Final Thoughts

We are now boarding American Airlines flight 680 with service to Miami International Airport. Seating section 5 please make your way to the podium.

For the past week, I have been waiting to hear those words. I am excited to return to America, to a world that makes infinitely more sense to me; but saying goodbye to the place I have called home for the past two months was bittersweet. I was blessed with an incredible opportunity to serve the Dominican people and have grown so much during my time here. I will never forget my Dominican friends that became my family for two months. As we stood around the kitchen table on Monday morning, holding hands while my host dad Rafael prayed for my journey home, I realized that despite the challenges, this summer has been one of the best summers of my life.  

I’ve been thinking a lot about how I will share this experience with others at home and back in Richmond. “Caitlin! How was the DR?” people will ask. “Did you love it?!” How can I even explain an experience like this? I rode a few motorcycles. I squeezed in one too many 1980 Toyota camrys. I loved my host family. I loved the interns. I enjoyed my job. I cried. I laughed. I learned. I’m bringing back with me memories I will cherish for the rest of my life.

One of the lessons I learned that I will always keep with me is that “nada pasa por la casualidad.” Nothing happens by chance. God brought me to the DR for a reason, and in doing so, taught me that with His help, I can accomplish anything I set my heart to. This has been one of the most challenging experiences of my life, but I don’t regret a single minute of it. I will leave you with a few photos of the final days of my trip. The friends I made are truly some of the most inspiring people I have ever met, and I hope we can stay in touch.  Thank you so much for your prayers, love, and support this summer—Dios les bendiga!

Esperanza going away dinner: Me, Helen, Rosa, and Brunilda

Templo Biblico Savica going away dinner, Santiago de los Caballeros, DR

My first Dominican manicure- $3.97 USD

Si Dios Quiere

The phrase, “Si Dios quiere,” is the story of my life. I know I’ve used the phrase in previous entries, but today it’s seems appropriate to devote an entire post to this one sneaky little phrase.  I like to think that I’m living my life according to God’s will, but to be quite honest, I have a tendency to make my own plans, hoping God hops on board with my agenda. If being in the Dominican Republic has taught me anything, it is that this outlook on life is completely backwards. I can make I all plans I want, but in the end, it’s God’s plan that will prevail.

Today, I planned to take a local gua gua up to Samaná on the northeastern coast to visit Rachael.  Last night, Rachael called to tell me there was a possibility of a transportation strike for all busses in and out of Samaná. Knowing there was only “a chance,” I packed my bag for the weekend went to the bus stop. Sure enough, when I arrived, “no salen las gua guas hoy. Hay huelga.” It was the phrase I had told myself I wouldn’t hear. There would be no busses leaving for Samaná today. “Try tomorrow?” the man behind the counter told me.  I didn’t want to take no for an answer, so I headed to the Caribe Tours bus station, hoping I could catch a bus out of the capital. The answer was slightly more positive, but they couldn’t promise me I’d made it to Samaná even if I ventured all the way to the capital.  Noticing that I was obviously upset about something, a nice man approached me and asked if there was anything he could do to help me.  I explained to him my dilemma, and asked for his advice.  Should I stay in Santiago and go back to the office, or should I take a chance and get on the bus to Santo Domingo? His answer was exactly what I needed to hear.  He explained to me that if Caribe Tours decided to not send their busses to Samaná, it wouldn’t be because there was a strike. It would be because they thought it was risky or dangerous.  The last thing I wanted to do was put myself in a potentially dangerous situation. I was so upset. I wanted more than anything to get out of Santiago for the weekend. My host family is out of town, and the house is lonely without them.  Deep down, I knew this man was right, so I hailed a taxi and told the driver to take me back.

Once I got back to the office, it hit me. This was the perfect example of the phrase “Si Dios quiere.” God did not want me to go to Samaná, and I listened to him. Late this afternoon, Rachael called to tell me it was a really good thing I didn’t try to get there. She saw a Caribe Tours bus driving down the road outside her office with several of its windows smashed in. Apparently protesters had destroyed the bus as it passed through each of Samaná’s four toll checkpoints. This was further confirmation that I had made the right choice.  Better not to fight the country, but instead just go with it. “Si Dios quiere,” I’m going to spend the weekend in Santo Domingo with the Foundation for Peace Volunteers and my good friend Cristina.  Whether or not this goes according to plan, we’ll just have to see “si Dios quiere.”

