If you are a regular listener to My1043, you probably know that I recently took a trip to Haiti. This was not only the first time I had ever left the country, but also the first time I had ever even flown! I didn’t know what to expect, but every part of my trip was an absolute blast! Let me start with the plane ride..The people i sat next too were incredible to talk to and the movies that they had available on the flight were good. I was able to watch Fist Fight starring Ice Cube and Charlie Day, I highly recommend it (not with the kids though). On the way down I sat next to a girl who had traveled to 57 countries and was only 27! On the way back I sat next to a man who was the General Manager of Fox Sports Ohio and Florida, it was neat being able to meet such a random melting pot of people at airports in Haiti, Miami, Charlotte, and Philly!
As i mentioned, I had never been out of the country, heck I hadn’t left Michigan in who knows how long. I knew what to expect, or I thought I knew what to expect…Haiti is a beautiful country with people just as beautiful. I have never seen such kindness to strangers. For example we went to the beach, when pulling in our tire went flat. Before I could get out of the car to assess the situation several locals had begun jacking up my friends car to replace the tire. Unfortunately, the spare was flat as well! Another local Haitian to the rescue! A man whipped up on his mo-ed, threw the tire on his seat, sat on it so it wouldn’t fly off and went to fix out flat tire. We couldn’t communicate with these gentleman very well, but they knew we needed help and treated us as they would want to be treated.
One thing I thought of Haiti was true, the country is poor and making a living is tough. With very few jobs, many people turn to selling whatever they can on the streets and mastering different skills, such as tire repair (the roads are rough my Chevy Cruze may get a block before bottoming out), sewing, any type of service you need will be found along the streets of Haiti. Including some of the most beautiful hand made metal art that I have ever seen. I mean “literally” hand made. These men and women are shaping the metal with a hammer and nail in front of their shops. If i had a bigger suitcase, I would have came back broke, but with many gifts. There is a company called Papillion Enterprises that supports local Haitian artists. You can find and purchase some of their work here.
Then there was the beach. It is well known that Michigan has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, and I agree despite having never been to another beach. Haiti gives us a run for our money; the color of the water, the warm air, the way you can just float in saltwater, etc. Haiti beaches have a lot going for them. However my favorite part was the bar..It is right there, I mean right there. You can walk out of the ocean ten feet and take a seat on a bar stool. It is quite an experience, food is also right there at the beach too, with some of the best chicken that I have ever had.
There was one thing that has me still thinking about Haiti and wondering when I can go back…and that is the people I met. Kids in Haiti don’t have it easy, school is very expensive so many children’s parents cannot afford to send them to school . Yet, they are full of life and love. They enjoy the simplest things in life, just like we did when we were kids!
The best thing I can recommend is to go check it out for yourself! It will change the way you think and the way you live. If you would like to help kids at the orphanage I visited you can donate at the Have Faith Haiti website here
