So all of my other fellow gringos left for the United States yesterday, and I am in the middle of my viaje today. I was at the children’s home alone last night, tucking everyone into bed, when I started bawling like a little baby. Between teaching my boys at school, playing soccer with them after school, and reading to them/tucking them into bed each night, they’ve become MY children.
I never thought before that I would ever want to have kids, but after about the first week and half I had made up my mind that I would care for them, teach them, and protect them to the best of my ability. I would give everything to them that I had. So when German said “I love you” to me in his thick Honduran accent last night, I just lost it. I had made my mental promise to care for and protect these kids, and I was leaving.
It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. I got through it by repeating ‘I’ll be back in December. I’ll be back in December.” They kept asking me not to leave. I got the phone number of Natalia, the ‘mama’ of the orphanage so I can call them as much as possible. This photo is of all the gringos, the ten boys, and Natalia and Ramon.
So now I am writing this post from Miami while sleep-deprived (I left my house at 4am, and got to bed at midnight…), and incredibly down. I’m excited to be going home to my friends and family, but the tears come about every half hour. I’m positive that the guy sitting beside me on my last flight thought I was mental, but oh well.
Besides that, it’s also incredibly odd to be back in a country with toilets and running water. I’ve been to Honduras on week-long trips before, but never have I lived so long in that way. When I got off the plane I went to the bathroom and A) jumped at the sound of the toilet flushing and B) couldn’t find the waste-bin where I normally put the toilet paper. (Honduran plumbing is less than mediocre, to say the least, so paper cannot be thrown in the toilet. Ever.)
I then walked out of the bathroom and saw the water fountain around the corner. I stood there and looked at it for a bit, and had to tell myself that yes: this public water fountain contains treated water free from parasites. It's okay to drink. And then I drank some of the best-tasting water I’ve had in a long time.
Customs was unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Apparently it was rush-hour for flights from Latin America, and many of the guards didn’t speak Spanish. Everywhere I saw Latin-American immigrants with wide-eyes and guards yelling things that they didn’t understand. I tried to help a bit, but there were literally thousands of people in the room.
Also in the airport I ran into a lovely woman from Honduras who started talking to me and gave me her number for next time I go. I also got stopped by a security guard who thought I was a wandering child. She told me she was sorry she had stopped me but that looking young will come in handy in the future. I told her yes, but for now it sometimes gets difficult going to the bars… She laughed.
So all-in-all, I am experiencing quite a bit of culture shock. I’m preparing myself for going home and having air conditioning and a shower. No more bucket showers for me! But on the other hand, I liked my showers using fresh rainwater caught in the bucket…
I have also decided that I’m not going to stop posting; I’m returning to Honduras in December and again in March, and will be helping my school chapter fundraise for Students Helping Honduras until then. So keep reading about Honduras, please! The world needs to know my kids. :)
