First impressions

Beautiful mountains, friendly people, oppressive heat and humidity ... That's my first impression of Trinidad. St. Dominic's has been very welcoming. I officially start my internship tomorrow. Today is for settling in. My travels yesterday were completely uneventful, which is strange. My life is usually fraught with quirky mishaps. But I'm grateful for the ease with which this journey has started.

Riding on the streets of Port of Spain was a bit harrying. Aside from adjusting to being on the wrong side of the road and having the driver sit on the wrong side of the car, I also was educated on how "undisciplined" Trinis are as a people. As other vehicles nearly hit us (repeatedly) when they were changing lanes in front of us, I expressed some distress. Sister Arlene merely said, "Welcome to Trinidad." I didn't see a single turn single. Apparently the lines dividing the road between us and oncoming traffic were only suggestions. Since I have a Florida driver licence, I can legally drive here if I so choose. That may be one adventure I skip.

I fell asleep quickly last night, my first here, after being completely overstimulated. I won't say I was anxious in a bad way, just felt bombarded with information. During the week leading up to my departure from home, I was lucky to get three hours of sleep a night. Too much anticipation, wild imagination, plus my usual penchant for insomnia ...

The biggest adjustment may be not having internet access via my phone 24/7. I'm so accustomed to being in constant contact with people and information. Speaking of, I'm not sure how often I will post. But I will be online daily, I imagine, so please feel free to send me an email at hopemccormick@gmail.com.

The northern mountain range, as viewed from St. Dominic's Children's Home in Port of Spain.