Home hasn't ever looked so appealing

This last weekend, I had my last adventure traveling in Honduras. I went to the north coast to La Ceiba. It was a seven hour drive. On the way there we hit a dog, which was the first time that I’ve been in a vehicle that has hit an animal. The main purpose of the trip was to celebrate Carnival, a celebration of the founding saint of La Ceiba and on par with Mardi Gra. The parade was fun; there were actual floats which were impressive, but I enjoyed hanging out at the beach much more. Our friends that we stayed with directed us to a river that was connected to the Caribbean Ocean. It was so great to cool off and swim around with fishes. During the night, we witness the madness. It was crowded and definitely a mob mentality was present. The festivities were just too much for my taste. Ultimately it was worth it just to be in the car and raminice of the Rocky Mountains, the drive north is identical to the drives in Colorado.

I’ve been feeling a little low lately. I choose to be alone most of the times yet feel desperately lonely, ironic, verdad? I know that I’ve made the right decision in going home permanently. I’ve been so depressed here. Every night when I’m sitting alone I’m itching to be home. Yes, I’ve had a once in a lifetime opportunity and great experiences but there are people in my life that need me. It’s finally time to confess that I need them too. It’s so lonely living without those people who truly love me and support me even when I fail. I know that I’ll survive the next 20 days; I just hope that I’m thriving. That I’m still living to the fullest while counting down each day.

Mayan Ruins during the intimate weekend

The last weekend some of my friends and I went to Copan. The original plan was to go to Nicaragua but when we went to the bus station to get the tickets there were no tickets. So the next day we decided to have a Honduran excursion. Copan is six hours away close to the Guatemalan border.

The first day we arrived in Copan we checked into our hostile and walked around to get a feel for the city. I loved the fact that on every street corner there was a coffee shop. The best thing was all the great meals we shared. My first and only fresh bagel in Honduras, three course meals with great views, and delicious coffee definitely kept me satisfied.

On the second day we were very busy. In the morning, we explored the Mayan ruins, the main attraction in Copan. It was real fun to climb the steps and see all the different structures. My legs were sore the next day on our bus ride back to Tegucigalpa. Afterwards, we went on an intimate coffee tour. We went to the Welchez coffee farm which is located 30 minutes away in the mountains. We were the only four on the tour. It was fun to hike around the farm and learn so much about coffee growing and processing. The tour included an elegant meal overlooking the tropical coffee farm. The smells reminded me of when I was a little girl and loved the smell of my dad’s coffee. Over all a great weekend and lots of great memories!

Miss. I love you

I started writing a blog about some of the things that have been challenging about living in Honduras but instead I've decided to write about some highlights.

One of my lowest students is reading now! He read two books in one day! He's developed phenomenally.

One of my really hard kids randomly gives me hugs in the middle of my lesson. I seriously, have to pry him off of me.

I have the opportunity to meet teachers who are completely dedicated to their work.

I get to hang out with people who are involved in an awesome ministry and also boys who've decided to transform their lives.

I've been able to witness humility through the eyes of a little kids.

I'm so surprised that my kids say, "Miss. I love you." after I scold them. They are so sweet.

Through various experiences here in Honduras, I've realized that we need to be encouraged, to be loved, to be supported, to feel important, and most of all to know that we need one another. I hope that I may reflect the Lord's grace, peace, and love when I encounter people and situations.

Hitch Hiking with Elvis

Semana Santa with Gilbert was absolutely wonderful! This was the first time I had to wait for him to arrive at the airport; my heart was racing. I paced the small airport multiple times. When I saw him exit the security doors; we head nodded then embraced at a place I pointed to away from the crowd. The first day Gilbert was exhausted (he had an over-nighter in Houston) so we relaxed and went out for a nice Thai dinner. We also, walked into one of my favorite cafés, Cinefelia.

I created a list of places and sites that I wanted to visit with Gilbert- it’s true, I’m ridiculous like that. During the week, we were able to cross out about half of the activities on the list. There were a few times where I was frustrated because things didn’t turn out like I had envisioned it, because places were closed, because the movie was dubbed, because the taxi driver was a jerk, etc. but these things are to be expected when you live in Honduras. Gilbert was not at all fazed in these moments; he always remained patient and positive. He said that this was just like Mexico. Even when he was stopped in the middle of Centro by two guys who went through his pockets and stole my cell phone and some liemperas, he remained calm. I was shaken up a little but glad that they didn’t even bother to touch me. I was the one loaded with the money.

