Welcome Home To Copan!

It seems we've come to the part of August when newly-hired foreign teachers leave their home in the U.S. or Canada or other country that's not Honduras to embark on a very special journey here in Copan.

It's a fact that makes me feel inspired to return to the written account of my own experience as a new arrival in these mountains last summer.

And as I write these lines, it occurs to me that the one-year anniversary of this here blog already arrived (August 3rd). I never had a blog or any type of journal survive this amount of time. Feels like I should pause a moment and smile to myself in satisfied celebration of the milestone.

Because of my decision to move down three weeks early, enroll in language school, and live with a host family last summer, my circumstances were unlike most new foreign teachers. Most teachers arrive within one week of the start of teacher orientation and move directly into their assigned housing.

They may pass a handful of days somewhat isolated since orientation is where new staffers get their first chance at really connecting with all the other new folks as well as the returners and Honduran staff.

Whereas I had the host family husband and wife and their kids for human contact every day, I guess the first days in town could feel lonely for those settling in prior to meeting other English-speaking foreigners who they can easily relate to.

After all, those teachers don't necessarily land here possessing the confidence and language skills to trot down into town and strike up conversations with local strangers in Spanish.

Since I stuck around here most of the summer this year, I was in a position to help soften the landing for the school's employees setting foot on these cobblestone roads for the first time. Greeting and welcoming are natural roles for me, so I have been pleased to walk down to the bus station and receive some of my new co-workers.

Last year, the foreign staff principal took the new group to dinner. I still remember being unable to understand what the server said and asked. Someone at the table had to translate for me.

This year, we have a different foreign staff principal - someone who is herself new to town. I guess that's at least part of the reason the Honduran administrators have enlisted me for a couple of welcome dinners (more than one dinner has been hosted since some of the new teachers this summer are trickling in at different times instead of arriving in a larger cluster right around the same day).

When it comes to the "Other duties as assigned" part of my job description, I guess going to dinner for free with my peers is a better one of them.