The majority of people use their study abroad experience as an opportunity to travel and visit as many countries as possible. Sounds awesome right? Who wouldn't want to do that? I sure did.
About a year ago, I sat in my living room on the phone with my study abroad advisor; she told me the Dominican Republic seemed like the best fit for me and what I was looking for. I agreed, the program did seem great, but I was concerned about being stuck on an island without the ability to travel to surrounding countries. She understood, but advised (as advisors do best) to think about the positive aspects of being on an island: I would have the opportunity to develop a stronger relationship with my country, travel it's entirety, and really get to the people and the culture, like a second home. In that moment I was still convinced that this wasn't what I wanted. I wanted to hike through the Patagonia and bus across South America. I wanted to travel. Yet, in the back of my head I had a feeling the Dominican Republic was where I would end up, no matter how hard I tried to fight it.
As time progressed, one by one I weeded out every other option I had. They were all flawed in one way or another: the school was too big, the program didn't have enough structure, taking direct enrollment classes was intimidating, why would I go to Europe?, and so on. The only program that seemed to fit my strict criteria, believe it or not, was the CIEE: Santiago Dominican Republic Liberal Arts program.' The feeling that I had pushed aside about my fate, only grew stronger, creeping forward back into my brain as gravity pulled it closer. CIEE had the class options I was interested in, preplanned excursions, and volunteer opportunities. What wasn't there to like? Still, I prolonged my decision, denying that this was the right choice until the very last moment when I no longer could: it was time for me to pick. Despite it all, the DR found its way as the number one choice on my application. Some sort of fate had pushed me towards a place that I had never imagined myself studying after years of fantasizing about it. Study abroad was something I had been looking forward to since middle school. It influenced the college I chose, the money I saved and it fueled my desire to travel.
One of the first comments that came out of my boyfriend Adam's mouth as he arrived in Santiago to begin my post-study abroad travel was, "Well Beccs, one thing for sure is that you picked a very unique study abroad experience." Even locals laughed and asked me "why?" when they learned I intentionally chose to come to the Dominican Republic for study abroad. I failed to realize until Adam arrived just how much I had adjusted to living in this country. I didn't realize the amount of things that I had grown completely accustomed to and didn't notice anymore. After four months, they were now just a part of everyday normal life for me. There was the honking, the loud music, the staring, the commentary, the uncertainty, the lack of personal space, the CRAZY driving and the overcrowded streets. It took Adam coming here, pointing them all out, for me notice them again. His culture shock made me realize that what I "deal" with everyday has simply become my reality: the way things are. Adam imagined a relaxing island life paradise as most do, and as I also once did; but what he received instead were the realities of an underdeveloped country. A large percentage of the people are dependent upon tourists to make money. Visiting my new home, in the second biggest city on the island just a few hours from beach paradise, he experienced the dire living conditions this country faces. This includes the trash, the noise, the lack of sanitation, and the lax laws. You can't throw toilet paper in the toilet because of the poor sewers systems, you can't drink the water and you might get a parasite. Restaurants aren't open when they say they are and don't always serve the food they say they will. Water pressure is low usually on Mondays and Wednesdays so the toilets won't flush and it's rare to have hot water. Public transportation isn't very comfortable but rather packed as full as possible and whether you're speaking to locals in English or in Spanish, you're usually pretty unsure you fully understand what each other is saying. Latin dance music blasts at all hours of the night but most of all, and very often, things do not go as you planned.
Not having a plan seems like a nightmare to your average U.S American. A "just go with it" mentality, a lack of certainty, punctuality, and reliability. Both, Adam in his short visit, and I in my long one, really learned what it means to make the best of things, to just go with the flow. On the second day of Adam's trip we found ourselves in the back of a stranger's truck climbing up a dirt road in the middle of the mountains. We drove with him while he shared a beer with people he'd picked up on the side of the road to ride with us along the way. During our solo travels together I was in charge of organizing the entire trip. Also, I was the only one who knew how to speak Spanish and who had any sort of knowledge on how to navigate this country. This was quite a scary task, especially in a foreign country. The good news is we are both still alive! The other news is that the next day we found ourselves hiking up an elevation change of 7,000 feet for 7.5 hours straight, something we were not quite fully prepared for. We knew it was the tallest peak in the Caribbean, but I don't think we fully grasped what we were getting ourselves into. In 3 days we hiked a total of 29 miles. It only took 1.5 hour to get to the top from where we ended our first day. After spending an equal amount of time laying down at the top, we hiked down to the bottom as fast as we could in 5.5 hours with warm showers and a comfortable bed as motivation. Both up and down felt never ending and I very seriously asked Adam if this was what hell was like. Though I will say, the view at the top from over 10,000 feet above sea level was well worth it. It may have been the hardest thing I've ever done in my short life, but the feeling of accomplishment surpassed all of the struggles: the limits I pushed my body to that I didn't think were possible, almost being run over by a mule, the awkward communication with our guide, and sleeping on a wooden floor. I couldn't be happier we did it.
When you're transitioning from childhood to adulthood there are some "adult" moments in life that hit you hard. Traveling is one of them. For the first time in my life I was traveling by myself, of my own accord. I picked what hotels to stay at, what places to go, what food to eat, and I arranged plans and transportation. The only reason I ended up at a specific place was by my own inspiration. I brought myself to the middle of nowhere in the mountains in the Dominican Republic with one other person. I began to realize and not take for granted all the things my parents did to organize a family vacation: the research, the planning, and ensuring safety. I never had to worry about where to go, what to do, or how much money I needed. The moment when you understand that you are the one that has to figure it all out, on your own, is a big moment. That security and safety net disappears. My advice? You will figure it out and it will be okay even if you end up at a resort that is still being constructed (that's another story for another time). As my study abroad experience comes to an end (literally, I'm sitting the airport and will be home tonight) there will be more adult decisions to make and feelings to be had. I will be moving into my first studio apartment all on my own, commuting to a job and taking online classes. I will be applying to a graduate program and figuring out my future.
I am so thankful for this study abroad experience and I couldn't have asked for a better one, even if it isn't what I had originally expected. I couldn't be happier that my program consisted of twelve unique people that I was able to share this unique experience with. I made friends that I know will last me a life time. I've adjusted to a culture I never thought I could survive living in. I have truly grown up and become more independent through my travels, something I will admit I very much needed to do. I have learned how important it is to make the best I can of every every situation I find myself in. The DR may not have been exactly what I wanted, but it ended up being exactly what I needed. Thanks to everyone who shared this experience with me. Bon voyage y te vayas bien. I'm going to miss everything more than I ever could have thought.