Saturday, September, 29, 2012
Today was an unexpected day, not in a bad way, just a day where we threw the plan book out the window and enjoyed what surrounded us. After being on a trip for 6 days and traveling all over a country you can imagine the exhaustion; and the anticipation but also sadness with the thought of leaving this new place and returning home.
As we savored our day and went our own ways, Joy, Dr. Wilson, and myself decided to enjoy the community where we were staying, along with the beach and the pool. Just some time to savor our current place of being.
The city of Tela is medium sized in comparison to others, it is not large and scattered like Tegucigalpa, but not as quiet as Copan. In any case it was still new territory so without a guide or driver we were unsure of what direction to go in and were at breakfast trying to make a plan. Then, as luck would have it Joy recognized a guy who spoke English that she and the others had met the night before. So with Dr. Wilson giving her a little nudge, she went over and asked him what area of town he suggested would be safe for us to walk to and if it was okay to walk in town by ourselves. And what do you know, he offered to be our personal guide and join us for our walk.
We met in the lobby at 10:30am and as we walked towards town learned that he was an intern from the University of Richmond. His internship is with the resort manager for the fall semester, but this has got to be one of the coolest internships ever because he lives at the resort, has weekends off, and had a week off not that long ago! It sure beat the heck out of my internship of milking cows all hours of the night and mowing hay. Anyways, moving on, we learned that is parents are from Honduras, but live in the US and were a typical blue collar family. He attended a boarding school in Connecticut and now in his last year of college, still trying to figure out exactly his plans for the future. Although on an internship for international business management/travel//tourism he has realized real quick that managing a hotel would not be his future plan.
In town we all found a few local shops that were interesting and one with some great local goods. Dr. Wilson was on the hunt for leather belts, and it just so happened there were several in this one shop. So we were all meandering around the shop when we hear Wilson say to our new friend, "What size pants do you wear?" Joy and I literally busted out laughing!!!! Then it became a comical moment for the books on this trip. You could see him get just a little embarrassed but he laughed right along with us. This turned into what we told him would be great for his resume as he now got to be our official "belt model." I think Wilson had him try on at least 5 belts to determine which ones would fit her son and her husband. May not seem as comical in this blog as it was in person, but just imagine meeting a young man, from the States, in Honduras at a Tropical Resort, who then gave you a tour around town and you asked him to try stuff on for you.... Hmm maybe a bit creepy, maybe a bit odd, but a whole lot of humor for our morning!
As we continued in town it was great to have the opportunity to just talk with a new person, learn about Honduras, see the local vendors and their market place, and just be casual. In education there is not always a time when you can relax, reflect, and re-energize. When in fact it may be what you need more than anything.
A few hours passed an we were just dripping in sweat, and let me tell you, the idea of "glowing" went out the window last Sunday when we melted in the airport parking lot in about 5 minutes. Today we experienced a bit of a different kind of heat though, there were intense rays and little air movement. An occasional breeze went by but was only really noticeable if you were in the shade. However, at our disposal were an entire beach or resort pool with a water-slide and all. So why pass up such opportunities? Well, being that I did not bring a bathing suit I was really hesitant about the idea of enjoying these luxuries... However since Joy and Wilson both said, who the heck is going to remember what you had on here or ever see you again here, it was enough to give me a boost. So, I went back a few decades and enjoyed the water in my tank top and shorts... Obviously by sharing that on a blog it no longer becomes something people can forget about, but it was an experience, and it wasn't terrible, so why not share it. Plus maybe this will help with the packing list reminders for my next travel. You never know when you might experience it too!
The ocean was absolutely gorgeous! Now, if you plan to be visiting the North Coast of Honduras, this is a great new area that is trying to develop into a tourist attraction, however do not expect those turquoise blue seas that you might experience in the other Caribbean areas. It appears much like an East Coast beach, minus the shells and strong undertow. The temperature was honestly warmer than most showers that I took this week and salt content very high. After an hour or so, it wasn't really refreshing anymore so we tried the pool. But in all honesty I think Joy and I could have chilled at the beach for a week and been perfectly content... Only if it were a vacation of course, I mean we surely don't want to give an impression like it was better than all the agricultural sites we had seen this week ;-)
The pool was as warm as bath water as well, but it had a slide, so it had to be experienced. After all, this trips is all about exploring what Honduras has to offer!
