Dé y recibirá.: April trip to Michigan

April 20th 5am (Eastern Standard) – The alarm goes off. I think, “I have to feed the kitten…oh god, we have three newborn puppies.” Thank goodness there happened to be electricity.

7am – In the airport I paid RD$180 for a Gatorade and a quipe (whole wheat and ground meat mix deep fried). I usually pay RD$48. D’oh! I was glad I brought my own chips from the colmado (party store)!

845am - Flight number one leaves the DR.

1050am – Touchdown in Miami. I hear a woman on the plane say, “Ah, I’m so glad to be back in the States! American soil.” The statement made me cringe a little. Coming from an upper class white woman on a mission trip to the DR it sounded racist.

1055am – Walking off the plane and into the terminal I took a deep breath and thought, “Ah, I’m so glad to be back in the States! American soil.” I laughed at myself, at the same time wanting to be speaking Spanish and listening to Bachata… I live two lives.

Noon – I set myself in front of CNN in Miami International Airport to see President Obama, to the incredible dismay of Republicans, shaking hands with *gasp* Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. The world has changed since I’ve been in the campo. Never seeing television or internet images of him, I still don’t immediately recognize that handsome young man as my President. Also, the same commercials are playing as were in January and I remember why I’m thankful I don’t have so much media in my life right now.

224pm – Waking up from my two hour floor nap groggy and starving I reach into my bag for a snack. Breaking off a piece of my sesame honey bar a large chunk goes flying, nearly knocking a man next to me in the side of the head…he walks a few steps to pick it up and a few more yards to throw it away...still waiting for the second of three planes today.

645pm – I see I-94, the freeway that I used to drive to and from Kalamazoo in my sleep, and I feel a little anxious about leaving the plane into what seems like a fast-paced metropolis by comparison.

650pm (Central Time) – Touching down in Chicago I finished my book and the movie Madagascar 2. Two planes down one to go!

7pm – I realized that there are a lot of people in the United States and I am no longer the only person within 40 miles with blue eyes. I feel a little lost in the crowd.

705pm (Central) – It hails for approximately 30 seconds. Ah, back in the Midwest United States.

12pm – My brother picks me up in a giant pickup truck, loud music and flying down expressway and smooth dirt roads we arrive at my parents new house in 20 minutes. Where I live in the DR this would have been an hour long trip due to the quality of the roads.

The first week in the US I spent in Kalamazoo eating with my closest friends. When you’re trying to see people during a work and exam week meals are the only times they have free, which is fine for me because I had 4 months of not eating American food to catch up on! It’s so nice for people to always be so excited to see you. I should stay away for long periods of time more often! It was so nice to be staying with my great friend in his clean, tranquil apartment fully stocked with super nutritious foods – I can’t wait to have my own place again!

Week number two I spent with the family and friends on the east side of the state. This also included a lot of eating – my grandpa’s Italian food being #1! I did middle school presentations about the Dominican Republic, saw new babies and one magnificent day headed to Detroit with a great friend of mine...