A Conclusion to Dominica, For Now!

What keeps me coming back to Dominica are the people.  The people all around Dominica, including Jungle Bay, are the most friendly and caring people I have ever met in my travels.  On my arrival I was immediately met with hugs from so many people at Jungle Bay and warmest congratulations of my recent wedding.  Everyone around Dominica displayed such a positive attitude during my entire stay, and I truly appreciated all of it.   When traveling around Dominica, for example at the Delices Health Fair I was reminded of how caring and compassionate even newly met Dominican citizens can be.  I interacted with so many gracious people and taught/learned so much.  I cant even begin to recount the ways that someone around Dominica helped in an important way, and it made me feel so blessed to be around such selfless people with such a sense of community and compassion.  On my departure I left with a heavy heart with the warmest of wishes from all, and it felt amazing.

The experiences that our group shared within the last week allowed us all to grow as people and pharmacists will always be remembered.  Such experiences included attending La Plaine clinic and where we met some of the most pleasant Bush Medicine experts, visiting Moses and feeling/smelling so many Bush Medicines, and the House of Hope where we spent quality time with the residents and caregivers. 

Overall it is the people with their culture and sense of community that keep me coming back to Dominica to help in any capacity that I am able to, and to learn more about the most important perspectives of life.

When I am away I miss the sense of community the most.  I plan to use the positive influences around me in Dominica to portray that sense of community to those around me in my life and work.  I am committed to being an uplifting influence on my return to the U.S. and will do so as an extension of the culture of those in Dominica and Jungle Bay, eventually to make a widespread effect in favor of compassion and community towards our fellow people.

Theresa Nobles

**I also posted A Renewed Perspective of the House of Hope on Thursday April 25^th, 2013.