Lunch at the restaurant on the beach was enjoyable as we met back up with the group and there were 8 of us together again. Joy and I indulged in a Cheeseburger, which I have been hankering for about 3 days now and after having the one I had today, I will probably not be hankering for one for a very long time since it was so incredibly gross!! Remember all the media craze when people were complaining about "pink slime?" Ya, that's nothing compared to this mushy, pressed patty that existed somewhere between a bun and tomato. However, this was one of few meals that wasn't real great so it's okay.
Then as the afternoon rolled around we once again loaded up in the green van and headed for another new town. Tonight we arrived in San Pedro Sula, a popular city and the location of the other main airport that we would be traveling from. We have a morning flight so we are at a nice, modern and quiet hotel just a few blocks away from the busy areas of the city. We checked in and as we went to our rooms learned about some new energy efficient practices that the hotel had in place. I say this, because we at first thought our room was without power, but then after trying all the switches and remotes, I noticed a slot on the wall for the room key, it had a red light on it, but no real directions or anything saying what would happen if you did put a card in it. Without knowing if I was calling for room service or dispatching someone, I put the card in and all of a sudden all the switches that had been turned on began to work and we could set the air conditioner too! So much ingenuity in a place that we questioned development in so many ways.
As a group we made a quick trip to the mall, checked out local stores and had some snacks at the food court. When our driver dropped us off a the hotel it was time to say goodbye to our new friend Julia, who was beyond helpful this week. I could not imagine having come here, knowing so little Spanish, and nothing about the physical aspects of Honduras and she not be with us to guide us and ease the language barrier. A thank you seems hardly enough for a person who gave up so much of their time to explore with us and have the patience for our thousands of questions.
Joy and I returned to our room for a few hours of synthesizing and reminiscing about our trip. We can hardly believe it has been a week, it went by so quickly, most days not really even knowing what day of the week it was or what time it was. We recapped about how we spent less than $200 on food for a week, but spent more on snacks and bottled water than we even realized. Thought about where our money had went and not went, and how each souvenir has a story or bargain behind it.
Honduras has been an amazing experience and I pray that tomorrow we have an easy travel to the airport and a safe flight home.
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Tela!
Here are some pics of the R & R in Tela.... A great way to unwind from a busy week and see the building of new resort town!
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
A day of Learning and Adventure
Our morning started with a short commute in Tegucigalpa as we headed to visit the inner city university of UNITEC. Now we were in Julia's territory because this is where she went to college. This school could be comparable to a commuter college in the US, many of the attendees come to campus for a class or two Monday-Friday and then go home. Majors are focused around business, and a new medical school area is being constructed.
While on campus we met with two individuals who shared insight on the educational system and on the country of Honduras. After about 3 hours I had approximately 5 pages of notes, not sure they are all entirely legible now but I hope that I can decipher them to be quite helpful for those of us traveling this week and the new group that we will bring in the Spring. UNITEC is a modern school with many advantages for those who attend. They have exchange programs, study abroad opportunities, and they spend time studying their own country's education and culture. I also left with a book list about 10 books long that are on the to do list for coming months.
We were fortunate that the commute from the hotel to the school was very short and there was minimal traffic, a big difference from the night before. As we left UNITEC we could see the area getting a bit more busy, but the fun part of the day was making many circles on the same two roads until we finally stopped at our destination, Heifer International - Honduras.
After finishing up around 1pm with the guys from Heifer International and a local organization called ANAFAE we decided it would be best to wait about an hour before stopping for lunch. So we headed out on the road to Lake Yojoa. Thankfully much of the road was a well constructed highway, as the country is currently paving a new road in hopes of moving the international airport to another town.
Lunch time was an experience for sure, not a horrible one, just an experience....
Will continue the post updates soon, because this story is nowhere finished.
