Tropical Storm Fay, Hurricanes Gustav, Hanna and Ike

Welcome to Hurricane season in the Caribbean! It sounds a little scary and the red spinning spirals on the radar are unnerving but here on the ground, at least in most places, it just looks like a lot of rain.

However, as Hurricane Ike approached the north shore of the DR in the last couple days they set into play our emergency action plan, sending all 160 of us to consolidation points across the country.

I live high in the foothills of the mountains in the center of the country making my site one of the safest places during heavy rains and hurricanes, which is why when I packed my things to leave for lower land this morning my family was a tad puzzled. But you're safer here they said, rightfully so.

As I write this I am sitting in a hotel lounge with about 45 other volunteers and although it’s still not raining here we are prohibited from leaving the hotel. Better to be safe – with good food and air conditioning – than sorry. A few of us are even taking the opportunity to get some work done while we’re together, in between delicious meals, internet time, House, MD. marathons and games of dominoes of course!

The morning after we were cleared of Hurricane Gustav I went running. It’s so gorgeous here in the foothills the morning after rain because the sky is clear and you can see crisply into the distance in both directions; over the rolling green hills to the neighboring villages, the pines and the palm trees, and into the mountains. Everything was still wet at 6am and when I ran past the stand of pines not really noticing it, a breeze blew and the smell of pine stopped me mid run. I felt like I was in the Michigan forest and I had to look up to orient myself. I’m looking forward to being back in the campo after all of this rain fills the rivers and makes everything green.