La Union

Yesterday we left Gracias for the trip to La Union, our home for the next 10 months (give or take a few weekends off or holidays) We have developed a new skill during this trip, the supreme ability to pack and squash baggage for 6 people into the back and top of a pick up truck! Obviously a useful skill to have in Honduras

It was Molly's birthday yesterday and so we had hamburgers and cake at Jake's house which was really nice.. This is how Honduras traditionally cut cakes and in Jake's words 'I didn't say it made sense, I just said it was Honduran'

 We have moved into our pink house and just in the process of decorating it with flags and pictures and general homely things.. will try and get photos of it asap, but as we only have wifi in the school it may be a few days for me and Kate to organise ourselves

This is La Union, and our pinc house from the outside! We had a visit from a little crazy lady today but Kate kindly asked her to exit, and eventually she did..thank goodness!

Vida Abundante

So yesterday was a bonding day with the American teachers who arrived on monday evening. They're all really nice and like to laugh both at and with us, 'the british ones' which is a good thing!

Coming with us to La Union are Sharon and Molly, which is very exciting! Sharon is really down to earth and walked around Gracias with Kate and I, laughing and talking about random things. 

In the evening we went to the Hot Springs, which Kate had misinformed me about, saying it was like geysers of water that erupted, but in reality they were essentially warm baths, and were really relaxing and a nice if not strange way to bond with the american teachers.. I'm pretty sure they regard me as weird after that experience...

The Christian aspect of the project has began to emerge and so far it's not too scary and intimidating, just different, and something we will have to accept and just go with, which will be good for me I think

Today we had an orientation day up in the Gracias Vida Abundante School, which is unlike any school I have ever seen before.. It's absolutely stunning (will post photos tomorrow) The grounds are surrounded by the highest mountains in honduras, they have water features, a gardner to tend to all the beautiful plants and even a bridge! (which seems ultimately useless apart from being decorative)

It was really interesting to meet the directors of the school in Gracias and get a bit more information about how Vida Abundante schools actually work and function. We experienced something this morning called a devotional, which consisted of singing songs, but usually varies between singing, bible studies, praying and other religious practises..again very interesting, and as it's something that they do every morning here in Vida Abundante, so I feel it's definitely a tradition we will learn to accept and eventually enjoy. 

The realisation of how very religious this organisation is has hit me with full force today, not in a bad way at all, because I truly believe the morals that these schools teach are morals that I would wish to teach every child... it's just that they go about it in a different way that I, and most Britains would be use too.. but you, as readers have to realise, just as I have over this last week, what an immense difference the schools make to the children in the community..They offer an opportunity to not only have an academic education, but a lifestyle education. They give these kids morals and life lessons that they would not have otherwise, and if the way that they do that is through 'Gods work' then I don't think it could really ever be criticised..

We've arrived!

We arrived on Friday evening after a long day of travelling. On the flight over from London to Houston I had the experience of being a trolly dolly/ (welsh) wagon dragon with Flight Master Jim who was a complete legend!
We were picked up from the airport by Jake and Rachel, two americans who work for Vida Abundante, and they took us to a hotel in San Pedro Sula for us to get some sleep!
In the morning we went to buy some water, with a grand total of 20 Lempiras, which is about 70p and came back with 5 bags of water AND CHANGE, which is slightly crazy, before the long drive to Gracias in Jake's pick up truck, with four of us girls in the back and bags, which was...interesting to say the least!
While in Gracias we're staying at a beautiful hotel called Hotel Guancastos, which is where you should all send letters too if you want to contact us :)

Today, so..sunday? (I have to keep checking) we went to a town called La Campa, and we took a Canopy Tour, and canopy is definitely the word to describe it! It was insanely amazing, and made better by the fact that there were 6 jumps, which cost us 500 Lempiras each, which, when you work it out costs £3 a jump! The prices here are ridiculous and will definitely take some getting used too, however none of us are complaining!

For anyone who wants to contact me, we're here in Gracias until friday (9th) and the hotel has a great internet connection, so just let me know if you want a chat! After that we will go with the other American teachers (who arrive in Gracias tomorrow for training) to our project in La Union!

The most important thing to mention of course is food, and so far, we have no complaints! Even the bananas are going down well, and my family will understand how big of a deal that is!

Over and out for now!

Going going gone!

Unfortunately I didn't manage to reach my financial target of £5,400 despite my efforts and very kind donations from so many people! However...my dad phoned Project Trust this morning to pay the remaining balance and we discovered that he had to pay a LOT less than we had both expected. Turns out I managed to raise £4,700 in just 8 months, which I am super chuffed about!

Thank you so much to everyone who has supported me and donated towards my adventure, I have been amazed at the kindness of the people around me! This experience has taught me that there are a lot of important people in my life, and has sifted out those who didn't really want to be there, so ever for that I am grateful!

Probably won't get the chance to update the blog before we fly on friday morning...so i guess I'll see you on the other side.... Aaaaaaaaah!

Oh the places you'll go!

As a leaving gift, the children I look after gave me the Dr. Seuss book 'Oh the Places you'll Go' and it's truly brilliant!

Its ridiculous how apt a children's book can be to how I'm feeling right now! It's full of motivational lines and it's just beautiful! Anyone thinking of travelling EVER, should definitely read it, or find a child to read it too, and inspire them to go off into the big wide world!

Training Week

So I've just returned from my extremely tiring training week on the Isle of Coll, and the flights are less than a month away now, which is slightly daunting!
On the plus (x1000) side, I finally met my partner and all the other Honduras volunteers. Miss Kate Adams will be living with me in La Union, and she will be my adoptive sister (as her name is the same as my older sisters) for the duration of the year! Project have done an amazing job of pairing the two of us together and I can't wait to have a year of adventures with 'our Kate'!!
 I've made some brilliant friends this week, they are placed all over Honduras, which means when we have a weekend off or a few weeks holiday we have plenty of people to go an visit, which is all very exciting!

Me and our Kate! The Welsh one and the Irish one, both as childish as each other and as excited as can be for our wee adventure!

Training

So tomorrow I will leave for my training week on the Isle of Coll.. my second trek up to the most westerly island of the Hebrides in Scotland! This adventure consists of an early morning, a long day of train connections, overly priced tea in the stations and a late night..
Luckily this time I will have company for the majority of my trip in the form of Meg, a girl I met on my first 'interview' week on Coll. We immediately made friends being both welsh and slightly crazy, and are lucky enough to have the same training week even though we're going to different countries.

I am faced with the slightly daunting realisation that either tomorrow or monday will be the first time I meet my partner whom I will be living with for the next 12 months come August the 2nd.. It's really strange trying to imagine living with someone for a year, let alone someone you've never met before, and being reliant on them for company when we leave for Honduras and our project..despite the fact we will have only met once, she will be the closest thing to home that I will have with me when I go...

I'm not worried at all about us not getting on, because when I went up for the Interview week there was not one person in my group that I didn't get on with and like, so I'm sure we'll get on really really well, but it's just a bit odd that I've been waiting to meet this girl, and she me for the last 7 months and our first conversation could be on the train (this is how I imagine it will go)

"hey, are you with Project Trust?"
Yes, are you?
(getting excited)
"so where are you going?"
'Honduras, you?
(more excited)
Honduras...which project?
"La Union"
OH MY GOODNESS SAME! 

and that's it..Introduction: DONE

I will be honest, if it doesn't happen like this I will be a little disappointed, so no pressure mystery girl!