While on campus we met with two individuals who shared insight on the educational system and on the country of Honduras. After about 3 hours I had approximately 5 pages of notes, not sure they are all entirely legible now but I hope that I can decipher them to be quite helpful for those of us traveling this week and the new group that we will bring in the Spring. UNITEC is a modern school with many advantages for those who attend. They have exchange programs, study abroad opportunities, and they spend time studying their own country's education and culture. I also left with a book list about 10 books long that are on the to do list for coming months.
(Coffee shop on campus)
We were fortunate that the commute from the hotel to the school was very short and there was minimal traffic, a big difference from the night before. As we left UNITEC we could see the area getting a bit more busy, but the fun part of the day was making many circles on the same two roads until we finally stopped at our destination, Heifer International - Honduras.
(The roads in Tegucigalpa)
Lunch time was an experience for sure, not a horrible one, just an experience....
Will continue the post updates soon, because this story is nowhere finished.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
From Catacamas to Valle del Yeguare
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
This morning our goal was to leave the hotel in Catacamas at 8am and we are happy to report that we were ready at 7:55am! Not just on time but early!! Ideally our goal was to arrive at Zamorano by 11am, we somehow ended up running behind. But no worries, our ride was not boring for a minute. Lori translated the newspaper for us and we learned that hospitals need sheets, some people were murdered in some city, and there's a pizza hut buffet! Okay, I know those are the most extreme ends of the spectrum, and there were more news articles, but we weren't going to make her translate all of that.
Then we proceeded to do more "roadside watching", we've all heard of "people watching," well this is similar, but it's a group effort consisting of several white people riding around the country of Honduras taking photos of people, their practices and their land. We were excited to see our first cattle crossing, no warning signs, but we had enough time to slow down and take pictures of the cattle just meandering across the road. A little further down the road a local was carrying his cattle to market. The trailer may look a little more primitive than you might be used to....
The picture is not great, but we try to capture what we can while we make progress traveling. So how many of my aggie friends and livestock producers would like to still be carrying their cattle in a wooden cage?? It works! Hopefully they were successful at the market or trade that they were headed to. We all know what's it like to have a bad day at a sale :-/
Further down the road, after traveling about an hour and fifteen minutes we experienced yet another check point. I realize I have not told you much about this so far, but as some of you may be aware, while traveling in another country it is always interesting to learn how their government and security work. Each day that we have traveled we have seen police and military at various locations, but most commonly present where departments and cities change. This particular checkpoint was by military, and of course they pulled us over! We have hardly made it through any without being pulled over, we must look suspicious. Two of them looked over our vehicle quite thoroughly, didn't ask many questions, and then just waved us on. Not sure what they are ever looking for, I mean we do look funny sometimes but nothing too exciting in our luggage!
Along this ride we viewed some areas of "slash & burn," some fertile farm land, and of course more fish farms(ponds). We crossed out of Olancho and into Francisco Morazan around 9:42am. Surprisingly still quite far from our destination. Along the road there was a great deal of lumber production and many lumber yards that spanned for about 1/4 of a mile each. We made a short stop at a gas station, which in case you need it, carries hard liquor right next to the candy bars! I opted for gatorade, as did several others. In front of this area, there was a bit of a market area where some locals were setup selling goods and waiting for a bus.
Before arriving in Valle del Yeguare, which is where Zamorano is, we had another short laugh as we passed a small pickup with a PA system on the outside of it. The driver was making announcements to the community which were projected from the megaphone on the top of his cab! New meaning to media technology, I think I will term this as a "Dispatch Truck."
This morning our goal was to leave the hotel in Catacamas at 8am and we are happy to report that we were ready at 7:55am! Not just on time but early!! Ideally our goal was to arrive at Zamorano by 11am, we somehow ended up running behind. But no worries, our ride was not boring for a minute. Lori translated the newspaper for us and we learned that hospitals need sheets, some people were murdered in some city, and there's a pizza hut buffet! Okay, I know those are the most extreme ends of the spectrum, and there were more news articles, but we weren't going to make her translate all of that.
Then we proceeded to do more "roadside watching", we've all heard of "people watching," well this is similar, but it's a group effort consisting of several white people riding around the country of Honduras taking photos of people, their practices and their land. We were excited to see our first cattle crossing, no warning signs, but we had enough time to slow down and take pictures of the cattle just meandering across the road. A little further down the road a local was carrying his cattle to market. The trailer may look a little more primitive than you might be used to....
