We woke up early around 3:30 on the morning of April 14.
It was still black outside, the rest of our world sleeping while we began our voyage back to America, to our families and friends, schools and careers, bills and responsibilities. A half hour later, all 29 of us missionaries boarded the same yellow school bus that brought us here. Everyone settled into their seats not making much noise as the bus turned on and we left the Lifeline campus.
I plugged my earphones in and familiarized myself with the seat, preparing to spend the next two hours in it. The first song to come on was "Ends of the Earth" by Lord Huron, the lyrics capturing every emotion I felt (seriously, check it out).
I silently said goodbye to Haiti with my eyes, admiring every piece of it like it was the first time I'd ever seen it. I stared in awe at the stars that night, filling the air to bid adieu to us. At one point I had fallen asleep for a little while, awakening at dawn right as the sky turned pink around 5 o'clock. As the bus crept closer to Port Au Prince, where the airport was located, the roads became littered with people -- it was market day.
Hundreds, probably thousands, of people of every age come to sell and purchase goods, from fruits and fried meats to shoes and bags of water. Although a new and gripping site for me, it was normal for all of these men, women and children. It reminded me though that these people are only trying to do what they have to in order to get by, just like anybody else all over in the world.
The moment my phone connected to internet at the airport, I could feel my reality waking back up through text messages, emails and social media notifications.
The trip home was relatively easy. We first landed in Miami and finally back in Philly from there. At one point we did have to say goodbye to our new friends, people I hold so dear to my heart. Our group became smaller, just the original seven of us.
We enjoyed our first meal back in America at Chili's in the Florida airport. It was another first for me, this trip continuing to broaden my horizons. Our clique sat together, gabbing about the country we were in just a few short hours prior. It was as though we were all in on a secret, only being able to speak of our mission trip together, sharing memories and inside jokes.
We finally finished our expedition at the church we all came from. I wished my church family a great night and an even greater night's sleep. I turned my car on and started the final path to my house. Everything was familiar, the buildings and shops, my job and the Wawa coffee stain on my passenger seat. Yet it was different. It seemed so lavish and almost unnecessary.
I arrived home, ready to embrace my family. Walking through the door I was welcomed by my mother, brother and closest friend. I hugged my mom, tears falling down my face as I embraced her. We sat down around the kitchen table and they all listened intently to me for over an hour. Stories poured out my mouth, anything that came to my mind I spoke about.
Eventually we all said goodnight to each other and I made my way to my bed.
My bed. Where I rest my head at night and tuck myself under the covers. Where I lay and watch television while texting and posting on Facebook. Again, this feeling extravagant compared to what I had just experienced in Haiti. Before I drift off to sleep I pray, thanking the Lord for everything He had done for me and asking Him to bless my loved ones, including all the missionaries and Haitians. Tomorrow I would wake to the same daily grind I lived before the trip.
Only this time, I will forever hold a completely different outlook on life.
