Haiti Days 7-9

Far too much happened in Haiti for me to ever fully write about it (well maybe someday). Either way, I will Sparknotes days 7-9 for you avid readers (Kylie and Grandma). 

Day 7

Compared to yesterday, today was a piece of cake. We organized boxes full of cockroaches so big you could put your arm around one and take it to prom! Then we "de-Mormonized" about 500 school kits and called it a day before lunch. To celebrate, the girls and I had an impromptu dance party in the dorm followed by a harmless prank pulled in the girls bathroom (we wrote random Bible verses on sticky notes in each stall!)

Day 8

The orphanage was chaotic today. The kids ambushed the bag of balls and puzzles we brought and destroyed half of it within an hour. Gael ate a Cliff Bar silently on my lap as I sat in the back of the car talking and laughing with Ostanel, Manno, and Ostanel's cousins Laurie. After a while the four of us took off into town to get some sodas. It was thrilling to be away from the group. I couldn't get over it! I was with Haitians, in a tap tap, on the way to the market! It felt like a complete adventure. 

Day 9

I braced my hands against the side of the tap tap as we maneuvered our way through town. Traffic was hectic as usual causing many jolting stops and swerves. Dust and exhaust poured into my lungs. Haiti smells distinctly of something sweet and warm like roasted corn. We stopped at the crumbled capitol building, bartered for souvenirs, and ate chicken and rice at a Haitian restaurant. As we drove through the bustling streets I marveled at how comfortable I felt. It no longer felt like I was living in the pages of Time Magazine. I was just in the car, on the way to eat and shop.