TWO MONTHS LATER… THE NEW NORMAL

I found myself digging in to the recesses of my brain for the few French phrases I remembered from the semester I took in college. All that came to mind was Arabic, since the Middle East was the last international location I visited.

I tried comparing my initial impressions to other places I've traveled and the best I can come up with is a cross between tropical Liberia in West Africa and devastated New Orleans. While driving around the city, I was constantly reminded of Katrina and how the buildings there leaned in toward the streets and on each other. But there is no water line in the houses here and fortunately the smell of death no longer permeates these streets.

It's funny how after a disaster, a new normal develops.

It's normal to see tons of relief workers in their shirts and vests, Land Cruisers barreling down the road and flattened buildings in every corner. Tent cities are the new subdivisions.

Today, I head to Leogane to join up with our team. Leogane is very near the epicenter of the earthquake and some have said nearly 90% of the city was destroyed. This is where Medical Teams International is starting to really dig in and determine what the longer term needs of this community are. I'm looking forward to spending time with the team, meeting the Haitians of Leogane and seeing the work of Medical Teams International in action.