BEYONDexistence

As we bounced along the windy dirt road, sitting in the back of a bus heading from Tacloban to Ormoc, my friend asked me, “What’s your reason?” It’s a question that comes up often between friends when you’re all part of a volunteer organization. “I’m lucky enough to be able to.” Not only am I lucky enough to have the physical means, but I’m so lucky to desire it. In January of 2014, I decided to get on a plane and live in the Philippines for 17 weeks to volunteer. Now, I don’t want to be thanked, or commended, I want to thank YOU.

I remember watching the news. The radar picture was too perfect. Scary perfect. Devastating perfect. An island I’d never heard of became all I could think about. Typhoon Yolanda hit the island of Leyte on November 8th, 2013. The reports made me cry. Friends made generous donations when I made efforts to fundraise, but I couldn’t help feeling unsatisfied – with myself. I get a certain feeling… when I know I’ve fulfilled what I was meant to do. I didn’t get the feeling. So, I kept “Googleing” all kinds of “typhoon relief;” I didn’t know what I was looking for until it was in front of me: All Hands Volunteers. I realized not only had I heard of the organization before, but I’d worked along side them before on Long Island! The organization is made up of international volunteers who work on international projects all focused on natural disaster relief. I sent in my application on November 11, 2013, (though the project hadn’t been officially created yet) and on November 25 I received an e-mail accepting my application and confirming my dates! WHAT. CAN I REALLY GO TO THE PHILIPPINES?! REALLY!? 

Really. But I wouldn’t have gotten there without all of you. As I write this, almost exactly one year later, I can remember as if it was yesterday the overwhelming feeling of support I had between Thanksgiving Day, when I announced my plans, and January 13th, the day I got on the plane. You raised $4,727 in 6 weeks. I had to keep raising my “goal” because you passed it every few days! Thank you, so much. I paid for my plane ticket and some of my supplies with that money. And then I sent the other $2000 over.

I can’t count the number of times I cried in those 6 weeks. Or the times I couldn’t even cry because I was too overwhelmed to form an emotion. It’s new to me, but a lot of people do these kinds of things. Not everyone finds what I found on my way… a reminder of how special it is to be surrounded by good people, the right people. I never forget how lucky I am. So thank you for your generosity, but your kindness too.

I was too nervous to sleep a wink on the plane to Korea, or during the layover at ICN International Airport even though I wasn’t traveling alone. A new friend decided to come with me for a short, but sweet while. We fell asleep on the last leg of our flight, sleeping right through dinner. After a little extra time spent in immigration extending our visas, we walked out onto the street at 1:30am on the 15th. We were in Cebu! We paid way too much for a taxi to the nearest hotel. 3:30am and I was doing pushups and headstands in the hotel room (don’t ask why, I couldn’t tell you). I was about to climb into bed when my new friend jumped up. He said, “Thank you for everything.” and gave me a hug.

After our first Filippino breakfast, we headed to the ferry dock. “Sea conditions are rough today.” How rough, we would soon find out. Boats had been cancelled all week, and would continue to be cancelled in coming days. 4.5 horrible hours later we docked in Ormoc. We squished our bags and ourselves into a tricycle and told the driver “across from ODH.” Everything felt so surreal. The roads were filled with tricycles (motorbikes with carts attached), motor bikes, petal bikes, jeepneys (little busses that you can ride inside and on top of), and cars. There seemed to be no rules on the road, just zigzag around people, and go when you can as fast as you can. Clearly my fascination tells you I haven’t done much traveling!

The lovely volunteer coordinator got us settled and took us shopping for our “Dengue clothes” aka. long sleeves/pants. Apparently we arrived on the second day of the mandatory covering up that would last exactly one month. We introduced ourselves at the nightly meeting, and had our first Project Leyte dinner… can you guess?! RICE & PORK! My first mosquito net/camping mat sleep was the first (of so many) sleepless nights, but when alarms started going off at 6:00am, I was so ready. I had my first jeepney-top ride that morning, and got my hands on a sledgehammer.

