Former O-R intern shares international experience
Kaitlyn Speer, back left, and the children celebrated Valentine’s Day at the school, and the students all dressed in red and handed out valentines.
Each day, Kaitlyn Speer helps the students with their work. Here, they are working on an art project.
Kaitlyn Speer is a former Observer-Reporter intern who recently graduated from Patrick Henry College in Purcellville, Va., and is volunteering for several months in the Dominican Republic. This is the first in an occasional series of dispatches from overseas.
By Kaitlyn Speer
For the Observer-Reporter
newsroom@observer-reporter.com
Living in another country for a couple of months can be exhilarating and terrifying at the same time, especially right after college when you feel as if you should be looking for a full-time job.
But here I sit, living in another country and doing something completely wonderful, wildly exhilarating and out of my comfort zone.
The Dominican Republic is a unique place. Nestled in the Caribbean exactly 803 miles from Miami, it’s a beautiful place that will capture your heart. It sure captured mine seven years ago.
I first went to the Dominican Republic when I was 14. My parents allowed me to go on a mission trip with a youth group from church, and I eagerly went on my first trip out of the country.
What I saw and did there changed me, and I never thought I would have the opportunity to go back – especially right out of college. But a few months ago, I found myself struggling to find a job and stressing about my impending college graduation. Where would I go? Would I ever find a job?
Though I thought finding a job right away was the answer, I soon found out I was wrong.
In the meantime, I had also reached out to the missionaries I had met the first time I visited the Dominican Republic.
On a whim, and after some prayer, I asked Cherilyn and Leo Perez if they needed any extra help at the school and ministry they ran in Baitoa.
They eagerly agreed, and soon I found myself on a plane leaving for the Dominican Republic a second time. Not sure what to expect, I got off the plane with a sort of nervous excitement building in my chest. Getting through customs was a breeze, but as I walked out of the airport, I was immediately aware that I wasn’t in Washington, Pa., anymore.
Walking out of the airport in Santiago, I was immediately hit with a heat wave that would make you stagger. It’s in the 80s now, a stark contrast to the cold that has been gripping Washington. But the heat isn’t the only difference I’ve come across so far.
Learning a new language can be difficult for anyone, but especially for me. In high school I took French, and in college I took classes in Russian. But Spanish is the norm here, and that’s something I struggle to learn on a daily basis. It’s especially hard when I’m working in a school teaching kids, and sometimes the language barrier can cause some confusion.
One of the ladies here loves to practice her English with me, but unfortunately sometimes she confuses the words. For instance, she wanted to show me one of the plants she grew on her property. She plucked a leaf from the plant and told me to “taste it.” So, I did. Only, she didn’t mean to taste it. She had switched the words. In reality, she meant for me to smell it. One bite later, the lady and I had a good laugh over the mistake.
The food here is different here, too. Have you ever heard of fried cheese? I hadn’t until a few weeks ago, and I also learned about a unique way of eating a hot dog. Here, Dominicans eat hot dogs with ketchup, mayo and corn on a bun. While it sounds disgusting, it’s actually quite good.
Whether it’s the heat, the language, or learning to eat a different type of food, life here is truly different. But it’s not a bad kind of different.
Everyone seems to recommend that you travel in your 20s. Many say it’s important to experience other cultures while you can, and while I hate to be a conformist, I have to say that they were right.
I never thought that I would put aside getting a full-time job right after graduation. I never thought that I would put aside stress over student loans or leave all of my friends and family behind for a couple of months. But I did, and it’s already been one of the most inspiring experiences of my entire life.
If you forget the cultural differences for just a minute, it’s easy to see that the people here are just like you and me. The teachers I work with put together their lesson plans, inspire their students and teach them all they need to know to become successful human beings. The kids I work with are amazing, sweet and so loving I can’t imagine leaving them in April. The people I stay with have become a second family to me, and I’m so grateful for their hospitality and friendship.
So when people tell you to travel, do it. When people tell you to experience new cultures, do it. Don’t be afraid. Don’t be afraid of the unknown, or money issues, or excuses you may make to hold yourself back. Because that’s what you’re doing, you’re holding yourself back from something that is truly great and may change your life forever.