December 29, 2007

Nearly half a year has passed since my arrival to Honduras. In six months I’ve lived with three Honduran families located in three different regions of the country. Although living within Honduran homes for such a long period of time certainly has drawbacks, I’ve been fortunate to live amidst kind, generous, and patient Hondurans. Aside from building personal relationships with family members, living in various households has led to a deeper understanding of the Honduran perspective. Aspects of Central American life that once seemed foreign are beginning to make sense… Finally, after six months of embracing the family lifestyle, I’ve relocated to what I hope will be my permanent Peace Corps residence.

I now live alone in a one-bedroom house located near the central park of Gracias. By Peace Corps standards I’m extremely lucky. At times, Volunteers experience difficulty locating available housing options. A lack of housing routinely forces Volunteers to live with a host family for the entire two-year commitment. I’m fortunate to have stumbled upon my current home. The house is equipped with electricity, running water, and the occasional lukewarm shower (luxury items for a Peace Corps Volunteer). In addition to periodic warm water, the house includes a small backyard, garden area, and an outside wood-burning stove. I plan on taking full advantage of the backyard by gardening, building a fire pit, and cleaning the area surrounding the stove. Potential exists for a series of exciting backyard boogies. If you’re looking for an excuse to sit by a fire and watch the stars, come on down!

The initial move-in date was scheduled for December 15, 2007. Unfortunately, due to years of neglect, the house required a week of nonstop cleaning. Upon entering the home I noticed a thick layer of spider webs covering nearly every inch of the ceilings. The walls in the kitchen and bedroom were covered with dirt and had turned light brown. The living room was dark, musty, and painted purple. In addition, the previous owner allowed neighborhood cats to sleep in the living room. To make matters more interesting, one of the cats recently birthed a litter of kittens. As you can imagine, the gang of neighborhood cats seemed confused as I beat them out of my living room with a dirty mop. They’ve attempted to return on numerous occasions only to find an angry foreigner, half stoned and completely crazy from hours of painting, awaiting their arrival... Surveying the condition of the house led me to postpone the move-in date until after a thorough cleaning (December 19, 2007). For at least a week I stomped on spiders, painted walls, and chased cats. The result is a livable residence with red floors and white walls. The majority of the house remains unfurnished. Yet, over time I hope to create a comfortable living space that allows me to periodically escape the madness of Honduras.

With Christmas and New Years approaching I enter yet another adjustment phase of Peace Corps life. The opportunities to work in a peaceful setting, set a schedule according to my interests, and enjoy a bit of privacy have finally returned. If nothing else, the Peace Corps experience tests a person’s ability to withstand difficult periods of adaptation. Momentary periods of hardship arise almost daily throughout each adjustment phase. However, I have no doubt, that, after settling-in to my new environment, my ability to be an effective Volunteer will greatly increase.

I sincerely hope that all of you are doing well. My experiences would be much harder without the constant support of my friends and family. Perhaps one day I’ll be able to thank you in person. Enjoy the holidays!

All the Best,
Dan

There’s no need to worry about the neighborhood cats. They now live happily with the family next door.