After a three week “vacation” from Honduras and school I am happily resettled in Cofradia. The time off was most appreciated. Everyone had said I would have culture shock and not immedietly be able to comprehend the greatness that is America. I knew better and within hours was eating bacon cheeseburgers and drinking dark beers.
While going home was a much needed break from work and life in the Cof, it brought with it its own challenges. Two weeks of cleaning out an office with papers from the ’70′s isn’t exactly my idea of relaxing. But, it needed to be done and over a thousand pounds of shredded paper later my father is officially setup in his home office.
Seeing family and friends was amazing. I saw my niece Caitlin for the first time in six months and it is incredible to see how much she is talking now. I can’t even imagine what will be in store for me when I get home in another six months. I had a blast hanging out with friends and catching up. People are in so many different places now it’s hard to keep up.
As unappealing as Honduras may seem to most people, it has a certain charm to it that I truly enjoy. What it lacks in basic amenities it makes up for in character. From naked babies playing on the side of the road to the old men with their cowboy hats and machetes headed to the fields, to the smell of burning trash in the air. When I got off the plane in San Pedro, I strangely felt at home.
I had a great time catching up with the kids, hearing about their breaks and having them write their new years resolutions. It is awesome to have that rhythm already established and to be able to plunge right back into work after a three week break. Also, being reunited with my fellow BECA teachers made me realize how close I have come to and how many experiences I have shared with these gringos. I couldn’t work with a better group of folks.
Unfortunately, the second half of the year hasn’t been entirely cheery. This past Friday, Ms. Sandra, a Honduran teacher at SJBS and former director passed away after a long illness. What’s worse, she has two sons, 12 and 13 that attend the school. It has been an incredibly trying week for the students, faculty and community that make up SJBS.
However, as challenging times often do, it has brought out the best in many people. I recently intercepted a note during class that included plans for my entire eighth grade class to go see their classmate whose mother had passed away. I am so proud of that class for being such incredible little/big people at such a difficult time in their friends life. They all get the star of the week in my book.
As hard as these first two weeks have been I am still looking forward to my remaining time in Hondo and seeing what other obstacles it can hurl at us. Hopefully, it is all done.