Further down the road, after traveling about an hour and fifteen minutes we experienced yet another check point. I realize I have not told you much about this so far, but as some of you may be aware, while traveling in another country it is always interesting to learn how their government and security work. Each day that we have traveled we have seen police and military at various locations, but most commonly present where departments and cities change. This particular checkpoint was by military, and of course they pulled us over! We have hardly made it through any without being pulled over, we must look suspicious. Two of them looked over our vehicle quite thoroughly, didn't ask many questions, and then just waved us on. Not sure what they are ever looking for, I mean we do look funny sometimes but nothing too exciting in our luggage!
Along this ride we viewed some areas of "slash & burn," some fertile farm land, and of course more fish farms(ponds). We crossed out of Olancho and into Francisco Morazan around 9:42am. Surprisingly still quite far from our destination. Along the road there was a great deal of lumber production and many lumber yards that spanned for about 1/4 of a mile each. We made a short stop at a gas station, which in case you need it, carries hard liquor right next to the candy bars! I opted for gatorade, as did several others. In front of this area, there was a bit of a market area where some locals were setup selling goods and waiting for a bus.
Before arriving in Valle del Yeguare, which is where Zamorano is, we had another short laugh as we passed a small pickup with a PA system on the outside of it. The driver was making announcements to the community which were projected from the megaphone on the top of his cab! New meaning to media technology, I think I will term this as a "Dispatch Truck."
Monday, September 24, 2012
More on how our morning started while visiting UNA
A few kilometers before reaching our location for the day our van full of North Carolina State University faculty and students enjoyed a great smile reminding us of our presence in this country.
This young man was definitely thinking "Crazy Gringo" as I was the official paparazzi of the morning taking pictures from the van. I couldn't help it, I was just so excited when I spotted the red, Wolfpack hat on his head!!
UNA - Universidad Nacional de Agricultura
As we spent the day at UNA we discovered a great deal about their faculty, students, and facilities. After morning conferences we enjoyed lunch with the agriculture faculty and advanced English students. The students spoke English very well and ranged in all ages from freshmen to seniors. We started out outside under an enormous tree where we had shade and a bit of a breeze.
Then, just as the cafeteria staff started to carry out our lunches it began to rain, at first just a few sprinkles so we thought oh okay, no big deal. Then a complete downpour started to come, the two of us who had been served picked up our plates and followed the others to the dining hall. Although still nice, and clean, the temperature rose several degrees as we entered the concrete block building with a tin roof and no insulation.
Something that I noticed while in conversation and still looking around the room is that as groups of students entered they practiced politeness and manners that sometimes we no longer see at home. Every young man who entered the cafeteria removed their cap immediately and then washed their hands before entering the serving line. A small gesture but their practicing this respective gesture was refreshing.
UNA - Universidad Nacional de Agricultura
As we spent the day at UNA we discovered a great deal about their faculty, students, and facilities. After morning conferences we enjoyed lunch with the agriculture faculty and advanced English students. The students spoke English very well and ranged in all ages from freshmen to seniors. We started out outside under an enormous tree where we had shade and a bit of a breeze.
Then, just as the cafeteria staff started to carry out our lunches it began to rain, at first just a few sprinkles so we thought oh okay, no big deal. Then a complete downpour started to come, the two of us who had been served picked up our plates and followed the others to the dining hall. Although still nice, and clean, the temperature rose several degrees as we entered the concrete block building with a tin roof and no insulation.
Something that I noticed while in conversation and still looking around the room is that as groups of students entered they practiced politeness and manners that sometimes we no longer see at home. Every young man who entered the cafeteria removed their cap immediately and then washed their hands before entering the serving line. A small gesture but their practicing this respective gesture was refreshing.
Monday, September 24, 2012
Today I feel as though we have been exposed to more information than I can possibly retain, but I am hopeful that I have taken enough notes, photos, and memories to carry me through.
Last night we ordered our "Breakfast Typical" to be ready for 7am. We were all ready and at the restaurant relatively on time, which for those of you that know me well, you know this can be a challenge. Also, we are functioning on a bit of a time zone difference here, they are about 2 hours behind the US.
