Making it

Well I got onto the plane, which I had been telling myself was the first step. I met an entire group of people in Portland who were going to Haiti to work in an orphanage as well. Their's is in Jacmel however, which is where I will be during my second month of the journey.
The main question people ask me is "what group/church are you traveling with?"
And they always seem shocked when I reply "I'm not."
Sometimes this makes me feel brave and courageous, but mostly it makes me feel like I must have lost my mind.
I got on the plane in NY, destined for Port au Prince and quickly realized that I was the only person in my row. An entire row of seats all to myself. At first I felt very left out, but within ten minutes I had excepted that I was now blessed with two extra seats to call my own. The plane's doors were closed up, the flight attendants were going over safety rules, and then someone radioed in on the speakers saying "Flight attendants, disarm and open the doors." I thought, surely, that I was about to die.
Soon two young men had been let on the plane, having almost missed their flight. (That's what all the commotion was about?) They smelled heavily of cologne and had their pants sagging down around their knees. In my mind I was on the verge of making some judgy comment about street youths, and ruffians, when guess who's empty row of seats they were directed to?
That's right.
Mine.
My mind changed tactics as quickly as possible. Hello. So good to meet you. So glad you made it on board. I'm such a lovely, kind person who never judges people based on how much they sag their pants.
They were actually quite pleasant. Upon landing they promptly asked for my phone number, which I promptly told them I no longer had a working phone. So they promptly asked for my Facebook, which I not so promptly considered.
When I stepped off the plane there was a band playing music to greet us, and it was a balmy 90 degrees. Ahhhh how I love the sun. For those first few minutes, then I'm sweating profusely and pulling off as many layers as possible.
It took over and hour to get through immigration and customs.
But when I did I managed to find where my checked bags had been tossed into a corner, patiently waiting for me.
The director of CHOAIDS (Marie) had her brother FanFan and his wife Johanne pick me up. Johanne looking flawless in her tight floral skirt, and me stumbling out of the airport looking as though I had just climbed out of a particularly filthy pond. (My appearance does not hold up well while traveling. To say the least.)
They loaded me up in the car, and were as sweet as can be.
After they dropped me at the hostel I was given a tour and then shown to my very own straw bale house. Where I now sit reading and blogging. And waiting until I can help some of the other guests prepare dinner. I'll post some pictures soon.
xxoo