I'M A TRAVELING WoMAN

So it turns out I'm not great at sticking to my blogging schedule. It went by the wayside along with my Spanish class schedule and exercise routine for the last month. Who knew being a first year teacher would take up so much of my free time? Don't worry, it's not like I've been sitting alone in my apartment with a glass of wine grading papers every single day since I talked to you last. Just Mondays through Thursdays. I have been able to get a lot of traveling in on the three long weekends we've had in September and October. So far I've been to Utila twice to dive and Copan to see the Mayan ruins. I’ve also started exercising again and am using Rosetta Stone to learn Spanish now.

In case you haven't been keeping up on Facebook, I am now a certified diver! Diving is now one of my favorite things in the world to do. It's like underwater hiking. I love everything about it except for how heavy the equipment is (bad back). Three other girls and I completed our certification during the first long weekend in September over three days. Not something I would recommend for everyone, but we were in a time crunch and it all worked out. The four of us girls got to experience something on this trip that most divers spend a lifetime waiting to have the chance to do. We got to swim with a whale shark. If you don't know how rare and incredible this is Google it! I also learned two things about myself on this trip: 1. I don't get seasick. 2. I am getting older. The girls I was with were able to go out hard every night and still wake up to dive at the crack of dawn. I, on the other hand, was in bed reading by seven and asleep by nine. My 25-year-old self would be so disappointed. I've actually taken to disappointing 25-year-old me on a pretty regular basis since I moved here. I don't care. It's more important that 30-year-old me stays hydrated and gets enough sleep.

The first long weekend in October we went to Copan. This is a quaint little town situated in the mountains about three hours from San Pedro Sula. It also happens to host one of the top three sites I've wanted to see since I was 15, Mayan ruins. The photographs I took do not do it justice. This site is even considered less magnificent that the sites in Mexico and Guatemala. I'll be going to Guatemala in March to see for myself. Anyway, I loved the ruins but I also had one of the most amazing experiences of my life riding horses. Riding horses is something I used to love to do so I couldn't pass up this chance even though it wasn't the best idea for my back. To make a long story short, trail riding is very different in Honduras than in the states; I had the most fun I've had in a really long time; I saw some of the most beautiful landscape I have ever seen; and I couldn't walk properly for a week after. I'm glad I did it, but considering my back problems it may have been one of the dumbest things I have ever done. So 25-year-old me would be proud.

Two weekends ago I went back to Utila for some diving and much needed R&R. The diving wasn't as good as it was last time but it was still amazing. I was stung by a jellyfish for the first time too. You would think that would have bummed me out, but instead it made me feel more like a real diver. I was actually a little excited. I know. I'm weird. The rest of the trip was dedicated to relaxing, which I guess you could say I did. I started feeling sick on Sunday but was able to spend the day snorkeling, laying out, and being feasted on by sand fleas at a secluded dock with some of the other teachers. We went for a late lunch around three in the afternoon and as soon as I ate I got really sick. Luckily we had rented a golf cart so someone was able to take me back to the hotel right away. I spent the rest of the day and all of the night in the bathroom. Thank god we were staying at a place where we didn't have to share a bathroom with 10 other people. The next day we were all leaving for home so you might think, "well at least she got to go home right away after getting sick." What you probably don’t know is that to get back home from Utila requires an hour-long ferry and a four-hour bus ride. Needless to say I was a bit concerned. I decided to take two Dramamine for the ferry and two for the bus. I don't remember the ride home but I didn't have an accident so I would say it was successful. 

Traveling takes a lot out of me so it was nice to spend this weekend relaxing at home. I have about two months before I come home for winter break. I can't wait! I'll admit it; I am very homesick right now. I miss Martin, I miss my friends, I miss going to movies, I miss the fall weather, I miss hot tea and hot showers, I miss good produce, I miss KC bbq and chicken wings from the Peanut, I miss logic (yes, logic), I miss fire pits, I miss camping, I miss Aurora (I know, weird), I miss being able to safely walk around my neighborhood, I miss my bed, I even miss football! I love the travel opportunities here and I love Honduras as a country, but I will be completely honest about how much I dislike San Pedro Sula. It is crime ridden and dirty. It is the opposite of what you see when you go to places like Lake Yojoa, Utila, and Copan. Traveling is what has kept me sane so far. I guess now is as good a time as any to tell the people that read this blog that I won't be returning to Honduras for an additional year. Again, to make a long story short, the contract I signed was only for a year; the city and the school are not an ideal fit for me; and I don't want to be apart from Martin for another year. More details to come on my future plans. That's all for now.

