My firsts in Haiti...

Wednesday, November 25th, 2009 2:00 p.m.

First time living on a Caribbean island.
First time swimming a quarter of a mile out into the ocean.
First time being away from home for more than a month.
First time teaching on a beach, thirty feet from the ocean shore.
First time touching a jellyfish (once by accident and once on purpose).
First time seeing a live scorpion.
First time getting blisters from sunburn.
First time riding a mule up a mountain for four hours straight.
First time drinking fresh grapefruit juice.
First time speaking in front of a large group of people in Creole.
First time peeing on the ground behind a house.
First time cleaning/drying out a starfish.
First time killing a spider that was bigger than my fist.
First time eating/drinking:

- lambi (the creature that lives inside conch shells)
- goat
- fresh, raw avocado
- coffee

- kenep (a tiny fruit)
- fresh salt-water fish
- blé (cracked-wheat mush)
- cornmeal
- banana soup
First time seeing a live blow fish.

First time seeing a dead blowfish.
First time entering the Port-au-Prince airport and coming back out the same way.
First time seeing a rainbow over mountain tops.
First time attending a Haitian wedding.
First time riding on the back ledge of the truck (much to Dee’s chagrin).
First time viewing the Pleides, Orion, the Big Dipper, and Scorpio constellations all in the sky at the same time.
First time finishing a journal in less than three months.
First time waking up every morning with the sun.
First time having a beach for my backyard.
First bonfire on a beach.
First time roasting mini marshmallows on a wire coat hanger.