Last week we had a volunteer conference called Reconnect, where we got our whole training group plus last year's group together for technical and policy sessions. Overall I found the whole week exhausting, and a little frustrating because it set my work back - I missed some important meetings and also a week of marching band practice right before the parade. But it was fun to see some of the people that I hadn't seen since swear-in.
By the 3rd day, I was already beat, but I then had a relapse of my stomach pain and had to make my first trip to Honduran hospital. I had every test in the book, including urine and stool samples into little solo cups (yes, these samples are done in the little clear plastic cups you might find by a water cooler). I then got an IV of fluid and pain medication for my stomach cramps, and went back to training feeling like a loopy million bucks. I'm happy to say that I'm feeling better now, and have hopefully bid these amoebas freaking adieu.
Being sick and having 90 pent-up volunteers in one place for 5 days was a little too much for me, but there was one highlight of the week - our fantasy football draft! We set up a league with 12 volunteers and had the draft offline in a conference room one evening. It was my first in-person draft, and it was a ton of fun. It will also be a fun way for us to keep in touch over the next few months. Sitting by a computer and trash talking with other volunteers every Sunday will be a nice stress relief, no?
This week I got back to work and helped schools prepare for the parade. Honduran Independence Day was Thursday (the 15th), and I had an absolute blast! The town held a preschool-only parade on the 14th (SO cute), and then a huge parade on the 15th. It was a ton of fun. I had been helping with the band at Georgetown School, a bilingual school here where we are close friends with the director and teachers. I spent most of the morning with them and was so proud to watch the girls rock the national anthem in 3 part harmony!
I posted a ton of pictures on Picasa and am happy to send the link to anyone who needs it, just let me know! There are pictures from practice, the preschool parade, and the main event.
As if a 4 hour parade in the sun wasn't exhausting enough, I also moved into my apartment that day... sort of. Volunteers in Honduras live with host families for 2 months and then are allowed to find independent housing. Tricia's host family has a place nextdoor with 2 small apartments (and it's only a block from my host family), so we jumped at the opportunity. We committed a few months ago but had to wait for the previous occupants to move out, and then for them to finish renovations. Then between getting sick and going to reconnect, I kept delaying moving in. I even moved some stuff, set up my kitchen, and bought a bed and a stove, but I couldn't bring myself to officially move.
Of course, the secret behind this delay was that I didn't want to leave my host family. I love them so much and am really going to miss living with them (as evidenced by the fact that I spent a full 4 months living with them while most volunteers move out after 2). As I was packing, my host mom surprised me by making me pizza for my despedida. I was already emotional, but then I looked up at the ¨Bienvenida Andrea¨ banner that had been waiting on the wall for me when I first arrived, and started tearing up. I couldn’t even remember why I wanted to move out in the first place.
After the final family dinner, they helped me move my things over to the apartment. I had a really sweet & emotional conversation with my host mom, and I kept saying, ¨it feels like I’m moving back to the US, but I’m only going a block away!¨ She ended up convincing me to stay another night. My sitemate is out of town for the weekend, and it’s uncommon here for someone to be home alone. I didn’t want them to worry about me staying alone in the apartments, so I packed a little bag and spent the night in my ¨old¨ empty room. It felt like a sleepover.
The past two nights I stayed with Esperanza, the bilingual school director, and her family, and we looked at pictures and videos from the parade. Now, here I am getting settled into my new apartment without having spent a night there. Only in Honduras... (Pictures of the apartment to follow eventually.)
Speaking of parade videos, here are more of them! Might be overkill, but I had so much fun and am so darn proud of the kids...
Georgetown School
Georgetown School
John F. Kennedy, a public elementary school.
And finally, a private colegio (observe that they're a little more advanced than the elementary kids).
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