A Summer Sum-Up

When I graduated college people would tell me to “enjoy your final summer vacation because this is the last one you will ever have!” The thing is that I chose to go into a field that gets two months off every summer, so the joke is on all those people that thought I would never benefit from this time of year again! Sadly, my bragging days are over because summer vacation has officially reached its end. I am back in Honduras and days away from starting my second year of teaching. Before we get back to all things Honduras, I want to focus on all things related to the best country in the world – the United States of Amuuurica!

After a week of finishing things up at the school – taking down decorations, cleaning the classrooms, taking inventory, doing final grades, filling in report cards and certificates, completing legal documents for the school and the country – we were ready to get out of La Unión! (Mom had been such a trooper, hanging out in that boring town and doing busy work around the school. She deserves a gold star for her efforts, and she was especially ready for vacation.) Mom, Lori, and I headed to the island of Utila for a week of total relaxation and scuba diving.

Utila is not your typical or picturesque island – there are hardly any beaches to sit on and sink into the sand, you have to peek between all the stores and buildings to see the ocean, and everything feels so tightly built together that an ocean breeze scarcely makes its way through the streets. In reality, it attracts a young, back-packer crowd that is primarily interested in diving and partying (so if that is your scene, then this is the kind of island you want to be on). We still found a nice hotel with cabins nestled into a jungley area; we had a refreshing pool to soak in and a delicious pizza restaurant at the hotel. Other than scoping out restaurants to feast at, we spent almost all of our time diving! (Not too bad, huh?) Lori took a class to get certified while my mom and I just dove for fun. Unfortunately we were there during a tropical storm so sometimes the water was a bit too murky or the boat ride was less-than-comfortable, but we experienced some beautiful dives. We saw our fair share of eagle rays, eels, and dazzling fish. I just never can give up an opportunity to dive! It was really great to start my summer vacation off in an ideal way: on an island, playing in the ocean.

Now on to the good stuff… the land of the F’s… family, friends, and food! I still recall my first day back in the States as the best day of my life. I got home around midnight so I’ll just start there: the first thing I did when I got home was hug my dad and drink a big glass of cold milk. (The perfect combination!) The day that followed was action packed as I saw my mom, dad, sister, old co-workers, and a multitude of other friends, and ate twice for every meal. Now that I think about it, that day pretty much sums up my entire summer. While I was home in Colorado, I spent every day surrounding myself with friends and family that I had missed so much. I really wanted to soak up and cherish every minute that I got to be with them, knowing that those days would have to hold me over for a while before I get to see everyone again. I frequently “tanned” by the pool, saw the summer’s major blockbusters, enjoyed the breathtaking nature Colorado has to offer, and caught myself up on all the popular movies, music, and YouTube videos that I missed over the year. 

More importantly (any maybe even more frightening when I really lay out the details) are the countless meals I ate – admittedly, it is rather embarrassing to say how many times I ate out at the restaurants that haunted my thoughts while in Honduras, and how many times I ate at each one. (I will keep those numbers a secret.) I did successfully achieve my goal of gaining some lost weight back and stuffing my face with every opportunity!

I cannot even begin to describe how my thoughts towards the United States have changed. I sincerely hope that, at some point in your life, you can really appreciate how blessed we are to live there. The amount of comforts and conveniences that we are simply born with and have at our disposal is astounding. Within the few weeks I was home, every day I found new ways to love the country that I am lucky to call home and grew to value even the smallest of luxuries. Here are some of my observations that are listed as the things that I did not even realize I missed and have a new found gratitude for:

                pillow-top mattress covers
                carpet
                well-fed dogs
                fabric softener
                water heaters and hot water out of a regular sink faucet
                the brightness of lights
                one-stop stores (who doesn’t love Target??)
                paved roads with potholes that are fixed immediately
                grass lawns
                dishwashers and washing machines, and the quick little tablets that go in them
                libraries
                the 5 different brands for each food type found in the grocery store
                ceiling fans
                sidewalks and crosswalks (really, anything cement)
                leather couches and hardwood floors
                the mailman
                pencil sharpeners and three-ring binders
                bumper stickers
                the radio
                fresh produce from any country in the world
                “Free Wi-Fi” anywhere you go (even if I don’t use it, I just like having the option)
                mirrors
                doorknobs and door locks that work
                glass doors and screens
                tap water
                playgrounds

