Day 7
Landing in Indianapolis at 2 am was like a fever dream. As I was about to get into my uber, this guy needed help connecting with his ride. He did not speak English. He spoke Spanish, but it was very confusing. I helped him with the very little Spanish I knew and Google translate. I was under the impression that he only knew a little Spanish as well. I video-chatted his uber driver and texted him off his phone. This interaction seems a little confusing, but I think it meant a lot in terms of the experience I just had with Spanish speaking. I felt more inclined to help him more than usual. Even though in the back of my mind I was afraid my uber driver was going to leave me if I kept him waiting, I could tell he really did need my help, especially because it was very late at night and there was no one else around.
The first thing I did when I got back from the airport was go get Taco Bell. As I got into my car, it felt surreal to be realizing all that I had. That I have the privilege of just up and going into my car to get easily accessible, reasonably cheap food in my car that functions well and gets me from one place to the other. I knew after I ate my huge Taco Bell meal I was going to have the best hot shower in my life after having cold water for 7 whole days (obviously a record for me.)
Reflecting in the shower was also a big wake-up call. I recalled the moments I had in the DR where I felt so spoiled for having all that I have with being American. It was almost an overwhelming feeling to be this blessed. Knowing how other countries operate in their daily lives with all that they know is eye-opening to see. Me even staying in a nice little hut with running water and having food served to me in the DR felt like a luxury compared to how many others have it.
Overall, I am super grateful to have had this opportunity to do service learning in the Dominican Republic. The people there were so nice, welcoming, and willing to be patient. With me trying to understand their culture and language, not one time did I feel inferior for not being well-versed in their space. This motivated to have even more gratitude for the DR and its people.
Going on with my life, I will make it an objective to see more parts of the world. Not just as a tourist, but to actually have an impact, no matter how small. Knowing I took part in providing support for people who were willing to accept the help, meant a lot to me. I would definitely do a service learning trip like this again!