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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What Is It Like to Drive in Haiti?

Okay, I admit it. I don't know what it's like to drive in Haiti. I've never done it. However, I have been a passenger plenty of times, and that is more than enough for me to be glad that my husband is my chauffer. Traffic here is pure chaos, and the roads aren't well maintained. Here are some of my experiences on the road in Jacmel: The Roads Most people here either drive a motorcycle or a vehicle with a significant amount of ground clearance. Once in a while, I see someone driving a regular sedan, and I can't help but wonder how they fare on some Haitian roads. The main road through town, Road 41, is paved in most places. However, it is full of potholes. Even worse, it doesn't have a good drainage system. Back in April, my husband and I attended the Memorial of Jesus Christ's Death at the local Kingdom Hall. During the short program, it started to rain cats and dogs. By the time we left, it was dark out, and roads were practically invisible because they had
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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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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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