May 27th

I’m at the airport in Santo Domingo. Our flight left at 6:05 am. I slept since the moment I got on the plane and woke up noticing we were descending and the ocean was below me. I thought 'interesting'. We’re already descending but San Jose is nowhere close to the ocean. I closed my eyes again. I opened them once we were on the ground and very soon I found out we had just landed back in Santo Domingo. Some airplane problems and we’re in the waiting area... waiting.
They just said on the monitor that the problem is fixed and we will be getting back on the plane soon. At this point, with no real responsibilities waiting for me in Costa Rica, I could be fine staying here a little bit longer. I’d like to share a bit more of my last few moments in Haiti and this moment seems pretty ideal to do so.
Yesterday was my last day and I remember my boss telling me earlier this week that my last day should be left to relax and say good-bye.
That was totally not my case. My last hours in Haiti got really stressful. Between finding out I have a deadline for a photography workshop submission on Friday, having to explain all bullet points of on-going work to Carolina (who will be replacing me), burning back-up DVDs of my photos as well as choosing photographs to give to SOS so that they can use and saying good-bye.. well, let’s just say all that took all of my time. I didn’t have time for blogging and I didn’t want time for blogging because I was getting a little tired of being in front of the computer.. typing away everything that will be left to Carolina so that she can have a printed and through explanation of the work that will be left to her. At one point I felt that it was so much I thought my head was going to explode. There is just too many contacts she must know about because she will keep in touch with them. We didn’t have time to go over everything and we left some bullet points for a phone call for today (or tomorrow… let me relax today). All in her hands now, good luck to her...because sometimes it can feel like a lot of work.

I said good-bye to most people who I don’t want to forget:the national director, a few of the students, including my 16-year-old triplet friends who Louis introduced to me since the beginning (Marie Ange, Ange Marie and Angelo), the people in the family strengthening programme, the people who work at the village, drivers, the cooks and cleaning ladies, translators (good friends), staff from our little camp, other volunteers.
Some people avoid saying good-bye. I think it is the least you can do and I find it necessary to at least attempt to say good-bye the right way, even if it’s fake or if it’s hard or awkward, even if you tell them you want to come back but you don’t know if you’ll actually make it back and you know they want to see you again. It might be difficult but it’s only right to do so.
I did cry a few tears when I saw Fernanda, staff from Mexico who also left with me, crying. I was expecting to cry a little more. It was a very strange day. Difficult, exciting, strange, surreal… that’s what yesterday felt like. Really, a big part of me felt like I had just arrived two days earlier… even though I have learned so much and I have so many new experiences since I arrived in Haiti, time still flew.
A big part of me only felt excitement. My turn finally arrived to leave on a jet plane (the helicopter stopped their services two days ago, so I didn’t have to choose). I remembered all those times I had gone to the UN base to receive people or to drop them off. During the first couple of weeks I couldn’t wait for it to be my turn to leave. Later on, when I stopped counting down the days and when the days just started to pass me by and when I felt content and used to things, I didn’t think about it too much, I knew my day would come.
I left with Fernanda, Mexican staff, 27-year-old, very nice person, a new friend.. also with Carlos, who has been the head of the programme and was leaving for the third time (he’ll be back soon). We arrived in Santo Domingo at around 5 pm.
Everything felt really strange. The road seemed so nice, there were nice cars all around, no trash, electricity everywhere, buildings, decorations in the house, treeees (no trees in Santo), people who looked clean, people who spoke my language, people who looked like me, places where I wanted to go in an eat…. wow. I was in shock.
Later on we toured colonial Santo Domingo. On the way there we passed some really nice areas. I saw so many buildings, so many signs and advertising, so many signs that I was about to be immersed into what I have been used to my whole life except for two months in Haiti.
I was still in shock. Carlos, Fernanda and Matilde, a new friend from Santo Domingo, could tell. I stared at people and things. It was a strange sensation, something I hadn’t felt before. How can there be a place so different on the same island. How can you get on a little airplane for one hour and land in another world?