Well, I am officially moved into my very first home ever. I have a 5 bedroom, at least 2 bathroom (I’m too wimpy to check it out in the dark by myself–so I’m not sure exactly), full house. Now, by Honduran standards, it is quite nice. I really didn’t know what to expect since I’m a newb to everything here. It exceeded my thoughts of what it would be! I haven’t even met anyone here at the hospital grounds yet, and they have already been more than accommodating. First, Mitch, who I call poop-dog (story for another time–you’ll be hearing lots about him later on) had already made sure that the house was scorpion free– I’m still pretty paranoid about it, but guess we’ll see. Then, when I got to the house, there were already clean sheets on my bed with extra blankets and a pillow case, towels, soap, and a washcloth.
Tonight might be a struggle to fall asleep. Mitch said the place is surrounded by multiple armed guards (like all places in Honduras) but for some reason that doesn’t make me feel super great ahah…
I’m pretty overtired from travel today, so maybe that’s why but I look around and remember where I am and it just doesn’t even feel real. All the sudden it’ll hit me again where I am and that I have no idea what I am doing.
When I got off the plane, through customs, and finally out into the rest of the airport, I saw Mitch’s familiar Santa Clause beard and shock of white (he calls it blond) hair and immediately felt at ease. My eyes got a little misty… no tears though… [side note: as I am writing this I’m hearing either fireworks or gunshots… Mitch said it’s hard to tell sometimes].
The drive out of the airport was slow going at first, multiple cars making up their own lanes on the road. Due to some interesting government administration (or lackthereof) the road is an ever evolving enigma: sometimes it’s two lane, sometimes four, sometimes theres lines, sometimes not. We did drive on an overpass that was incredibly unecessary. That was weird. The drive to Siguatepeque from the airport was a decently long one. Although it felt like we never really went anywhere. You know how you drive through a more run-down part of town but then the farther you go it eventually turns into something a bit more comfortable? That didn’t happen. Along the road were huts, some made with corrugated metal, some with tarps or sticks. Interspersed were houses, most of which do not have full walls. This is because there is no air conditioning or heat, so there is always a breeze moving through the home. There were gated communities, although Mitch assured me that this does not mean they are “nice” homes, just guarded ones.
During the drive as we passed cars without any lights (in the dark) and passed people selling fruit in the middle of the street at the toll plazas, I thought “Goodness gracious, the United States has so many laws. It’s kind of boring there.” I think I like the laws in the US for the most part, but it’s just a different world out here. I feel like an idiot for not knowing anything, but so grateful that I have the opportunity to learn and to not remain in the dark about others realities. Yesterday, on my run I was thinking, “no matter what I see or experience, that is their reality. I get to leave it in three weeks, but that does not change their reality or mine, it just changes what I am paying attention to. They don’t get to leave.” I’m not entirely sure what I have to do yet, but I know that I can’t go back in three weeks and ignore their realities. I know it’s not my job to save the world on my own or to fix every injustice I witness, but I do know that it is my job to recognize reality.
ENOUGH. 