Day 52: On my way home

I cannot believe I have spent over 7 weeks here in the Dominican Republic. I have done so many things to help the staff do what they were called to do and I can only say thank you for the experience and time you all have spent with me as I worked alongside you.

It is a bittersweet thing coming home. I am sad that I have to leave the new friends I have made, but I am happy to be able to go home, share what all I have learned and done and hope to bring back people to experience the love and passion Brian and the rest of the staff have for sharing the gospel here in the Dominican Republic.

I had to get up at 5:30am to leave the guest house by 6am to catch my flight to Miami at 8:10am. I have an 11-hour layover...alone in the middle of a HUGE international airport. There are other flights home, but there is evidently a rule that you must travel with your bag and you can't change it after you check in your bag. So if I had wanted to change flights, I should have done it in Santiago.....with people who do not speak really good English..... Great idea! So after taking a FREEZING, almost two hour flight to Miami, going through customs and etc, eating at TGI Fridays (I ate a house salad and potato wedges which was two things that I didn't have down there,) I am now chilling out, waiting for the Arrivals/Departures screens to tell me which gate to sit at since I have many hours until my flight.

I took a video shortly before I left the guest house (or my apartment) this morning. I posted on my Facebook, but I am trying to keep everything logged on here.

Miami is a lot bigger than I would have liked it to be, but it is what it is...

***insert mental picture of me walking all across the airport to get something to eat and deal with customs and everything else during an eleven...... ELEVEN HOUR layover***

I took photos of my room and all of my bags packed before I left this morning. I couldn't believe I would be leaving here after spending almost two months away from my family, friends, fiancé and my fur baby.

I woke up with the sunrise this morning and I could not have enjoyed it more :) It was so peaceful and worth getting up this morning to see.

So, since I have until 9 pm to do something, I will just have to people watch for a while until it gets closer to time that I leave. All will be great when I can finally see and hug my family once again.

I will post a photo of me as I arrive at Louisville, KY tonight. Love you all and appreciate all those who followed along with me through my journey in the Dominican Republic.