What I'll Miss

The things I'm going to miss the most about the Dominican Republic:

1. All the kids I have fallen in love with.
2. Guaguas and public transportation and motos. Everything about the crazy driving.
3. The uniquely Dominican words and phrases I have learned, such as "guagua," "chin" which means "a little bit," and "zafacón," the word for trashcan.
4. The Makarios house. The roof. Sleeping on the roof and getting to sleep under stars and wake up looking at mountains to the south and the Atlantic Ocean to the north.
5. Getting to go to Cabarete once a week and having that time for Sabbath.
6. Watching "Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights" with Robin and Camille.
7. The staff and interns, especially those who are staying for a year and not coming back to Austin, and the community we developed.
8. Chinola juice.
9. Fresh fruit.
10. Home cooking. Who knows if I will cook a single thing that I learned once I get home!
11. Dominican hospitality. People will give you, a complete stranger, the only chair they have just so you can sit down and be comfortable, even if you haven't even introduced yourself. How often do I even welcome in my neighbors in that manner?
12. The time I had to be away from the comforts I expect in the U.S. and spending that with the Lord.
13. Skim Ices.
14. Our crazy drivers full of Dominican machismo.
15. Dominican machismo (I guess I won't really miss this.)
16. Getting to meet new and amazing people each week to serve short-term.

Basically I'm just going to miss everything. The only thing I won't miss is this very long day of travel. I am sitting at the airport in Santiago right now. I have been up since 4 a.m. Texas time, but my flight does not leave here until noon, and I'm not getting in until midnight!