Weekend in Sosua

After a long week of bank meetings, some better than others, Rachael and I headed to Sosua for a weekend at the beach. I think I’ve been taking for granted the fact that I am so close to some of the nicest beaches in the world. Sitting on Playa Alicia on Sunday morning, I realized I have less than three weeks left to enjoy this beautiful place!

 Alisha and I at Playa Alicia on Sunday!

In Sosua, we met up with two other American girls living in the DR for the summer, Alisha and Kelly. Kelly just graduated from Cali Politech and Alisha is going to be a sophomore at UR! We were forewarned by our handy Lonely Planet travel guidebooks that Sosua is the sex-tourism capital of the Dominican Republic. Our hotel was located in the center of the city, so after dinner on Saturday night, we decided to walk around.  I’ve read many articles on sex trafficking and seen countless documentaries on the worldwide sex industry through my global health classes, but nothing could have prepared me for seeing it first-hand. Women were lined up on the streets waiting for European travelers to appease. There were so many prostitutes that I can’t imagine any of them could make a living this way. Unemployment is a huge problem in the DR, and I felt for these women knowing that this was the only way they thought they could get by. I wanted to go up to the women and tell them there is so much in this world that they haven’t seen. But what good would that have done? I wouldn’t have even known where to tell them to start. We ended up going back to the hotel soon thereafter.

Despite the sad reality of the sex-tourism industry of Sosua, it really is a beautiful place. Alisha, Rachael, Kelly and I had a really wonderful time sharing our crazy Dominican stories with one another. I also took Alisha on her first motoconcho ride. I’ve gone from being totally petrified of them to hailing a concho at every possible opportunity!

After the Sunday evening church service last night, we went out with a bunch of the jovenes from the church. Sara, Emma, Carlos, and Noemí are my closest friends from the church, and I’m finally starting to feel welcome in their group. Noemí absolutely adores me. She’s only thirteen, but she is the most mature thirteen-year-old I’ve ever met. She’s also stunningly gorgeous and has no idea. The other day, I discovered a little nail salon up the street. Noemí and I are going to go together next Monday after work. Over the past six weeks, I’ve noticed that Dominican women put a lot of effort into looking nice. They go to the beauty salon to get their hair done once a week, and preserve it by wearing a hair net when they don’t have somewhere to be. They are also terrified of the rain for fear it will ruin their perfectly straightened hair (and who can blame them, really?). When it rains, you’re likely to see women running around with plastic grocery bags tied around their heads. Sara promised she’d take me to the hair salon before I leave. She wants to see if her hairdresser will have any idea what to do with my gringa hair...I’m sure it will be as entertaining for her as it will be for me!

Life is good

On Sunday night, I went to bed having no idea what I would wake up to in the morning. Rumors were circulating that the country was going on strike against the government. Workers were “agitating for wage increases and economic reforms” and there was to be a complete shut down of the country on Monday. Despite protest from the government, this is exactly what happened. I woke up on Monday morning to absolutely nothing. No cars. No motos. No public cars. No nothing. When I walked into the kitchen, the family was huddled around the small TV in the living room watching the strike play out on the morning news.  They showed live coverage of the streets of Santiago, desolate except for the piles an piles of unkempt garbage that scattered the streets and the occasional tree burning in the middle of the road. For the most part, the strike wasn’t violent, but my host mom told me it would be better to stay inside for the day. So instead of going to work, I made lunch for the family and helped Pilar clean the bathrooms. What a good tenant I am…

In the DR, workers are given 15 days of vacation per year. They are encouraged to use all 15 days at the same time. On Friday, Dani informed me that he would be “de vacaciones” this week. When I asked him where he was going, he responded, “oh no where, just the house.” This just baffles me. Why on earth would you want to take a week off of work to just sit in your house? To me, sitting in my host family’s house for a week without leaving would be absolute torture. I love them, but what would I do for seven days? I guess it is probably a thousand times easier to entertain yourself in your own house than in someone else’s. Dani hasn’t come out of his room except to eat since Monday.

