A Mile down the Road:

the LONG Process of Settling In 

Haiti is called the land of NGO’s, yet in any given day or week I may see no other foreigner or Caucasian at all outside of my own family. This week was different. We ventured into the “American – style” shops and restaurants, had dinner with American friends and went to an English speaking church, which was at least half full of “blan” (white). It was refreshing to feel a taste of the familiar, but somehow a mild “guilt” slowly crept in.

I understand that it is normal to feel more comfortable to be in settings and with people that remind me of my own culture. That’s just natural. So then why do I feel sort of bad about it? Perhaps my sense of commitment to acclimation reminds me of how far I still have to go. Every day that I have to rely on a translator for basic needs sounds off the loud speaker of my failure to learn much Kreyol so far. It is the same with my confidence in driving, my ability to shop alone, to read the faces of locals as I pass, or to simply gain directions to a location nearby. My expectations of language acquisition, learning “the ropes” in the outdoor markets, meeting neighbors and getting about town are not very high, but at this stage there remains a “zero” sense of accomplishment in any of the necessary areas for daily life here.

This is the “long haul” of acclimation. Trudging the miles of learning, just as we clocked them on our cross country road trips the past 6 months…one…at…a…time, until we see our destination draw near. There is no air travel nor can we switch to “auto- pilot”. We will have to earn every kilometer with our full attention to the task at hand, in order to stay the course. That’s the sobering, yet hope-filled reality that is setting in as we get ready to mark the completion of our second week “in country”. 

blessings, RB

A special thanks to my brother Bob & his magnificent photography!