Final Thoughts

         
          I'll never forget all the things I've learned on this trip. The things I saw, people I met, and everything I learned. I always knew I was lucky and that things could always be worse, but now I understand it! I now understand how much more is going on in the world. Watching baseball has changed too. I find myself asking what the game means to all these players, and wonder who's playing the game, and who's playing the gamble.
          I hope things change over in the Dominican Republic. That more people struggling find a way to make a good living without relying on the fields of baseball or the fields of farming. I hope education becomes better and that more people try to help.
          While I was in Batey Libertad I made a donation to help send girls from the batey to the border and visit the same orphanage I went to. This was their first time traveling, seeing different parts of their country, and it was a good opportunity for these girls to put their education to the test as they shared with the boys what they learned through at Yspaniola's learning center. I'm glad I was able to help and I urge anyone to help out if they can in any way they can. It was such a great feeling to help out these girls take a step out of the small community they knew and see more of the world. I think that's so important for a child. The world is so vast and we all deserve a chance to see as much of it as we can.
          I was told that there is actually an internship program Yspaniola has. I would highly recommend it for any college students interested in the education industry! There's also a Summer camp. I don't if I would do either (I know that sounds hypocritical, but education isnt the path I wish to go down), but I would love to come back and visit one day.

          At the end of the day though, this was a trip that has left an impact on my life. I gained experience, friendship, and global insight. And I have learned about a group of people once alien to me. The Dominican Republic is a beautiful country full of many not so beautiful things happening under the surface. Their history is a rather dark one, especially with their treatment of their neighbors the Haitians, though that is the fault of people like Trujillo, an American trained military official who's racist feelings toward the Haitians led to the racial tensions that plague the country today. It is a country of inequality with people either very rich and prosperous, or terribly poor and struggling. There is hope however! I see it in the young, bright faces I saw in the batey's I visited, and in the drive of the people working at Yspaniola as well as the scholars coming from the batey communities.

So that's that. I hope you enjoyed my exploration of the Dominican Republic just as much as I did!
So until we meet again DR,

Hasta Lluego!