When Dani first told me about his plans to take his vacation this week, I was concerned (to say the least). I thought to myself, “If Dani is not coming to work next week, how will I get to work?” The answer: public car. My biggest fear is taking a public car and having no idea where I end up. This week, I conquered my biggest fear, and since Monday have taken the public car multiple times by myself! It’s a good feeling to know that I can find my way from my office to the house using public transportation! Tomorrow and Friday, I’m going into the field with Rosa.  Friday, she wants met to meet her in the community. Finding the meeting will be an adventure, but I’m definitely up for the challenge! After conquering the public transportation system of the Dominican Republic AND jumping off 27 waterfalls, I feel like I can do anything.

Eleven remarkable observations about the DR from chauffeur Dad

1.  Caitlin's advice to just adjust to the DR way was great advice.  We started on arrival and took whatever car they had at the airport to trade in at the next town to get the one we wanted.  We then hired a cab to follow to the first hotel, which you will understand when you read the comment about the Garmin software below.  We found out later that even though Donna came up with that solution on her own, it is actually very common to hire a local cab to follow when you do not know the way.  The first DR hotel did not honor the Expedia reservations, even though Expedia made the reservations over the phone.  The hotel in Santiago greeted us with the surprise that there is also an additional per person charge despite what the reservation said in writing.  So dealing with that hotel became a sport.  We hired a taxi to follow the first day to Caitlin's office.  He stopped to ask directions about five times and when Donna gave him the cell phone with Caitlin on the line, we realized the address we got from her company was wrong.  There is a reason UPS insists on a telephone number.  The locals had no problem making a delivery the next day. Obviously they use the telephone number to get it right.


2.  The Garmin software was clearly written by someone who had never seen the roads or a map, in addition to not knowing left from right.  We left it running for a while just for the amusement factor.  It liked to take us down dead end roads or to tell us to turn into a wall or a cemetery.


3.  U.S. drivers should let the passengers navigate, because you do not dare take your eyes off the road for even an instant.  The only real driving rule in the DR seems to be that whoever can get into a spot on the road first has possession.  Traffic lights, stop signs and even one-way street designations are just suggestions.  The fact that even the new rental cars are covered with dents is a good clue to the traffic rules.  I was glad to see that when there is a policeman directing traffic, everybody does what he says and it works out well. Otherwise, gridlocks took some negotiating during which time you might sit there and watch a tight turn several times before one driver realizes the only way to unlock the mess is to drive off in the wrong direction.


4.  Did you know that a two-lane road can hold three lanes of traffic in addition to space for several motorcycles and stopped buses?  You have to see it to believe it.


5.  The reason you do not see very many speed limit signs is probably because they would be a waste of money.


6.  Letting pedestrians cross might send them into shock.


7.  Some potholes in the DR are more like small canyons.  They can cross most of a road. So we were glad we took Caitlin's advice to rent a car capable of fording a small river.


8.  Locals give directions based on landmarks.  "Go past three gas stations on your right. Turn into the forth gas station, and take the road on the other side of the station" really means that the only way onto the road you want is thru the gas station.

9.  The best part of the country is the people.  Even with the language barrier they are quick to get a joke and there is a reason they are one of the happiest populations in the world.

10. If the restaurant is a good one, the goat is likely to be very good.  I am not kidding.

11.  The waterfalls alone were worth the entire trip.  We took the route up thru the falls and it was a spectacular climb.  The scenery, geology, wildlife, clean water, and guilds were great.  Since we drove, we got two guides for the four of us.  We could not have made the climb without them and I do not think it was an option anyway.

Over the river and through the woods--The Harman Family Adventure

This week, my family came to visit me! Having them here was SO wonderful. Despite the many emails I sent them about what it’s like here, NOTHING could have prepared them for the crazy chaotic culture of the Dominican Republic.

