Here and there

Saturday night after arriving in Pensacola I went to a little get-together with my dear friend Julie (Hi Jules!). One of the guys there asked me if I was glad to be back or wished I was still in the DR. How directly to the point; I didn't even hesitate in my response. I would rather be bouncing over a goat trail clinging desperately to the back of a moto doing home visits in Severet than driving my truck (even though I love my truck) along mirror-smooth paved roads on my way to work in an air conditioned ER. I would rather be playing ring toss at Tubagua with Ayaz and Saint Wob, and losing, drinking lukewarm Presidente than flipping through 67 channels of cable TV with an ice cold American beer making rings on my coffee table. Were it not for my family and friends I would be more than happy to be an expat. I can do quite well without all the trappings of our "civilized" life here in the States.

I can't overstate how much I enjoyed this trip, nor can I list all the reasons why. But for starters I have to thank all the dedicated members of Health Horizons International, from my original contact with Craig Czarsty, the doctor who chairs the Board, and whose initial response to my interest in the trip was "In short, yes, we really need you" right down to the translators who patiently suffered my pathetic attempts to habla on my own and unconfused my patients when I mucked it up. But three groups deserve special attention. First, the other members of the team- Lissa, Rachel, Rob and Ayaz were fantastic companions and colleagues. I couldn't have asked for better company and co-workers. Second, the community health workers or cooperadores de salud who labored long and hard to prepare their communities for us to waltz in and play the heroes, and who are now following up on all the patients we saw, cleaning up the mess we made and, in general advancing the health and wellbeing of the people they serve. And last, but certainly not least, the International Program Directors. I may have met a more impressive group of young people in my life, but I really can't remember when. As if their intellect, compassion and cheerful dispositions weren't enough, I was, and am, in awe of Meg, Nicole and Laura's absolute selflessness in doing a job that must, at times, seem pretty thankless. My only regret is that I didn't get to meet Angi, but I feel as if I did, as her impact continues to reverberate through HHI. Somehow I think our paths will cross one day.

All in all I think I'm pretty lucky. Despite its frustrations I still love being an ER doc, and it affords me the opportunity to do what I've discovered I really love- medical mission work. I miss my kids, but I'll get to see them soon and when I do, I hope I can convey to them the importance of finding what you love, then finding a way to do it. It's taken me 47 years, but at least now I know what I want to be when I grow up.