Day 1: Time allows for expansion in every way. First time touching down I was filled with trepidation, knots in my stomach with the unknown. Five years later it almost feels like coming home. Calm and happiness to see familiar faces. Ready to work, sweat, grow. Experiencing depth and life at an intense speed. It's like having a year worth of new experiences in one week with little time to process the moments in between. We are minutes from landing in Port at Prince and I can see the life pulsing below. We will hustle our way thru customs and finagle our way thru baggage and inspections. Then somehow Ronnel and Jonel our drivers will pile 22 huge pieces of luggage plus our carry ons on the the vehicle. We will load up as many passengers as possible in the Land Cruiser and the east of us will move to the Servotel Hotel in Port a Prince to wait for Steve and Nadene's flight. Then we will all load up in the second vehicle and head out for the three hour journey to the central plateau. Hinche, our home for the week.
Many hours later I am finally in bed. Reflecting on the day. After landing it was the typical layers of immigration, baggage claim, customs, battling baggage handlers and parking lot pot holes that topple your luggage cart over in stifling humidity. Once we got to the Midwives for Haiti van the guys loaded up half the bags and all 9 of us plus the new intern who just arrived here today for a three month stay.
Pulling into the midwives for Haiti compound felt so good. It was time to unwind and catch up with the staff and the rest of our group. I felt exhausted from the weeks of preparation and the two days of travel and I think I miss my kids so much my bones literally ache for them.
The night was filled with conversations and suitcase unpacking and cold showers that dolly feel therapeutic. A group of street musicians and dancers filled their with energy. I went out to the street and watch the beautiful show and danced to the music.