There are two rules for driving in the DR. Use your horn and use your horn. Honking your horn does not signify to the other drivers that they are doing something wrong. It just lets them know you are there. Mom, Dad, and Callie arrived last Thursday afternoon, and after getting lost several times, decided to follow a taxi to the hotel and then to my office.  While having a map can slightly help navigating around the city, many streets are unmarked. Directions are usually given in number of gas stations, stoplights, or billboards between you and your destination. By the end of the trip, Dad was an expert driver and Mom was our resident GPS.  I have never appreciated her impeccable sense of direction more in my life. I will never doubt her directions again.

On Friday morning, we drove up to Puerto Plata on the north coast. I had been brainstorming activities for us to do for weeks, but when we pulled up to Casa Colonial Beach & Spa, I knew we wouldn’t ever want to leave the hotel. It was absolute bliss. For three days, we relaxed on the beach, ate incredible food, and enjoyed each other’s company. We’re not the type to travel to the same place twice, but I think even my dad would agree that this trip was special. On Monday afternoon, we went WATERFALL JUMPING! We pulled up to the information hut slightly skeptical of what we were actually signing ourselves up for. 27 Waterfalls is one of the biggest tourist attractions in the region, and it only costs $10 per person to jump twelve waterfalls. The falls were absolutely gorgeous, and swimming through the caverns, climbing up the waterfalls, and then jumping off the cliff was about the most fun I’ve had during my entire time in the DR! My parents even jumped off the 25-foot cliffs into the water! The Esperanza interns are going back this weekend, and I intend to complete all 27…

Heaven on Earth

On Tuesday night, we took my Dominican family out to dinner. Despite the language barrier, we had a fantastic time! Everyone got along very well, especially Dad and my host dad, Rafael. It was adorable.

My wonderful families!

Waiting to board the plane back to the US, Mom and Callie compiled a list of their top-10 experiences from the week.

#10—Callie making it through a Spanish vacation without getting sick! (Callie and Mexico just didn’t get along…)

#9—Cars stopping in the middle of the highway (you better be paying attention!)

#8—Sketchy Caitlin and Mom getting 25K for the market (We bought mom a lovely necklace for her birthday, but the only way to get the discounted price was to pay in cash! Taking out $650.00 from the ATM is so not normal...)





#7—In their search for a painting for our newly decorated basement, Mom and Callie were invited into someone’s home. It was the equivalent of being invited into the back room of a handbag shop in Chinatown…luckily he had just the painting for us!

#6—Dad teaching me how to sail! The winds were way to strong for a beginner, but we managed…only flipping the sailboat once ;) On the bright sight I now know how to get it back up if I ever find myself in that position again.

#5—Jumping off the tallest waterfall in the world. Well, maybe not the tallest waterfall in the world, but a VERY tall waterfall.

#4—Looking for a restaurant on the Malecón and then going back to Casa Colonial for a real dinner—the options weren’t looking so good, and since we were so in love with our hotel, we decided to turn around and go back.

#3—Laughing at Callie’s talking fruit jokes. (Only something you could understand had you been there…Callie should be a stand up comedian.)

#2—Hiding from the guy who came to check the minibar…Long story short, the hotel in Santiago wanted to charge a fee of $50 USD per additional person staying in the room. Since they had already seen Callie, there was no way to avoid paying for her. They hadn’t seen me yet, though, so Mom and Dad decided to sneak me into the hotel. I didn’t pay the extra guest fee for 4 nights! On the last morning, the hotel wanted to check the mini bar. Mom and I ducked into the bathroom while he came in to check. We secretly think he wanted to see how many people we were stowing away in their hotel room…

#1—People cutting in line at the grocery store—There’s really no such thing as a line here in the Dominican Republic. The first time Mom experienced this, we were in the grocery store down the street from my host family’s house. As we were getting ready to put our items on the belt, this woman jumped in line in front of us to put her stuff down first. Mom wasn’t going to have it, so I told her to go find someone else to cut. The same thing happens in the bathrooms. It’s every man for himself.

I’m so lucky to have such a wonderful family. We have SO much fun together! 4 weeks and counting until we’re all reunited once again!