- Santo Domingo Airport
The biggest difference
between a USA-based airport and one in another country, like the Dominican
Republic (DR), is the open appreciation for family. This realization brings me back
to 2008 when I first visited Ecuador. There are always lines or rows of family,
friends, significant others waiting for their person to arrive. Children are
waiting for their moms. Host families are looking for their temporary
tenant-turned-family member. Why is this not so common in American airports?
Are we so busy? Is our lifestyle so hectic that we can’t take the time to savor
these moments? It is not the constant horde of house flies or the lesser
sanitary conditions of the food court or the dirt-cheap ice cream that sets
this airport from many others in the USA. It is the strong sense of family that
brings these people here waiting and standing for a long time. It is important
to note that the “waiters” are not constantly looking at their smartphones to
pass the time. Rather they are constantly looking at the sliding door hoping
the next person to come out is who they have been waiting for.
- On Sea Dragon
We finally made it. Onto
our home for the next 9 days, the Sea Dragon. For the logistics, we had our
first pow-wow with Eric Loss, the captain of Sea Dragon. Despite coming off as
a cool, down-to-earth guy, he does not hesitate to lay down the rules and to
clarify his status as the guy who ultimately has the last say when it comes to
sailing the ship. Don’t get me wrong. He is a very fair person and gave us the
details on what is tolerable and what is not. Aside from that, I am amused by
his choice and timing with swears and sarcastic comments. Whether he’s talking
about the obnoxious vacationers near our ship or the DR bureaucrats.
Before
Keene’s first talk to our group at 7:15pm, I got some time to get a feel for
our group. This is a very different group dynamic than what I’ve worked with
before. For me, it’s too early to describe each of their characters. Before getting to DR for
this trip, I kept running a question over and over again in my head. Was
signing up for this trip the right decision? After hearing Keene’s hopes and
expectations tonight, I got the reassurance that I will experience something
that most people in our MPS program at RSMAS will not get the chance to, which
is to see where science began…with a desire to explore your world.
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