Much love,

Melissa

Lake Yojoa Recon Mission

We didn't have a lot of time there but over the course of 36 hours I must have repeated “I am so happy right now” at least 100 times. D&D Brewery is an oasis, a reprieve from the urban catastrophe that can be San Pedro Sula. The two-hour bus ride from San Pedro gave me my first glimpse of real Honduras, a Honduras I immediately fell in love with. Taking the El Mochito bus from the main bus station (also the only bus station) in San Pedro was an absolute breeze, even with a limited ability to speak or understand Spanish. As we drove out of town and up the mountain I was able to see how colorful Honduras actually is. We passed through several small towns and markets selling everything from knock off designer jeans to goods made in Honduras to food staples like the fried plantain.

The bus ride and views of the countryside were nothing compared to what we walked into when we crossed the threshold of the gate at D&D Brewery. Like I said before, it is an oasis. As you walk from the road, through the gate, into the forest and descend the gravel stairs a small pool that looks more like a hidden lagoon than pool introduces you to what looks like a hidden jungle village. Surrounding the pool, carved into little pockets of the jungle, are covered dining areas, cabins, camping spaces, gardens, and a communal fire pit area with hammocks. Each cabin is tucked away at the end of a gravel path winding through the trees, which adds to the wonderful sensation of being in total seclusion.

I enjoyed the peace and quiet combined with a late night full of pitchers of pale ale and card games more than anything I’ve done so far in this country. I can say with some certainty that after this recon mission I will be at D&D Brewery on a regular basis not only for the atmosphere but because of the number of excursions it offers. On my wish list are two waterfall hikes, a full day jungle hike to the cloud forest, spelunking, and tubing the nearby river. If you come to visit me I may even take you on one. You can see more photos of the trip by clicking here. 

I've Arrived!

Holla mi amigos y familia. 

Well I made it to Honduras (via Atlanta, Miami, and El Salvador) if you haven’t already heard. I would give you more details but I really don’t want to relive that 19+-hour travel day. Just know that it typically takes one connection and about 4.5 hours to get here from Kansas City. Most of my time thus far has been spent between the school and my apartment. I hope to remedy that soon though. I am itching to do some traveling and get to know the rest of this country. So far I’ve been to Tela for orientation, which is a resort community on the coast. The particular resort we had orientation at was made specifically for the Chiquita banana employees who had their beach homes there. When that closed someone else bought it and made it into a resort, which is now owned by the family of one of our students.

The school is the most beautiful school I have ever been to. It is situated at the base of a jungle mountain. I call the mountains that surround me jungle mountains because I am used to the Rocky Mountains and these look nothing like those. Think Appalachian Mountains but with a variety of dense palm trees, vines, and vegetation I don’t have a name for. There are several building on campus including early childhood, elementary, middle, and high schools. I’m not sure how many kids are in each one buy I know that I have a little over 100 kids per grade and that there are 750 to 800 cars that converge on this place every morning.

Life here hasn’t been without its frustrations. Honduras is known for having about a million inconsequential steps to get even the simplest task done. Like to get copies made at school I have to fill out a form 24 hours in advance that requires everything short of my blood type to be included on it and then get it approved by two different people or I have to stand in line once a month to pay my bills, which takes anywhere from 1 to 3 hours.

I haven't had the chance to really get out of the city yet other than a Honduran nightclub, taco place around the corner from my apartment, and TGI Fridays. San Pedro Sula is so Americanized it is almost funny (mostly sad). There will be a Churches Chicken next to a TGI Fridays next to a giant mall containing another Churches Chicken along with KFC, Subway, McDonalds, and a Burger King. The good thing about this is the grocery stores have everything you could ever want or need. They have all my gluten free and dairy free favorites. Oh and beers are like 40 cents here!

The first photo is from a resort in Tela, the second is my apartment, and the third is the school. You can check out my Facebook page for even more photos.