The highlight of our trip was our expeditions to Comayagua and La Tigra. On Thursday morning, we took a bus to Comayagua which was Honduras’ original capital. The city reminded me a lot of Antigua. Comayagua is well known for the traditions during Semana Santa. We met up with some of my couchsurfing friends and enjoyed the festivities of the night. At midnight people create carpets using sawdust and other natural elements to design imagines. The carpets are constructed until the morning. At 9:30 am there was a procession that walked on top of the carpets thus destroying the beautiful images. In Central America unlike the U.S., Holy Friday is a bigger deal than Easter so on Friday everything including the buses was closed. Gilbert and I ended up hitch hiking back to the city with a trucker named Elvis who spoke perfect English. (This was Gilbert’s highlight.)

Our next adventure was La Tigra. One of my good friends at IST, Jean and her fiancé joined us on our journey to La Tigra. It was very relaxing to sit around and have fun conversations. We stayed at a gorgeous lodge owned by a German couple, Jorge and Monica, who served a delicious vegetarian meal. After dinner, we talked about cross cultural encounters we’ve each experienced being a foreigner. The next morning we hiked a little bit and went to Valle Los Angelos. We found lot of souvenirs for his family and a hammock that he’s been obsessing about since enjoying the one at my friend’s house.

All in all it was a great vacation. Gilbert said that it was the best one he’s had. I’m sure he’s partially saying that because he missed me. It was so good to introduce him to my daily routines here in Honduras and also the people that I’ve met and love here.

A quick note about decisions

I'm officially on Spring Break!! In Central America, the week before Easter (Semana Santa) is a BIG deal. Most people have a vacation and go visit family out of the city or go to the Bay Islands. All of my friends have left by now to travel to other countries: Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Panama. I on the other hand am still in Tegucigalpa, waiting. Gilbert arrives today. I was feeling a little antzy this weekend; I wanted to just pick up and go somewhere spontaneously just for the weekend. We don't have much planned mostly cause I know that he'd rather relax than do something adventurous. I'm looking forward to showing him my everyday life and also introducing him to the Micah boys.

On Sunday, I went to Rio Abajo (right outside the city past the "dump") with the boys. We went to the pool which was vastly different from the pools in the city; the pools in Tegucigalpa are mostly located in the high end hotels. Although the boys kept pushing me in and trying to drown me, I had a fun time.

A little announcement: I've decided not to come to IST next year. I've been wrestling with this decision for awhile but ultimately I think the best thing right now is for me to return home where I have a stable community and where I could better pursue my passions. (Perhaps in a later message I'll expand on this wrestling.) I know that it'll be hard to say goodbye in June...

Hope you all have a blessed Easter.

Upswing!

Currently, I’m doing much better! There have been a few little things that have lifted my spirits. It’s made life much more enjoyable. Maybe I’ve finally got the hang of it all.

This weekend has been fairly busy. On Friday night, some of my friends and I went to get sushi at a nice lounge. We haven’t had ladies night in awhile and it was so good to reconnect outside of school. On Saturday, I went down to centro to check out some thrift stores. (I purchased a onezie for my friend Michelle who just found out she’ll be having a baby boy!) We had lunch at one of my favorite places, Nicoloti’s, where they serve crepes and lattes. At night, one of the houses hosted a St. Patrick’s Day celebration. I made Shamrock Shakes that tasted just like mint shakes.

A little update about the Micah house: I’ve been going to the Micah ministry consistently on Fridays for street soccer and on Sunday for the worship service. Last Sunday was amazing; I loved singing next to one of the guys who was singing his heart out even though he didn’t have the greatest voice. Yesterday’s message really affected me and connected a lot of thoughts that I’ve been having lately. Especially witnessing the guys on the streets, I’ve realized that each decision could potentially lead towards life or death. Life is so valuable, each moment counts immensely. What choices am I making in my life and how do those choices reflect the values and priorities in my life.

Adventures in La Tigra

This weekend I went on a little trip to La Tigra. La Tigra is a national park right outside of Honduras. I really needed some time outside of my little bubble. This is how it happened; my friend sent me a text last weekend when I was on my way to Amapala inviting me to go to La Tigra with him and his friends. He’s been trying to encourage me to branch out a little and meet new people with the purpose of learning Spanish and having a truer encounter with Honduras.

