....I'm back!

The title says it all - I'm back in San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic!

I arrived Saturday night, a few days after finishing exams. The trip had taken shape just in the last couple months of school, as the beginning of the summer opened up to allow some traveling. After months of missing the DR and its people, food, music, etc., I decided to head down here for a few weeks of visiting and volunteering. It's wonderful!

Fortunately for me, my year-long dreams of changed street lay-out, disappearing houses, and increased guagua fare have not come true, and I have arrived to find things comfortingly familiar. I am staying with the Dohns, the missionary family who was so wonderful during my year here, and reveling in mangos, cold showers, very loud merengue music, and portable fans. Today, I hopped on the guagua with Anita and headed to the clinic, where I spent the whole day catching up with my friends and updating the HIV clinic's chart system for lab tests. Tomorrow, we will do some home visits for HIV patients, and plan our workshop on diarrhea for Wednesday. Back in the swing of things - hooray!

But the best part of all is reconnecting with people. I talked for hours today with Santa, Daysi, Rosy, Beljica, Maximinia, and everyone else on the team, showing them current pictures of my friends and family and where I live, and hearing their stories from the year, the new babies in their lives and about the people who have passed away. Even though I'm behind on the news, the relationships feel like I never left. Even the small relationships - patients who remember and greet me, a familiar wave from the security guard - these things warm my heart and make me so happy to be back.

I just wanted to let you all know to expect an update on clinic goings-on, with some pictures of changes and growth accomplished in the past year. Let me know if you have any particular questions you want answered! I hope you all are enjoying the beginning of summer - saludos de la Republica Dominicana!