Cheers,

Melissa

3 - 2 - 1 The Final Countdown

Martin and I just returned from an amazing adventure in Colorado, which starts the final three week countdown until I move to Honduras. Staying true to how we typically travel we didn't have lodging booked or an itinerary. We just packed up our camping gear, the dog, and some beer (cider for me) and started driving west on I-70. Eleven hours later we were in Evergreen, CO testing out this theory Martin has about his Reverand Horton Heat hat being a people magnet. He claimed that people will come up to him and strike up conversations about the band whenever he wears it. Sure enough, after we ate lunch and were headed back to the car a guy complimented him on his hat and they started talking. Oddly enough this guy and his friend were also Jayhawks. The guy was a local so we asked him for some travel advice and that is how we began one of our best vacations yet. He recommended we start in Buena Vista and head up Independence Pass. Along the way we found the most amazing views in Colorado, we camped in free camping that overlooked isolated lakes, and the hat theory worked again. This time when we stopped to explore a cave a climber complimented Martin on his hat. We got to talking and it turns out he had the same back surgery I did. He recommended that I take a few Pilates classes before I leave and try paddle boarding and rock climbing once I get to Honduras in order to keep my core strong and prevent any more injuries. This guy was in amazing shape (think Magic Mike abs), about 40 years old and still doing all the adventure sports I've always admired so I'm going to follow his advice. On our way into Glenwood Springs, just outside of Aspen, we had about five minutes of 3G service that I used to try to find us a place to eat on Yelp. The service cut out before I could go back to the search page, but I briefly caught a glimpse of the name Hunter S. Thompson and Woody Creek Tavern. At almost that exact moment we saw a sign for Woody Creek, took a hard right,  a windy road and ended up at a shack surrounded by trailers and bicycles that looked like it belonged in Key West not 10 minutes out of Aspen. It turns out that Hunter S. Thompson lived in Woody Creek until his suicide in 2005 and did a lot of his writing at this tavern. He is one of my top three favorite writers so needless to say I was delighted by this accidental find. The food wasn't bad either. Our journey continued after some fish tacos and a couple of Coors. We found amazing camping again along a creek at a little place outside of Glenwood Springs called Elk Creek Campground but we didn't spend much time there. Instead we headed to Breckenridge early the next morning where we found a great, dog friendly motel about five minutes from Main Street. We spent the day hiking and ended up running into a guy and his two dogs on the trial. He was headed up to the Hallelujah Hut, a warming hut off a jeep trail and the alpine trail. We decided to go for it too even though we could hear thunder in the distance. The guy we met on the trail decided to turn back but we kept going and ended up in a one room cabin used by people snowshoeing in order to warm up. We waited out the rain there and headed back down the mountain for dinner and some hot tub time. The only downside to our trip was the next day when we went to the Royal Gorge. It was over 100 degrees there and costs way too much money to walk across a suspension bridge. If you want to white water raft it is perfect for that or if you'd like a crappier version of Branson, MO. If you want to hike, camp, and enjoy a view, not so much. We ended up leaving there shortly after we got there, driving through Colorado Springs, up HWY 24 and back into the Denver area that night finally finding a place to put up the tent in Coal Creek Canyon on a friend of the family's land. The next morning we drove into Nederland (Ned), down through Boulder Canyon, and took a stroll down Pearl Street before reluctantly climbing back on to I-70 at 10 am.

So now I'm back in Kansas City and I have exactly three weeks before I move. I'm doing homework all day and trying to come up with a packing list of everything I need to take to Honduras. I was going to just pack but after a trial run I realized I'm going to need a list. I'm not sure it would be wise to treat this move like Martin and I treat our vacations. Although, sometime this move feels like it is going to be an extended vacation, I don't think it is wise to approach it that way. I don't exactly know what to call this move if not an extended vacation though. I wonder if I will still feel like the house Martin and I have lived in for the last year, and he is going to continue to live in, is my home. I guess I could look at it as my summer home. I don't want to really tell people I summer in Kansas City though. I don't plan on residing in Kansas City for more than three months a year ever again in my entire life so I guess it isn't going to be home anymore. When I put it that way I have a little nostalgia based sadness, but you wouldn't be able to tell because I can't keep the giant smile off my face. In three weeks I won't live in Kansas City anymore! I've waited over five years to say that.

