How Can I Breathe With No Air!

Before I landed in Copan last summer, the thought of moving to Central America made me think there might be more here, in terms of cultural flavor and excitement. But what I found is a surprisingly quiet, simple town that strikes me well, even though it lacks the art I need like air!

Fortunately, things like my iPod and Spotify come in handy for at least keeping musical beauty in my presence.

But you should have seen the look on my face last summer when I first understood that my new town doesn't offer live music or other art forms I grew so accustomed to while living in places like Athens, Georgia and Music City, USA. Actually, the look on my face was probably the same as the expression I see on the faces of locals when they encounter a 6-foot American walking down the street singing along to the R&B love jams playing in the earbuds!

The latest R&B jam I can't stop singing along to:

Ten Things I'm Thankful For Tuesday

They say one of the keys to maintaining happiness is remembering what you've been given.

Some people count their blessings by keeping a gratitude journal. As for me, I'll at least try to document my gratefulness here on this blog once a week. My plan will be to post a list every Tuesday to name 10 things I'm thankful for. 

It begins now!

Ten Things I'm Thankful For Tuesday:

1. Bright ideas.

What to do when your favorite little family-run restaurant is usually closed when you go there? For me, the answer I finally figured out was to place a To Go order when I eat there so I can bring home a stack of empanadas for the fridge.

2. Lessons learned from my mistakes (specifically, ones that help me teach kids).

3. Taxis that appear when you've lost all hope of arriving on time by foot.

4. DVD audio options that include Spanish.

Always good for learning at least a few new phrases.

5. The kind of friends to whom you can say ANYTHING!

6. Alyse, a sweet girl back home who will call me "uncle" once she learns to talk.

7. External processing. 
I was always an internal processor, but in recent years, I've become acquainted with some of the unique benefits of talking things through with another person.

8. The mystery of what is to come.

9. Books that effectively help you do things with greater skill.

10. Sentences written by 8th graders after a lesson on simile! (See below)

"School is like a jungle, hard to survive."

"School is like a roller coaster because grades go up and down."

"Having a crush is like swimming without knowing how to swim because you get really nervous."

"My crush is like a fat puppy, cute and makes you laugh."

"A crush is like when the principal screams at you because your heart starts to sound like BOOM BOOM."

"A crush is like Pre-Algebra because it gives you a lot of problems."

"Having a crush is like playing hockey without protection because you will suffer without her."

What's The Spanish Word For ROOT CANAL?

After this week, I'll be able to add "root canal in Honduras" to my list of experiences. Seriously considering living on milkshakes the rest of my life to avoid damage to any other tooth fillings!

Mountain Man...Again

I never guessed I would live in the mountains. Now, I've done it not just once but twice.

After grad school, I spent a year living in the north Georgia mountains. The town was a scenic, beautiful, and very boring place for a single young professional like me.

But on the list of benefits of the experience, my time in the Appalachian Mountains caused me to discover important things about myself. I learned lessons that are serving me now. For example, living in such a remote area made me realize two things I need access to in life:

1. Regular arts experiences

2. Deep relationships

Without those things, I can start to feel like my soul is withering. This knowledge helped me come into my current situation with eyes wide open, and I am thankful.

Girlfriend

I brought my beloved SLR camera from home after Christmas. A little more art in my life is exactly what I need!
(If I didn't say it in a previous post - the arts scene in Copan leaves something to be desired.)

And now that there's no more college football to look forward to every Saturday, picture taking could help fill the void there.

Nashville:
me with my girlfriend, Canon Rebel!

It's A Funny Feeling

You know what feels funny?

Having information in my brain about people and situations here in Copan...but having no idea whether I gleaned the information in English or Spanish.

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles: Leaving Home Again

On my way back from spending Christmas in the states, the trip to Copan felt like a long travel day.

After completing most of the transportation starts, stops, and changes, I had grown weary of taking out my passport, showing boarding passes, rushing to make airline and bus station schedules, sitting in the middle seat, asking airline employees if I'll ever see my missing suitcase again, etc.

So, preparing to board my last bus, I realized the move to make was to take a deep breath, exhale, and have a Coke and a smile!