Tired but Happy

The first day at Starfish I realized I was going to be here a very long time. I knew it was going to be a "long" time, but I finally put it into perspective that it would be a "very" long time.Not a very long time that I would be here, a long time that I wouldn't be there, there with my family, there with my grandparents. I finally understood how much bonding I had developed with the ones I loved over all these years.

I pictured adventure as a open door with opportunities, I just didn't know that when I went through that door I would be so clueless as to how these experiences would happen, or when they would happen, or where exactly they would happen. For instance I came to take care of children, children who were abandoned, who (to many) look "ugly". I imagined the building messy, unkempt, gloomy, depressing, but all in all, an adventure. It isn't like this in any way. The nannies are experienced, funny and loving to the babies. The building is tall, old, well organized and remodeled. Amanda is strong, smart, funny, straight forward and adventurous. The volunteers are from Britain, Holland, America, Switzerland and they are all now my best friends. The children love everyone. They are optimistic and make you feel like smiling all the time. And China: Large, creative, loud with fire works every evening, and very, very memorable. Every day here his one small adventure.

Last night was a hard day. We are under quarantine with the six newest additions to the orphanage. We, the volunteers, nor the new babies can mix with the rest of the orphanage for 3 weeks to lessen the chance that the new ones could contaminate the existing children. Ethan (the small, double cleft baby) would cry more and more every chance he got. If he was tired, he fought to stay awake, if he was hungry, he wouldn't accept being fed the way we have to (through a special bottle for cleft lip babies.) I held him half the day. No one took him from me. They felt sorry for me, but each minute I felt more and more tired. He gave me these stares as if I was going to torture him. His eye's became more and more heavy. Finally, I was
able to sit down and rock him in his jumper seat. And when he opened his eyes again, I was already asleep on the couch. Then I went to bed when the other volunteers had everything under control.

I miss my family (of course) but I would do this 100 more times if I got the chance.

Mat