Let the Games Begin

I've finally started to prepare for "the move". My spring semester ended, I took a week off from doing anything I didn't feel like doing, finished all three Hunger Games books and now I'm finally doing all the things I need to do to get ready for my move to Honduras. I won't bore you, or myself, with the list (it's quite extensive), but lets just say it includes everything from stocking up on toothpaste to purging the entire house of things we no longer use and getting them garage sale ready. Good news, if you’ve ever found yourself coveting any of our things nows your chance. We will be having a garage sale June 1-3. Feel free to stop by and grab that tie-dye wall hanging you've always wanted.

I’ve been in contact with some of the other teachers I will be working with in Honduras about safety, clothing needs and cell phones so I’ll share some of that with you now.  Many of you may or may not know there is a bit of a crime/murder problem in Honduras at the moment. I was well aware of this when I was hired and spoke to the people who hired me a great deal about it, but just to make sure things hadn’t gotten any worse (I don’t make a habit of believing what I read in the news) I decided to ask one of the other teachers about her experience. Below is what she wrote:

“Oh safety. It is most definitely something to think about for sure. This place can be dangerous if you aren't being smart. I tend to not go out very often once the sun goes down. It can feel quite claustrophobic at times! But really other then that I have not experienced anything too scary and I hope that it continues. You will get the horror stories for sure. A drive by shooting at the mall, someone's house got robbed, someone's cousin’s guard got shot and died, someone got mugged, but that probably happens in downtown KC all the time! Honestly it's all the drugs, that is where it's bad and as long as you stay away from that, don't go to sketch places at night and be smart you'll be just fine. Our current English department head who is leaving has been here for five years and has never had a problem”.

One of my other concerns is staying comfortable in the heat and extreme humidity. See weather in Honduras. (If anyone has any tips please leave a comment). I’ve been told cotton is the choice fabric and I need to invest in capris, skirts and sandals.  I tried shopping in my own closet but it looks like trips to Target, Forever 21 and H&M are in my future. I’ve never been one to stock up on summer styles. The little shopping trip to my closet ended up taking all afternoon, as I had to sort all my shoes and clothes into garage sale, keep for trips to US in winter and take to Honduras piles. It’s weird that I will need to keep a completely different wardrobe here for when I’m home for the winter holiday and that the wardrobe fits into one plastic bin.

I was also a little confused about the phone situation but think I’ve gotten that somewhat figured out. The school will provide me with a cell phone from which I will be able to make local calls. I’ll use Skype and Magic Jack for calls to the United States. If anyone can explain Magic Jack to me please leave a comment! I don’t understand how people can call you. It seems complicated but it is free so I need to learn and once I do I will pass that knowledge on to you.

Other quick updates:

•  I leave July 28^th
• My going away party will be July 21^st – This will be our last opportunity to see each other. The week before I leave is for AP training and Martin.
• My going away party is also my graduation party. My mom wanted to make it my 30^th birthday party too but I thought that would be too much and my birthday isn’t until September 23.
•  I’m not working this summer but will be plenty busy preparing to move, finishing three graduate courses and AP training – Call me if you want to go to the pool.
•  I will be home for the winter holidays and during the summers so if you’re going to get married or have a baby shower and want me there try to do it then. 

Cheers!

The Purpose

The purpose of this blog is two fold. First, I want a way to keep in touch and be able to connect with my family and friends back home on a regular basis. Second, I hope to inspire some of you to not fear the unknown and embrace adventure.

I was recently offered and accepted a two year contract teaching English/Language Arts at a private international school in San Pedro Sula, Honduras. This blog will be about my experiences leading up to my departure at the end of July and what I experience while I'm in Honduras. I'll let you know when something big happens, but I don't plan on posting a lot before I go so don't expect much until July.

As of today I've been in touch with some of the other teachers in my department at the school. They all have been very helpful. In fact, one of them is from North Kansas City and has been more than willing to share all the ups and downs of living in San Pedro Sula with me. Small world! I'm very excited to meet all of them. Based on some internet research and what other teachers have told me it is very inexpensive to live in Honduras but some items are absurdly expensive. I've been told to bring my own bath towels, which can cost $25 a piece once you get to Honduras. The teachers have been great about telling me what I should bring from home and what I can just get there or go without.

Cheers!