10 Days in Dominica: Day 9

Has anything made this journey easier for you?

Yes! First and foremost, I have an amazing husband. I feel he brings out the best in me. If I ever am feeling down or missing something from home, he finds a ways to help lift me up! Broc's easy going attitude has definitely rubbed off on me over the last 7 1/2 years of our marriage. He has helped me to recognize those things of greatest importance. I love that he is the one by my side and I love that we are on this journey together. He truly is the one that helps me find joy in the roughest times in my journey. I am so grateful we are in this together. I feel that it has been easy to live here in Dominica because of his great attitude! No matter how long we have gone without real milk, or good meat, or some of our favorite things, he still is up for anything and trying out the Dominican experience. I love that about him and I love that he is like that because it really has helped me appreciate this whole experience so much more! 

Second... we were so lucky to come to Dominica and have the greatest neighbors! It always makes anything easier when you have friends! We have met some amazing people here and I feel that there is a pretty good support system as well. I remember the long flight getting here to Dominica and wondering what the heck we were doing moving to a third world country, what to expect... and a million other questions of "what is this going to be like".... The first people we met after our landlord dropped us off at our new place, were our neighbors Paul and Kristen. They had the greatest attitudes about things and they had just spent the previous two weeks figuring out everything that we needed to know. They were the biggest help. (So glad they went through the crap to figure things out so that we didn't have to!) I remember so many people saying negative things when we first got to Dominica. Kristen and Paul had the greatest attitude about things. Kristen was attempting things that I didn't even know were possible here. She helped me to recognize that you can make anything fabulous, especially while living in Dominica! 

Third... Seeing the way some people in Dominica live is humbling. Walking past a little wooden shacks and seeing what little some of these people have is a reality check for me. Why should I complain when I still have so much? It really is these things that have been life changing for me. Of course there are things that I miss from my home that I left. But seeing these amazing people get by on so little is overwhelming at times. I can have my days when I am walking home in the pouring rain, pushing my two kiddos in the stroller with all of my groceries feeling sorry for myself and wishing for a car then I pass a wooden shack where I see a Mom holding her crying baby and you can see they are just struggling to get by. Then here I am complaining about carrying all of my groceries home. To a home that is comfortable and has furniture and windows, running water and toilets. I feel like I am being taught so much by living here. And I love it! Sometimes, we need to be humbled to really recognize the amazing blessings in our life. 

{Photographs taken by Kristen Morgans}

These are the things that have made living here a little easier for me!