LIVEALITTLE

I took only ONE picture today. It is a picture of the Lèogâne clinic after I bade my farewells and my car started pulling away bound for Port-au-Prince. I didn't realize how emotionally attached I had gotten to Lèogâne and its people until I found myself totally drained and passed out in the 1 hour car ride back to Port-au-Prince at 10a! The sheer devastation combined with the amiable people instantly enchanted me the first week I was in Lèogâne (I've been here for 3 weeks). In Lèogâne, I was Haitian. I wasn't 'Karen'. I was 'Kaoween'; I even introduced myself as such. Noone forceably peddled their wares to me nor harrassed me. Everyone said 'bon jour' and most kids screamed 'blanc' (white/foreigner) when they saw me and I would scream back 'noir' (black) or 'jaune' (yellow). People wanted to practice their English with me and I would try my petit petit of Creole on them. This 3 week experience of living and working in Leogane is EXACTLY the type of immersion to a foreign country and its people I was seeking to find in my new life as a nurse. I am so extremely fortunate to have this opportunity so early in my career. Maybe I will not even consider travelling to any other countries for aid missions in the future as Haiti will be in need of help for generations to come. After 10+ years of travelling to 41 countries, I think the travelbug has finally been knocked out of me...