I washed dishes that night (which got me my first safety job the next day with 4 people who would become some of my best friends) with this tall, blonde, tattooed guy from PA ;). It’s pretty cool thinking back to a friendship’s start. Since the Philippines I’ve run three spartan races with him, been white water rafting twice, AND well, I’m here in PA working and living with him for a little while… to think one of the first things I ever said to him was, “can you show me how to clean up the dishes?” He tried to get me to eat Balut that night. I promised I would before I went home.

We moved from Ormoc a few days later, trying to control the outbreak of Dengue amongst the volunteers, to the big pink hospital in Kananga. Most of the volunteers went away that weekend (to a festival they never got to with the boats being cancelled), but some of us stayed to work. That was the weekend I got to know 2 of the best friends I’ll ever have. A girl from Argentina, and a man from Ireland. My time with them was my happiest time. I had no idea that in 17 weeks I could make SO many best friends. Not just friends, but people I think about every day. The man from Holland, and the one from France. The woman from Scotland, the girl from Portugal, the woman from Germany, the several from Australia, and several more from the UK, the Philippines, America, Iceland, Canada, Spain… I miss them every day, but I’m so lucky.

I lived for more than 10 of the best weeks of my life in Kananga. Life was simple. I was so happy, and surrounded by beautiful people. The work was beyond amazing. I sledged so much that when I closed my eyes all I could see was concrete cracking… and I knew exactly where it would crack next when I hit the right spot. Bolt cutters became my new favorite tool, even though I’ll always have a HUGE love for sledgehammers. I helped take down too many walls and roofs to count, I fell in love with heights the first day I got up on an A-frame, and even learned how to be a ‘safety’ team leader.

We took cold, bucket showers, we ate white rice with pork 98% of the time, I rarely had access to wifi, never had a cellphone, and for a while it was over 100 degrees every day. I spent a few weeks with my camping mat on a wooden bunk bed, several weeks in a little 2-person tent, some weeks on a couch, and a few on the floor, but I rarely slept more than 3-4 hours a night and after 2 months when my hands started to fall asleep if I laid down, I could hardly sleep at all. I forgot to bring extra contacts with me, so when I lost one on my first day, I began my 17 week long struggle with the onewrong prescription/wrong color pair I found in Ormoc, the ones a friend brought me from Wales which I got concrete stuck in, and my taped glasses. I got Chikungunya, an infection, and needed stitches, so I had 3 adventures at the Ormoc Doctors Hospital. It became quite the joke: the Philippines was rejecting Katie. Too bad for the Philippines, I didn’t care :). I extended my trip twice. I would have stayed so much longer.

We stopped wearing “Dengue clothes” on Valentines day, and one girl organized fake speed dating on base. The 18 guys would rotate to the 24 girls stationed around base. My spot was on top of the Yellow Cage Jeepney (my favorite- Jamie’s- jeepney), under the stars. I almost didn’t participate… what a loss that would have been! We stayed up in our little tent laughing for hours after that. One night I ate the first fish I’d eaten since I was a kid, and I even ate Balut a week before I left, just like I promised! We hiked mountains and visited white sand islands surrounded by bright turquoise water. We laughed, and loved, and found an adventure in every day.

In my 3.5 months on project, I moved bases 6 times (5 and 1/2 really because of tent city outside the hospital), and lived in 3 different towns. Ormoc, Kananga, Tacloban. The devastation from coast to coast was shocking; my first look around Ormoc took my breath away. But nothing could prepare my eyes, or my heart for a first look at Tacloban City. I still have no words. The hope remaining truly touched me and inspired me. Even with such amazing losses, families never stopped being grateful, and always gave us the brightest smiles.

Usually, after busy months away from something, memories start to fade; these memories don’t fade. Whether it was the country, the locals, the simple life, the volunteers and staff or a little of everything, I fell in love with Leyte. I had the experience of a lifetime 8,745 miles away; an experience I’ll always hold close to my heart.