Joynes Adventures

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...

 I arrived in Haiti on February 15, 2022, which means it has been my home for slightly over a month now. How are things going, you may ask? All in all, I'm happy to report that I am enjoying my time here. Let's talk about some of the adjustments I've had to make and some of the awesomeness that Haiti has to offer. The Weather The weather has been the most difficult adjustment for me. I have endured hot weather before — St. Louis summers are brutal — but I have never had to put up with it without having someplace to retreat to. Here, A.C. is extremely rare, and we do not have it in our home. The high temperature is in the mid-80s pretty much every day, and at night, it might dip into the low-70s. It's quite humid, so I'm sweating all the time (I had no idea my upper lip could sweat so much).  I don't quite know when to shower. It's normal for people in Haiti to shower multiple times a day, but I'm afraid of overdoing it and hurting my skin. I'm also a...

 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 ...

Welcome to my blog! It's going to primarily focus on my adventures as an expat living in Haiti, but I may occasionally throw in some other content. First things first—you may wonder how I ended up in Haiti. It is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, which means it lacks many of the conveniences that a spoiled white girl like me is used to. There isn't always reliable electricity, the gas stations frequently run out of fuel, the political situation gives rise to violent protests, and the weather is stinkin' hot. At a glance, Haiti seems like an entirely unappealing place to live. But you know what? I love it here. How I Ended Up in Haiti Let's go back in time to September 2019. I was ready to find love, but love was playing hard to get. That was, until I met an impulsive but charming man who offered to introduce me to his friend. Without knowing the first thing about this friend, I agreed. That was how I met the love of my life, a handsome Haitian man who happe...