I felt closer to the Dominican Republic today than any other day since I have returned. There are so many parallels between my first day in-country there and today. Both here and there we all piled in to a van/guagua with all of our stuff and we went to a grocery store. But most importantly in both instances we stepped outside of our comfort zone and local context. Interning in the Dominican Republic was one of the most valuable experiences of my life; I hope AB will have a similar impact. Since returning from the DR it has been easy to retreat into classes, family and friends but I am very excited about the opportunity to serve again.
One undeniable difference between the 2 experiences will be the food. In the Dominican Republic, we stayed with homestay families who were given an eating allowance for our stay. Every family I stayed with made sure I got to enjoy authentic Dominican cuisine and filled my plate until I couldn't eat any more. My homestay families stuffed me, and I probably gained 10 pounds while living there. Although I got the opportunity to witness poverty and live in struggling communities while in the DR, hunger was not something I experienced. AB will be very different in this regard, we will be living on the food budget that many families struggle with in the communities we are serving. We will get to understand the role hunger plays in their lives on a much more intimate level and their struggle to stay healthy. It will be challenging to deal a limited food budget but I know it will absolutely make this experience more meaningful.
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