Day 1

Ladies and Gents, I have arrived. And culture shock check. I started out my day in lovely Ormond Beach, driving a nice Highlander across a beautiful road (view and actual road). And somehow wound up on the completely other end of things. First of all, I've always thought that the Haitians would not like me, because of many reasons. (Clumsy, blonde, white, privileged, coming to their country etc. etc.) So I get on my plane to go from Miami to Port au Prince and naturally I sit in the wrong seat. I figure it out and have to crawl over this little old haitian lady with multiple sunhats on her lap. I pretty much scwash her hats and step on her toes. Sit down. Check haitians hate me. She then proceeds to do what I initially thought was hexing/cursing me, but turns out she is REALLY religious and extremely scared of flying. (Or atleast that is what I have presumed to think, as she spoke no english and I have no creole language in me. As we start our initial decent I look around Port au Prince and it breaks my heart to see how many buildings in rumbles, only dirt roads. And tents everywhere. Clearly a third world something, cause I couldnt call it a country. I get off the plane and am pushed into a bus to take me to customs etc. It is seriously the ghetto. No words to even explain. I visited the restroom there an the toilets didnt flush and it was just gross. And I thought to myself, Callie Spilker you paid to be here. Lets make the best of it. I also had a pep talk with myself to stop having a "scared look" on my face, because that is obviously like "Look at me! I am a target!!" So I continued on and right after that I finally ran into Steph my "guide" persay. She is very friendly and welcoming which is good. We leave the airport and our driver wasn't able to pick us up so we walked to our base. Naturally butchering my rolling bag (Dad, I'll have to buy you a new one because it aint gonna be pretty by the time I get back.) While walking ghetto cars that should not be running are driving by honking, everyone is staring, offering to give us rides which we turn down. Lovely times right? And then this extremely out of place nice silver pick up truck stops and says something to Steph, and obviously it is me and I don't pay attention to moments like this and I look and Steph is hoping in the truck. And at this moment I was like and this is how it ends. This is the beginning of the Taken movie for me. What do I do....so I hop in. And say a little prayer as Steph directs him where to go. A few blocks later I am getting out, and my pulse eases a little bit. We walk a few more blocks on an even more ghetto dirt road an knock on this big big steal like garage door behind a gate paint in extravagant colors. A little box opens and two eyes glare at us and then a little normal sized door opens from this steal gate. And I have arrived. I meet all of our security team here (all local Haitians) and they laugh and make some huge joke about my name apparently it means to whip somebody. Lovely. I arrived a day earlier than the rest of my team, but it turns out my base (haiti comintere Spelling?) is home to a lot of people, volunteers, but my group is the only group group. The others are individuals. Everyone here is super nice and friendly. And so far all I have really seen them do is drink and say F*** this and beep that. Then again it is Sunday their only day off. But that is a whole other story. So we arrive at base and leave shortly after to go to a local hotel that is still being build and hang out at their pool for the rest of the evening. (and yes Mom, I forgot to put sunscreen on. Hopefully I haven't contracted malaria the first night.) We have now returned and am I sitting on my bottom bunk bed in a dome like tent with four other bunk beds (8 people total aka my whole group who arrives tomorrow so tonight I am alone.) I'm sitting here with a rush of different emotions running through me, home sick yes, nervous yes, hoping to be liked yes, dreading that awkward moment when people find out I dont drink and yes I am a Mormon extremely nervous. (I think one girl from California is already prejudging me for this, which I am nervous about.) Anyway let me know what is going on, miss you all. Love you mucho. wish me luck. See ya in six. Ps I did not purchase a cell phone.