So much has happened! Unfortunately we didn’t have internet for a couple days so I wanted to apologize for the delayed response to all your concerns for my safety. On Monday morning we packed our bags and headed to a church to present our final charla (information) presentations in Spanish to a large group of promotoras (ladies that provide treatment to children with disabilities). There was approximately 50 people at the presentation and they were all very grateful for the information. We all improved a great deal in presenting in espanol this time around and it was awesome to see.
We then headed for the 2 hour drive Sosua Beach where our resort was. ILAC informed us that it was going against their recommendation to go, that they would prefer if we stayed inland in Santiago another night before heading to the beach. Our leaders decided that they would let us go anyway and we were able to make it safely. It rained the majority of the day but it did not stop us from having fun. We all immediately went to our rooms and put on our bikinis to get into the outdoor pool. We got rained on almost the entire 3 hours that we were out thereJ It was definitely a fun memory…we were all so ready for a break and some fun that we ignored the weather. We then had dinner at the resort and got beautiful. It was so refreshing to put on make-up again although I am really missing my straightenerJ. We danced and had a few drinks together as this was an all inclusive stay. We had a blast together.
Debra and I were officially the troublemakers of the tripJ I say that partially joking but mostly not. It was so tempting and difficult not to go out to the beach when we had been so anxious. We had been instructed not to even step a foot onto the beach due to the hurricane weather. Debra and I don’t get to see the beach often and thought we’d ‘test the waters out’. J We didn’t actually go into the ocean because we were nervous and a security guard caught us. He was really nice and laughed when Debra tried to argue that we were okay out there, but he still escorted us back.
That night I didn’t sleep at all because the Hurricane Irene was so loud. I was also kind of nervous because I had never been in a hurricane before, so of course I woke up to a couple dreams of being swept away by it. The next day, we set up appointments for massages and to get our nails done. It was $13 US for an hour massage, and about $20 for me to get acrylic nails and my toenails painted. It was so cheap that I definitely pampered myself. The lady who did my nails was so nice and spent 2 long hours doing my nails! It was okay to be inside though because Hurricane Julio wasn’t letting up and it rained the m we allajority of the time we were there.
We then went to the beach because the sun came out. We were so excited to see Dominican children in the ocean jumping in the waves. But as soon as we got close to the ocean, one of our leaders told us we could only go into the water up to knee level…I don’t consider myself a defiant person, but we were all irritated with that. Supposedly a ‘red flag’ indicates that the water is not safe to enter. We were all anxious to get into the water since it was our second day and still hadn’t been able to enjoy it. After a short while, another leader felt bad for us and told us we could go in if we were smart but no further than above our waist. It was fun to be able to join the Dominican kids who were trying to get us to the entire time we were at knee level.
The last day was absolutely beautiful outside. We woke up at 7:30 and were out at the beach by 9:30am. We had so much fun learning to body surf the waves. Although we applied sunscreen a couple times between 9:00 am and 3:00 pm, we got friedJ Today we look tan but it is still a little bit painful. It was a complete blast and the salt water cleared my sinuses out along with a little bit of my rash haha. Can’t wait to be at the ocean again.
Now we are all at the Dominican Republic airport waiting to get home but our flights have been delayed and changed. Hopefully if everything goes according to plan from here on out, I will arrive in Omaha between 10-10:30pm. Justin is flying in around 9:45pm so he will probably beat me. CANNOT WAIT TO SEE HIM AND MY FAMILY!!! Thank you all so much for keeping up with my blog. It means a lot to me, and all the notes and comments helped make being away from home much easier. I hope you’ve enjoyed following me on this amazing journey and can’t wait to show you all pictures…I officially took around 350J And I’m taking a few others from friends who took great pictures. Take care and hope to see you all soon!
Love,
Heather
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