Saturday at 10:30 we were supposed to meet en la Centro in front of the main church. I arrived at 10:30 and waited awhile. By 11:30 most of us (there were 15 total) were gathered and we went to the supermarket to pick up some snacks. We were able to find a bus that would take us directly up to la Tigra. The trip should have only taken 45 minutes but there was a problem with the bus so we sat on the side of the road for awhile, just another sign that patience is a virtue and also a lifestyle here in Honduras. Once on the road again, we were driving up a hill. Multiple times I questioned whether or not the bus could take us all the way on the windy and unpaved “roads.” We eventually did make it to our destination; it was a lot later than originally planned. We were debating if we should hike the long way to see the waterfall or just go directly to our lodge. I was happy when we finally agreed to go to the cascadas.

The hike was gorgeous. The path wasn’t well defined and had a rustic edge to it. The path was covered with colorful leaves that reminded me of fall in CO. There was a midst that descended upon us part way through the hike. When, we arrived at the waterfall I climbed a little up the fall and enjoyed the splashing fresh water. It felt good to cool off a little after a brisk walk. The sun was beginning to set, so we had to quickly take off to our destination. The sun did go down during our hike, fortunately, there were fireflies that helped mark our path. For dinner we ate at a puperia (a corner store) that served a very typical meal. The rest of the night we spent around a campfire making s’mores and jammin’ to music.

This morning, I slept in and then we made our way to the puperia to have breakfast, basically the same thing as dinner except with different types of eggs. Then, all 15 of us climbed into a single truck to make our way to Valle de Los Angelos. The trip was at least half an hour and semi-uncomfortable but really funny. I loved watching the kids’ faces as they stared at us passing by. Overall a very good and adventurous weekend.

I also spent some time at Micah house for worship night. Watching the boys interact and play, reminded me how beautiful humanity is. We are infinitely valuable, each one of us, and we need to be surrounded by people to be nourished and to grow. We are meant to live in a community that is loving and compassionate. That’s something that I defiantly need more and more as my time in Honduras has been rough. So know that I love and miss you all in my life.

Crispy Underneath the Honduran Sun

A lot has happened since I last wrote. I’ve wanted to write but haven’t had much motivation. Depression is gripping me very tightly and it’s hard to do anything when I’m feeling so down. This blog will be a little more positive than the previous one. We just had a spring break, which was a four day vacation. It was so wonderful to take a little pause from all the many things that cause stress in my life. I’m currently laying around in lots of pain from over exposure to the sun and also from running down a volcano.

My roommate and I joined some other friends to Amapala, an island off the south part of Honduras. Amapala is the closest beach to Tegus, its not as beautiful as the beaches that the north coast has but I enjoyed not seeing so many other gringos. This trip was simply refreshing. On Saturday morning, we took the public bus for two hours and then waited for another bus or a hitch to take us to Coyolito (where we would have taken a boat to Amapala). We ended up getting a ride; brace yourself… this is the best part of the story.

The guys who picked us up were wearing camouflage, so I thought they were military personell, later we found out that they were hunters. When we first hopped into the bed of the truck, they said that they would drop us off 5 kilometers away from where we needed to go which was fine by us. When we got to the point where they needed to turn, they invited us to see their property and informed us that they had a boat that would be able to take us across so we agreed. Once we arrived, we were pleasantly surprised by the “property.” Basically, we stumbled upon what appeared to be a resort but what was actually just an occasional get-away for the guys to spend the weekend hunting. (There are about 900 deers some imported from the states.) This was so very random! The three main guys were obviously very well off and were very hospitable; we stayed for lunch, which was a plate of fried fish with all the typical sides. They told us that they didn’t see gringos very often in this part of Honduras and wanted to make sure that we were enjoying ourselves. After lunch, before they took off for their hunting trip they asked, multiple times, if we wanted to stay. They made it very clear that we were welcome to stay as long as we wanted. We declined; then, they provided a private boat to take us across to our final destination.

When we arrived we checked in and threw on our swim suits so that we could hit up the water. Later, Marnie and I went exploring a little. We had dinner at our hotel and then went downtown to eat some more. At the end of the night, we played some cards. Afterwards, I went to the beach with my towel to lie underneath the starry night and reminisced of Santa Barbara.

The next morning, we woke up early and taxied to the base of the volcano. It took us about an hour and a half to get up and under an hour to get down. At the top we were able to see Nicaragua and El Salvador, although I was unable to distinguish which piece of land was which. (I’m not great with geography, its true.) I loved sprinting down the mountain, at the time it wasn’t pleasant but I do love the sensation of flying with each leap. We met our other friends on Playa Grande, where we baked in the sun and splashed around- relaxing the afternoon away.
Thankfully, we were able to get a ride with another friend and his parents who were also visiting the island that day thus avoiding a packed bus. Overall, this vacation was everything I needed it to be! Now I ought to go to bed to prepare for another day with my kids but will stay up a little later to watch Olympics. Night all and I miss you bastante.

