritos y salami (Mmmmm), and I swear I understood everything my host mother said haha.

Laila (my Peace Corps Volunteer Leader) is coming to visit tomorrow to see how I'm doing. So with a fresh mindset washed over me with the waves, I will express my concerns and hopefully her years of experience will provide insight for me to move forward. And tell the tiny part of me that is screaming from a distance, "You are doing more than okay!" That it is right. 

And with that, Buenas noches.