Our breakfast was beans, small hot dog type things (beanie weenies?), avocado, 1 fried egg, plantains, and tortillas.
We loaded up in our awesome green van with our favorite driver and headed for the Unversidad Nacional de Agricultura. This university is similar to the technical schools in the US that have 4 year agricultural degrees. It absolutely exemplifies what I and my fellow Ag teachers know as one important line of the FFA Motto.... Learning to Do!
Here we met at least 12 different professors from the university and learned what each of their specialties are. We spent most of the morning discussing what our TLEG (Teaching locally, engaging globally) program plan is and our goals for working on this experience in Honduras. It could not have been better received in the fact that after a few hours of round table discussions we were introducing ourselves to each other again and really making some personal connections.
We toured the entire campus, literally, and it is so student focused that anyone who teaches would be absolutely amazed. The students here are attentive, well mannered, and so passionate about what they do. I met a young lady named Sylvia who I cannot describe in any other way than AMAZING! She is a first year student here and expressed her passion for studying natural resources and conserving Honduras. I cannot wait to tell you more about the hour long conversation I had with this young person. After having taught for 5 years and now becoming a student again, she exemplifies everything we wish for our students to become as a young adult.
My time on the internet is coming to a close, we have been fortunate to get about an hour online at the university so I hope you enjoy the updates so far. I cannot wait to share more about this experience and the people of Honduras.
Today I feel as though we have been exposed to more information than I can possibly retain, but I am hopeful that I have taken enough notes, photos, and memories to carry me through.
Last night we ordered our "Breakfast Typical" to be ready for 7am. We were all ready and at the restaurant relatively on time, which for those of you that know me well, you know this can be a challenge. Also, we are functioning on a bit of a time zone difference here, they are about 2 hours behind the US.
Our breakfast was beans, small hot dog type things (beanie weenies?), avocado, 1 fried egg, plantains, and tortillas.
We loaded up in our awesome green van with our favorite driver and headed for the Unversidad Nacional de Agricultura. This university is similar to the technical schools in the US that have 4 year agricultural degrees. It absolutely exemplifies what I and my fellow Ag teachers know as one important line of the FFA Motto.... Learning to Do!
Here we met at least 12 different professors from the university and learned what each of their specialties are. We spent most of the morning discussing what our TLEG (Teaching locally, engaging globally) program plan is and our goals for working on this experience in Honduras. It could not have been better received in the fact that after a few hours of round table discussions we were introducing ourselves to each other again and really making some personal connections.
We toured the entire campus, literally, and it is so student focused that anyone who teaches would be absolutely amazed. The students here are attentive, well mannered, and so passionate about what they do. I met a young lady named Sylvia who I cannot describe in any other way than AMAZING! She is a first year student here and expressed her passion for studying natural resources and conserving Honduras. I cannot wait to tell you more about the hour long conversation I had with this young person. After having taught for 5 years and now becoming a student again, she exemplifies everything we wish for our students to become as a young adult.
My time on the internet is coming to a close, we have been fortunate to get about an hour online at the university so I hope you enjoy the updates so far. I cannot wait to share more about this experience and the people of Honduras.
Arriving in Honduras
Yesterday we departed Tegucigalpa around 1:30pm Honduras time and headed for Catacamas for our first night here. We made our first pit stop at a Mall.... yes, first stop after leaving the airport was a mall. Some folks purchased cell phones for the price of $15! The mall was just what you would imagine in a foreign country, commercialized stores and restaurants from America! There were actually 3 Dunkin Donuts in the span of about 10 stores. Then at the food court, we had several options, many of which could have been something familiar like Pizza Hut or Wendy's but we were all adventurous and tried the local places.
Wait until you see the picture of the food I had for lunch, some locals had a tray of it and several took one look and had to know where to find it. I could not eat the entire meal, and it is definitely great for sharing with another person. Basically a giant deep fried taco, with pork, beef, chicken, and cheese all inside of it and the cold veggies across the top. Along with about 4 sauces, that I couldn't try to describe or pronounce... actually, I couldn't spell them either. So basically it was amazing and my favorite thing so far! I paid approximately $6.40 (US) for this meal and a bottle of water.
