My first post...a little late, but my calendar is set to "Caribbean Time" :)

Hola todos! I have successfully made it to the Dominican Republic without losing my credit card and with hardly any plane issues (believe it or not, Grampa), other than a 2 hour delay in the Cincinnati airport. I arrived in Santiago last Sunday (yes...2 weeks ago now...sorry for the delay!), exhausted but so excited to be here.

Since then, the exhaustion has only seemed to continue. I feel like there is so much I want to write about, but it's so hard to not only find time to sit down here and do it but to find it when both the Internet is up and running AND the power is not out on campus... So unfortunately, a short but sweet rundown of the whirlwind that has been my past 2 weeks here in the DR will have to do.

We have been so many places and seen so many different things so far that it's hard to know where to start. Our schedule each day is always so different (not to mention constantly changing) but usually involves a few lectures and a few trips to different places in Santiago. Our lectures have been over tons of different topics...from Dominican History to Spanish language to the Education system to Caribbean Culture, Geology, Geography, Immigration, Sports, Agriculture, and so many more. Just about each one so far has been given by a different professor at the university here, either in English or with a translator to help. We have covered so many things so far that my brain is an absolute mess, but all of the lectures (for the most part) have been really interesting.

When we're not in lecture, we are usually boarding the bus to go off somewhere. We took a trip up into the mountains to learn about their reforsestation projects here, we toured around the campus (ah it is so beautiful!) to learn about their agricultural and animal production, we've been to the city newspaper, a pottery enterprise, a museum, a cigar factory, and so much more. My favorite trips so far have been to the schools we have visited. We've been learning and talking a lot about the education system here so it was so interesting to be able to see it first hand (not to mention a lot of fun playing with all of the kids).

We spent last weekend at a beach in Puerta Plata and it was so nice to be able to relax and finally let everything we had been doing sink in. We had just been so busy that it still wasn't feeling like all of this was real...but it's hard to deny that you're spending your Winter in the Caribbean when you're in a beach chair watching the sun set over the ocean... (Sorry, I couldn't resist bragging just a little).

Well, I hate to leave after only having time to ramble on about boring classes and field trips, but "class" calls. :) Hopefully I will be able to find time soon to fill you all in on the more exciting parts of the trip so far (there have definitely been plenty)! Until then, stay warm! I'll be thinking of you all from my beach chair this weekend... :)



[ ^^ Pictures from around campus...Plenty of more pictures coming, I promise! ^^ ]