Building Character

11 August 2012

I wanted to give you all an idea of the lifestyle we live here in Honduras.  While I was enjoying my lukewarm shower yesterday evening (the last few have cold so I really was enjoying it), a phrase that my father used to use often came to mind.  When things were difficult, different or out of the ordinary for us girls he would tell us that whatever we were doing “builds character.”  My experiences here in Honduras have been just that and it does not surprise me that this realization came today, as it would be his 60^th birthday.  I take comfort in knowing that he is not only watching over and guiding me, but that he would get a good chuckle out of my life and say that I’m building character!

So first of all, the showers are normally cold or lukewarm at best.  This sometimes isn’t so bad since it is about 80 degrees and quite humid.  Currently we are in the rainy season so it rains most evenings, but it still quite warm making a cool shower feel not so bad.  We have been told that in the spring when there is a water shortage in the natural supply (mountains), water rationing occurs and the water is only turned on in the evening to make meals, clean and shower!  This is certainly enough to build quite a bit of character.  I have also realized that it is a good thing I brought my rain boots because the roads have been quite muddy.  Our house (Cassidy and I) is quite small, but comfortable for the time we spend here.  There isn’t really a living room but rather a space with a table and chairs, a small kitchen that has a refrigerator, stove and oven, which we are quite lucky to have, there is also 2 small bedrooms and a bathroom.  The good thing about it is the patio and the river we live by, although there is a cement wall blocking the view you can still here it.  I’m not sure you would want to see it anyways because it is usually trash filled.  We bought hammocks while we were in Gracias so we are excited to hang them up and relax like we’re on a vacation or something.  The food here is very limited.  I may end up living off of PB&J as the ingredients for that can actually be found here.  Other than that I have found cornflakes, fruit cocktail, ramen like soup, snickers and pasta for American like food.  The normal meal here is some type of tortilla with beans and rice and these aren’t the quick cook kind.  They also often have queso but it is a very strong/sharp type and not very good.  The meat is very tough and often eaten only on occasion.  The water is not drinkable so we must use purified water for everything, which is easy to get.  They sell culligan like water jugs at most pulperias. 

I am looking forward to the challenges that this lifestyle may bring and understand that it is only “building character.”  I have a feeling I will have a lot of character by the time I make it back to the states J