Santo Domingo

Monday, February 8th

5:40 a.m. (Too Early to Fly) Waking up so early in the morning to make this flight was not fun. I went to a Super Bowl gathering the night before and didn’t get to bed until after midnight. I planned to arrive at the airport around 3:30 a.m. so I only got a couple hours of sleep. Although I was extremely tired I could not fall asleep on the flight to Atlanta. This was unusual for me as I normally fall asleep before take-off. I think I was a little anxious about everything (plus I was freezing on the plane.)

7:20 a.m. (My Connection) I arrived in Atlanta for my connecting flight. I didn’t mind that the layover was two hours long because it allowed me enough time to grab breakfast and “people- watch” (Atlanta’s airport is the best place to people watch!)

9:45 a.m. (Flight to Dominican Republic) I flew into the DR because Port-au-Prince airport is not accessible by commercial airlines at the moment. This was a three and a half hour flight and I was able some sleep this time (I had a blanket to keep me warm). I met two wonderful women from Destin, Florida who were also headed to Haiti to provide relief work at an orphanage in Carrefour. We exchanged contact info and stuck together at the airport while going through customs and baggage claim. I promised them that I’d connect with them once I return to the States.

2:10 p.m. (Santo Domingo Airport) Going through customs at Santo Domingo's airport was not too bad. A young woman working with our team in Santo Domingo met me there once I grabbed my bags. There were so many people both inside and outside that it took me a couple minutes to spot the woman holding a sign with my name. It was very hot there and I was overly dressed for the weather (it was about thirty degrees back at home when I left). Luckily I wore a tank underneath my shirt and once we got in the car I peeled off the extra layer. The ride from the airport to the hotel was about 45 minutes and I had the opportunity to take in the beautiful scenery and coastline.

3:30 p.m. (The Streets of Santo Domingo) We arrived at the hotel and I was shown to my room. I was exhausted but chose to go along with my team member to run errands. I wanted to see as much as possible. One thing about Santo Domingo is that driving in the city is absolutely crazy! The streets are very busy and everyone drives as if time is running out. They won’t hesitate to honk their horn for the slightest thing and seem to have little regard for traffic lights. I witnessed several people, including my driver, speed through red lights as if they were green! I was not prepared for this and found myself hitting imaginary brakes on the back seat floor. After the speed tour through the city I was ready to call it a night. Around midnight I settled in my room and prepared for the next day; I had to meet the driver in the lobby at 6 a.m. for our drive to Haiti.