About


Welcome! My name is Joy. I'm a U.S.-born woman who is currently living in Haiti with my delightful husband. On my blog, I hope to share interesting stories about life in Haiti and other content, which may or may not be interesting.


If you have questions about life in Haiti or want to send feedback, I'll welcome your emails.


joyjoy.smiles@gmail.com

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Surviving as an Introvert in Haiti

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With a friend at our place of worship. (Her face is blurred to respect her privacy) I'm an introvert by nature. In fact, I would be perfectly content to go for days on end with my only human interaction being between me and my husband. Alas, I often have to set aside my introversion for various reasons. Haiti has made things worse. Well, or better—it depends on how you look at it. Let's just say that Haiti makes it more difficult for me to stay in my comfortable little shell of shyness. Haitian Culture Is All About People In the U.S., I could go practically anywhere, whether it was the grocery store, a tourist attraction, or just around the neighborhood, and no one would think I was rude if I didn't make eye contact or offer a greeting. Haiti is quite different. Rather than having the "cold shoulder" culture that I am used to, I find myself in a land where an abundance of human interaction is necessary. For example, when my husband and I go for walks around our ne...
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The Story of Our Wedding Day

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 I don't like weddings. Generally speaking, they are overwrought with silly traditions, they cost way too much money, and they make single people feel terrible. However, weddings are the gateway to marriage—and I needed to marry my love. Therefore, we had to have a wedding. What I Wanted My idea of a dream wedding is a trip to the local courthouse followed by a nice dinner. Of course, a beautiful dress should also be involved—but not a white dress. I bought a gorgeous blush gown for my wedding, complete with a flowy skirt and a sparkly belt that screamed "princess." That's all I wanted. Dress. Ceremony. Food. Some nice photos. That's all. What I Got I couldn't bring my gown to Haiti. It would have taken too much room in my luggage, and it wasn't worth the sacrifice. Plus, it would have been super-duper hot. Therefore, I am sad to say that I bought a knee-length ivory dress. Don't get me wrong. It's a very pretty dress, and my husband likes it more ...
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Living with Critters

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Photo by Erik Karits Insects and other creepy-crawly creations play an important role in the world's ecosystem. Some of them are also pretty cool-looking. However, I prefer to appreciate them from a distance. My time in Haiti has brought me up close and personal with more beasts (as my husband calls them) than I care to mention. But I will mention them. Because I don't have other ideas for a blog post at the moment. The Mosquitoes I haven't seen too many mosquitoes, but I know they're around because I keep getting bitten. My husband took me to the local grocery store so I could pick up some repellent. The only types they had contain DEET. In theory, DEET is safe for humans to use, but guess what? It turns my skin red. Therefore, I either have to put up with a rash or let the mosquitoes feast. (I know there are natural alternatives to repellent, but I don't think we'll be able to find them here.) They bite my husband less than they bite me. Maybe it's genetic...
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