The poor people are often the most generous. I really noticed that when we were driving down the road and the people were all sharing the little amount of water that they had and the little amount of food they had. Just to survive. It’s really sad to see how those people live and compare it to our daily lives. We live a fairytale compared to them. But the scenery there is beyond gorgeous. The rain forest and the mountains and views of the ocean is something that I would want to wake up to every morning.

The vendors there are constantly asking for your money. They will grab you by your arms and drag you in there till you purchase something of theirs. The stuff they have there is mighty cute and fairly cheap,”because it only lasts about 2 washes” say’s my mom.

Zipping through the rainforest was by far the coolest experience I have ever had. Yes very scary and yes I thought I was gonna get stuck in the middle but I made it through all of them and I don’t ever regret doing it. On the last zipline we went on someone had to ride with me because I didn’t weigh enough to make it across. So I felt more comfortable going across that one especially because he was cute.

The food there was phenomenal. I absolutely hate seafood so I wouldn't touch any of that but on accident I grabbed octopus thinking it was chicken nuggets. Not gonna lie it was very good and tasted just like chicken; but just the fact that I was eating something out of the ocean just gave me the chills.

Also I got my hair cornrowed with blue and white beads at the bottom. Took about 3 hours but they were flying, I probably shed about 3 teers due to the pain. In the U.S. most people just don’t change out in the open, but here they don’t care at all.  I was 10 years old when we went on this trip and when I saw where the sun don’t shine I was beside myself.

The people in the Dominican Republic don’t wear very much clothing: for one they don’t have malls to shop at, and for two they don’t even have money to purchase clothes. They pretty much just wear cloth to cover up what they need to cover up and no shoes at all. They are always working outside. Building their houses stronger, watering their gardens and living life. As you look at them, you just think to yourself, how are they still living? They are skin and bones. They don’t look healthy at all. Do they see a doctor every year, do they see a dentist every year? No they don’t have anything and it’s so sad to think that we have all of it and they have dirt and a blanket to sleep on. 

This trip wasn’t a mission trip or anything so I didn’t help anyone or make a house but I did talk with someone when I was walking down the road. This old man stopped me and told me that “ I was the most beautiful girl he has ever seen”. Hearing that from someone like him just made my day. Not just because I felt bad for him but because he went out of his way to tell me that, and when I had a smile on my face he had a smile on his face. He also asked how my day was going and some questions about me , so we kind of became friends. I loved every minute of it. Just because it was nice to hear positive stuff coming from a person that is barely living than talking to a person here who complains about all the stuff that they have.  Doesn’t matter if you have nothing or everything in your life, it just how you pursue your happiness upon others.

Overall this was a trip of a lifetime. From seeing the beautiful rainforests and waking up to the ocean view every morning. To talking to the people that lived there and eating the food that they ate. I will never forget the people that I met or just the things that I learned from people watching. The different hairstyles and just the way I acted. This trip changed me and it changed me for the better.