Upppppppppdate

Saludos!!! So i assume you are here for an update on my life in the dominican republic verdad?

Well I was out of my site for a month, a week at training, a week in santiago, 4 days in the capital, 2 days in Imbert visiting Chris, a week at an all inclusive resort in puerto plata with lauren and nick, 5 days in luperon during the hurricane at another volunteer, Lori's site, and then i went back to Ranchito for 4 days. Right now i am in the capital to get my phone fixed, which is going to take 3 whole days (god only knows what they are going to do with it) and tonite we are going to a going away party for a dutch girl that Alexis became friends with whos internship is ending and she's flying back to the netherlands tomorrow. So i've been busy, busy lounging and thinking.

In other news. I will be moving out of my house with the crazy lady next week and into my very own house. Right now as you are reading this a man is digging me a hole for a latrine. Then he will build a little house with a seat and a hole to go around it. Its kind of an expensive thing, i mean $50 to dig a hole and even more money to get crappy wood to surround it with, but man o man it will be worth it to have my own crapper. Only friends and family will use it and i will take very good care of it so no one is afraid of it, like the one i go in now, its nasty. Monday i will being going into Santiago to buy a bed and a stove and a barrel to fill with water and 2 tables. So if anyone feels like giving me an early birthday present feel free to contact kim or stef b/c i believe i will be scrapping the barrel to get those things. I was banking on some donations from the townspeople but it seems they are being stingy, or just have no extra beds or stoves to give to me. Stoves are table top stoves here so i will need a table to put that on and a table to eat on oh and maybe i should get a chair. At any rate with or without a stove i will be moving out. I've already bought a jar of peanut butter and a jar of jelly in anticipation of eating meals of my choice. No more boiled bananas, you best believe that. So that is all very exciting and i do hope it runs smoothly

As for other things, my vacation with lauren and nick was awesome, we had a great time, went to the beach and hung out at the adult pool. We went horse back riding. The food was awesome and so was the air conditioning and hot showers. It was great seeing people from home, it was really comforting to me and i can't wait til my next visitors, mom and dad, get here on the 15th, they are going to be staying with me so they will be in for the time of their lives. haha in a good way of course.

I think thats about it for now. I will update you all again soon. Love and Peace

rock you llike a hurricane

Hi everyone
just giving you the heads up that i´m in standfast mode which means i can´t travel anywhere until monday when hurricane dean has past the dr. Up here in the north of the country we will just be getting some rain but in the south where alot of my friends are they are consolidated into hotels all hunkered down preparing for the worst. I was furious yesterday b-c i had to leave my all inclusive resort with lauren frisbie and nick b-c standfast mode had started and i could have stayed in the hotel til monday if i could have paid for it, but b-c i´m poor i had to leave a day early. i was not a happy girl.

So in other news, my dog perla is no longer with us, she got sick with Parvo and also got hit by a motorcycle, i brought her to the vet, but she passed away over night.

At any rate, things are not getting better or easier here for me here, but i am hanging in, at least til christmas anyway. Luckily mom and dad will be here within the month, so hopefully i will have a house by them b-c they are prepared to rough it!!! I´m excited about that for sure!

Love you all i will write more sooon when i get another chance.

Congratulations GAV on your graduation, you kick butt!!!! love you

oh and i did expect to use the computer right now so i don´t have any pics for you just yet, but i will soon

Mud ball

Hola,

So I made it through my 3 month technical training. It was alot of fun, didn't get too much out of it but being back with the whole group was a blast. One night we turned one of the communal bathrooms into a club, named Club Potty. More than 2/3 of the volunteers were in the bathroom at one time, i of course was dancing on the sink. We also built a wood burning cook stove and with the extra mud from that a couple of us played a not so friendly game of mud ball. Thats me and Kevin playing mudball

So I haven't been back to Ranchito for a week and 5 days. I tried to go back but I just wasn't mentally ready. I really haven't been happy in my site, living with my crazy host mom, struggling with the language, waiting for my house to start getting worked on, dealing with homesickness and complete and udder boredom. Its been a difficult time. Lucky my bestfriend will be here in 8 days!!!! Lauren is bringing alot of clothes and things that i have been missing and so maybe i will feel more complete when i have all that.

Lots of older volunteers say that when you move out of your host families house that it makes all the difference in the world on your sanity and happiness, so i'm really banking on that. I will need to buy alot of stuff to make that house feel like home, you know like a bed and a table and chairs and a stove, pots pans plates and i need a radio with a cd player. When mom and dad come they are going to buy me a hammock so thats exciting. I'm pretty sure i'm going back to Ranchito today to get this process started.

Hope everything is going well at home. On august 15th i will have been in the DR for half a year, FYI. Can't wait to come home!!!!!!! Love you all!!!