"Should I stay or should I go?"

Happy International Women’s Day! In Honduras, people actually recognize las mujeres! We received some snacks provided by the school and I received some extra hugs. Last year, in my cross cultural studies class we passed a candle and remembered women in our lives that really played a part in forming our character. It’s crazy to think that a year ago I was at Westmont about to graduate. Life has a way of developing into something entirely different than what you had envisioned. The beauty of life is living outside of oneself and out of the box. There are trials that come with choosing to live outside the norm.

I haven’t had much to write about in the last few weeks. Things in Honduras have a semi-rhythmic pattern when working Mon-Fri (7am-3pm) as a Kinder teacher but in each day there’s loads of variety. I have not yet found my rhythm; one day I feel like I have the hang of it, then the next day I feel like God throws a wrench in my life that makes me seriously question what I’m doing here. The topic of what I’ll be doing next year has consumed my mind. I know that I’d be able to do this again next year. My main struggle with this decision is the possibility of being deeply unhappy for another year. No doubt, this is the hardest thing I’ve ever confronted in my life.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

James 1:2-4

New Years in Guate!

This holiday season was great considering that I was away from home for the first time. Although I was not with my family and friends in the states, I was able to have a wonderful time with new friends and awesome families. Many doors were open wide for me to come in whenever I wanted. Most of my time prior to Christmas was spent between my neighborhood and downtown. In Centro, I mostly hung out with Jenna and the Micah boys.

I was tremendously blessed that my friend Susan and her sister came to visit me in Central America for the New Years' half of the break. If it weren’t for my friends, I would have had a blue Christmas. The day after Christmas, I traveled through El Salvador to Guatemala on a 13 hour bus.

Together we traveled to all the major cities in Guatemala: la ciudad, ChiChi, Lake Atitlan, and Antigua. It was a once in a life time experience with my dearest friends; loads of firsts for all of us. Each of the cities had so much sabor (flavor).

Our first stop was Guatemala City. Not too exciting except we met a really
awesome friend through couchsurfing. I arrived late and met up the girls and our new friend at a small. Then, we went to his house where we started a camp fire and exchanged stories. It was so good to be with someone who was so familiar with me!

Next, we traveled to ChiChi. We used our first chicken bus for the three hour trip. All the seats were filled three to a seat. When we stepped on, all the eyes were on us because we were obviously foreigners. ChiChi is well known for the bi-weekly markets. On Thursday and Sunday the city awakens to the largest market in Central America. The whole city becomes a market; every street is consumed with vendors and tourists. ChiChi was unique because it has a very Mayan influenced culture. The Mayan men and women wear very vibrant colored fabrics and spoke their own dialect. In Guatemala, there are 21 different languages spoken throughout the regions, most of them are Mayan dialects. The next morning, we witnessed a Mayan procession into the Catholic Church. Each group of people that entered the church had a drummer, a piper, about four women, and some men. There were fireworks going off all throughout the previous night and also in the morning; needless to say ChiChi was very lively.

Then we headed to Lago de Atitlan where we stayed in Panajachel, the main tourist town around the lake. The main street, Santender, was overpopulated with vendors who targeted tourists in attempts to make a quetzal or a 100 Q. Everything had a price tag. We stayed at a nice lodge which was a little more isolated and away from all the traffic. The time on the lake was very relaxing and refreshing- except for a few moments when we were frustrated due to travel plans. The second day, we took a boat to Santiago and walked around the more local market. I purchased three live crabs and was able to cook it on a grill in Pana. It was one of the most hilarious moments. While people passed by the grill they would laugh at the gringa who was courageous enough to buy, cook, and eat a live crab.

Our last stop together was Antigua where we spent our time walking the streets getting familiar with the city layout and checking the cathedrals, ruins, and cafes/restaurants. Antigua was very different than the other cities that we visited; it had a more colonial feel. The roads were made out of cobblestones and the buildings were all connected. It reminded me of Spain and also Harry Potter.

The morning of New Years Eve, we woke up really early to climb the Picaya volcano. This was the most amazing adventure that we did together! The hike took more than an hour and a half to get to the top. Once on top, we saw three rivers of red and black lava spewing from the mountain. We were less than a yard away from the lava. We were able to roast marshmallows using sticks; a tasty treat after our hard climb. That night we hung out in the city center to count down 2010! It was very crazy! After midnight, a man dressed in a wired torro danced in the streets with fireworks exploding from the metal figure. I hope you all had a great holiday!