My list could literally go on and on and on and on because my mouth was in a constant state of being open in shock and awe. The things I found amazing never lost their luster and I do not think I quite got back to feeling ‘normal’ around home because I just wanted to bottle everything up and find a way to bring it back to Honduras with me.

Moving on… One of the 12^th grade students from my school in Honduras, Delmer, had the incredibly unique opportunity of visiting me! He was spending his summer vacation in the States – primarily staying with family in Texas and then visiting other states if the opportunity was there – so I told him that if he could get out to Colorado then I would be thrilled to show him around! He came out for two weeks of Colorado lovin’ in July. We spent the first week visiting my mom in South Fork. She really packed in the activities for us: kayaking down a river, soaking in the hot springs, seeing a play and a drive-in movie, dancing, going to a rodeo, and eating a New Orleans style, Cajun shrimp boil dinner. That week was filled with multiple firsts and smiles for Delmer. Then we headed back up towards Denver to spend the second week with my dad. We hiked around Boulder and up in Rocky Mountain National Park, strolled down the outdoor mall that is Pearl Street, saw a few hit movies, went shopping for his friends at the mall, kayaked, visited the unique town of Netherland, and went to a Rockies game. I really loved being able to show one of the students around MY home and the things that I love in life, and I truly hope he loved getting to experience it all!

The final part of my summer was a trip to visit friends in Chicago and Michigan. A friend of mine, Sally, has an aunt and uncle who own a winery outside of Chicago, so we decided to meet each other there for a weekend of relaxation and wine. The winery was beautiful and the wine was delicious! We did not do much other than shop around some antique stores, taste wine and tour the grounds, and help her aunt with some painting. Then on my way to Michigan, I stayed the night in Chicago with two high school friends; we simply spent the evening eating and drinking wine, and catching up on each others’ lives then laughing about old memories.

My time in Michigan flew by in a whirlwind. I bounced around between cities frequently visiting some of my greatest friends. I went from Holland to Grand Haven to Grand Rapids to Ann Arbor to St. Joseph and then finally flew out of Grand Rapids back to Honduras. The list of people I saw is endless, but I am beyond thankful that I got to see every single one of them. I didn’t do anything that was particularly crazy but I was more than ok with that because I was simply delighting in the time with everyone. We really just hung out most of the time but on other occasions we explored downtowns, sat by fires, played silly camp games, chowed down for my final meals in the States, and they helped me shop for my students. It was actually overwhelming for my heart to see so many people that I had missed being with and I could not have been filled with more love. (I especially loved being with my roommate Alex. This is a special shout out to her if, if she reads this! But we had lived together for four years and then all of the sudden we were in different countries and working on very opposite schedules. I felt most at home and content with my life when I stayed with her.)

Michigan was an excellent farewell to my summer vacation in the USA. Most of the time I was “that girl” who was lugging around giant suitcases and causing traffic hold-ups while I tried to control them. I felt like most strangers hated me or avoided contact with me at all costs, so that is why I am extra thankful for my friends who proudly stood by my side. If you saw me, I most likely looked very discombobulated or disheveled, which I will admit is true because that is how I felt. I didn’t think I would, but I actually started looking forward to being back in Honduras so that I could finally stay in one place and unpack those gargantuan suitcases. My body seemed to be pretty ready too because I’m not sure I could have handled too many more obese-sized meals and late nights. I was ready to return to my simply, slow-paced lifestyle back in La Unión.

Thank you for the great company, memories, and meals USA! I genuinely love my country and am already counting down the days until we meet again.