Suncream and Salsa - An Irish gringa in the DR: September 2015

I am back in Las Terrenas after switching universes for three months. I couldn´t write about it because my brain couldn´t reflect yet, I was just doing and going and being and didn´t stop. But now I am melting back into the Carribean pace of life and can finally reflect on these last three months.

Provincetown. What a place.

I decided to go to the USA for the summer because I had a family reunion in New Hampshire that I was not going to miss and I didn´t have enough money to pay for flights to Ireland and the States and back to the DR. So I stayed in the States all summer. I had been to Provincetown a few times with my family because my Mom´s good friend David lives there, and I had always wanted to spend a summer there, so here was my chance. And wow. What an overwhelming experience. I felt all the feelings this summer – lonely, lost, excited, intrigued, happy, curious, content, then sad again because I was leaving. I knew in theory that a new move to a place where I knew only one person would be difficult at first, but living it is another story. And then it became wonderful. But first, some P-town info.

Provincetown is at the tip of Cape Cod ("The Strong Right Arm of Massachusetts"). It was the first place the Pilgrims of the Mayflower landed in 1620, though it was soon ditched for the more sheltered Plymouth. It became a place where sailors and fishermen docked and smuggled and drank, and eventually turned into a busy whaling port in 18th century. Portuguese sailors started to join the whaling ships and by the 20th century the town was dominated by Portuguese families. Then came the artists, and with them, the gays. Creative people started coming to Provincetown in the summer from New York and the arts flourished there - Tennessee Williams and Eugene O´Neill were some famous residents then,Tony Kushner and John Waters are some famous residents now.

Now, Provincetown is the gayest town in the USA, according to census data, and the most liberal, least racist and least misogynistic place I have ever been. Yes, there is every stereotype of homosexuality on display. Yes, there is a fair bit of nudity. Yes, there are a lot of Broadway show tunes played (if I ever hear "Seasons of Love" from Rent again, it´ll be too soon). But there´s also everyone else - the summer workers that come from all walks of life, the jaded year-rounders who just can´t wait for all summer folk to go back to New York and Boston, the families (straight and gay), the old folk, the day trippers, the whale fanatics, the kids, the performers there to do some shows, the artists there to open their summer galleries.

So, back to me. Now remember, I´d been in the developing world for 6 months, living in basic conditions in a town where you can´t buy much and culinary options are limited. I had a little joyful freakout when I landed in JFK and had an hour to kill in my layover. I went straight to the bathroom, obviously, and marvelled at the powerful flush. I could have hung out all day in that shiny, bright, white, mosquito-free bathroom where you can flush your poop and the sink squirts foamy antiseptic soap onto your hands without you touching a thing. Hot water! Hand driers! Newness! I was like Annie when she arrives in Mr. Warbucks mansion the first time. And that was only the bathroom. Next, the food court. I almost cried when I saw the salad bar. I mean, American food is exciting for me anyways (so many options!) but after DR life I felt like it was the first time I ever saw a broccoli-cranberry-feta-walnut salad. The dressings options were excessive. I wanted them all. And there wasn´t only salad - there was food of all ethnicities, and quite frankly it was too much, especially seeing as I had eaten a lot of free blue crisps on the Jet Blue flight there. I circled the food court for a good 20 minutes and finally managed to get an extremely overpriced box of millions of salads and then Whatsapped my girlfriends about the experience. The thrill.

Giddy, I was.

After coming down off my salad buzz, I connected to Boston where my friend Nikki picked me up and brought me to her house where I had the longest, hottest shower anyone ever had, ever. Then we went to a Mexican place (new flavours! beer menu!) and I continued to marvel at everything as if I´d been living in the jungle for a decade. Nikki drove me up the Cape to Provincetown the next day, and so began my adventure. Kind of.

I had a job set up in a great restaurant, and somewhere to live. My new colleagues were all lovely and friendly and town was beautiful and starting to buzz with summer fun. But I was still new and didn´t really have any friends and found myself bored and lonely. The thing about wonderful places is that they´re so much more wonderful with friends. I´d have an afternoon off and no-one to hang with, or Saturday night free and nothing to do. I made an effort to meet people and luckily the place I worked in had a great late-night bar, so if nothing else at least I could hang out in the smoking area where my co-workers were working security or just hanging out. It took a full month for my summer to really kick off, and when it did I was thrilled with it all. I knew so many people, so many different characters about town. Many just to exchange pleasantries, a HEYYY GURL, HOW YOU DOIN´?, and some others I got to know a bit better. Life was busy, vibrant and so much fun.

Provincetown is...

The seasonal workers who come back every year. They winter in New York or Boston or Bulgaria or Jamaica or Colorado or Arizona or California and they summer in P-town. They work hard, know everyone and party hard.
The gorgeous New York gay boys who bartend or waiter to support their creative life/party lifestyle. They make fast friends and are hella fun. I want to be around them all the time.
The fun loving Bulgarian kid with big ambitions and plans and a Jack Russell sidekick.
The Bulgarian guys who say they are grossed out by the gayness but they keep coming back.
The crazy kids who have a lot of drama but are so engaging and fun that a week in their company makes you BFFs.
The wearied veterans who have been coming for too many seasons but keep coming back.
The famous film director who smiles at you like he´s on something.
The Ru Paul´s Drag Race stars. I was star-struck the first time I saw them, after a while you´re surprised when they don´t show up to a beach party.
The straight women who have been coming here for seasons.
The families of all shapes and sizes and colours. Though really, everyone hates family week. Kids are messy and loud and don´t tip.
The handsome artist with a thin moustache who is so sweet and friendly and you only find out about his super cool life after you feel like you already know him.
The hairy smiley man, always in a tank top, who turns out is a professional opera singer.
The street musicians.
The people who push their dogs in strollers or carry them in those baby carriers you wear on your chest.
Da Shuffler, a 14 year old boy who comes and dances in a lycra multi-coloured sleeveless jumpsuit on the street to pop songs. He dances like no one is watching. His mom brings him to town for a few days at a time and everyone loves him. He does it to make people happy, and it works.
Whale freaks. They work on the whale boats and the wonder of seeing whales breach and feed every day means they can´t think about anything else. I don´t blame them.
The guys who come every year for carnival, often in big groups, and plan their costumes months in advance. Custom made stilettoes, creative costumes, they decorate their rental houses and gardens and have a new outfit for Tea Dance every day.
Tea Dance @ the Boatslip Beach Club. Not a cup of tea in sight.
The Hat Sisters.
Scarbie. “Love that lamb burger!”
The man with the moustache, full beard, muumuus and floral head garlands. He was a fabulous gem, sashaying around town in amazing get ups and being charming.
Bear Week.
The annual Carnival. This year´s theme was Candyland. Town goes insane. Check it out here.

For those of you who aren´t all over gay culture, Ru Paul´s Drag Race is like a drag queen version of America´s Next Top Model, only bleedin´ hilarious. Several stars of the show had gigs on in town, and I met a fair few of them. Cue fan-girl screaming. Also, Bear Week is when a particularly hairy and large subculture of gay men descend upon the town and take over. Here is a short drone video that shows the daytime bear culture...nighttime involves a lot more leather.

Though Provincetown is incredible, my summer wouldn´t have been as wonderful as it was if it didn´t include my family. First my aunt and my cousin visited me in my first week, and I was so happy to see them. Then my parents came to Boston so I took the ferry to see them, soon after my brother flew over and we all went to New Hampshire for a family reunion with my wonderful American family. And to top it all off, my parents came to Provincetown for a few days before heading home. I am a lucky lucky girl.