Our trip continued after lunch with a nice long drive through the country, about 4 hours to a hotel near Catacamas, Villa Paraiso. A cute little structure, well hidden by trees and just off the main road. Joy, another grad student, and myself entered our room and were completely impressed by the cleanliness and fresh smell of what we observed to be great attention to detail! It made us much more comfortable and at ease as to where we were about to spend the next two nights. The fascinating thing about this hotel, is that across the road they also have a restaurant, but not just any food is served there, they have a series of tilapia ponds that they utilize for their menu. The menu for the night was a variety of fish plates, but if I wanted I could have had a hamburger.... Why though, when there is a chance to try all of this authentic cuisine?? We enjoyed an appetizer, that quite frankly looks disgusting in photos but tasted amazing and then we all order the "small fish" which literally came as a whole small fried fish. I think it may have been battered or marinated, not sure, but quite tasty.
I think overall the worry for our night was that we weren't going to have air conditioning and there wasn't a breeze. I mean we knew we weren't staying at the Hilton, but we also were getting pretty warm. So we anticipated a bit of a sleepless night... until Dr. Jones came to the rescue! He and Dr Wilson stopped by to clue us in.... We did in fact have air conditioning!!! It was so exciting, I cannot really even express our emotions at that moment!! I will post a picture later of what the unit looked like, but sure enough a small white remote could be found on the night stand, and it did not belong to the TV!
Wait until you see the picture of the food I had for lunch, some locals had a tray of it and several took one look and had to know where to find it. I could not eat the entire meal, and it is definitely great for sharing with another person. Basically a giant deep fried taco, with pork, beef, chicken, and cheese all inside of it and the cold veggies across the top. Along with about 4 sauces, that I couldn't try to describe or pronounce... actually, I couldn't spell them either. So basically it was amazing and my favorite thing so far! I paid approximately $6.40 (US) for this meal and a bottle of water.
Our trip continued after lunch with a nice long drive through the country, about 4 hours to a hotel near Catacamas, Villa Paraiso. A cute little structure, well hidden by trees and just off the main road. Joy, another grad student, and myself entered our room and were completely impressed by the cleanliness and fresh smell of what we observed to be great attention to detail! It made us much more comfortable and at ease as to where we were about to spend the next two nights. The fascinating thing about this hotel, is that across the road they also have a restaurant, but not just any food is served there, they have a series of tilapia ponds that they utilize for their menu. The menu for the night was a variety of fish plates, but if I wanted I could have had a hamburger.... Why though, when there is a chance to try all of this authentic cuisine?? We enjoyed an appetizer, that quite frankly looks disgusting in photos but tasted amazing and then we all order the "small fish" which literally came as a whole small fried fish. I think it may have been battered or marinated, not sure, but quite tasty.
I think overall the worry for our night was that we weren't going to have air conditioning and there wasn't a breeze. I mean we knew we weren't staying at the Hilton, but we also were getting pretty warm. So we anticipated a bit of a sleepless night... until Dr. Jones came to the rescue! He and Dr Wilson stopped by to clue us in.... We did in fact have air conditioning!!! It was so exciting, I cannot really even express our emotions at that moment!! I will post a picture later of what the unit looked like, but sure enough a small white remote could be found on the night stand, and it did not belong to the TV!
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Departure
It's 6:44am and everyone (Dr Warner, Dr Jones, Dr Wilson, and Joy) has arrived with me at Gate C15 at the Raleigh Durham Airport! We are about to board for our first flight which will take us to Atlanta with just a short time to transfer over to our connecting flight to Honduras!
So before we depart I will give you brief history of the last few days...
About a week ago I was having a conversation with my sister about how I grew up in New York State my whole life, and yet I will now have traveled to another country before ever visiting New York City! Ok, so at this point it's sinking in just a little.
Then Wednesday rolls around, my to do list is a mile long with a Statistics midterm at 7:15pm. I finished early at the office and went home to dedicate 4 hours to studying and practicing for said midterm. Then, while driving to class it hits me like a brick and I start texting my friend Ashley, a partner in this "back to school" journey, and she replies with limitless excitement, while I begin to stress, then panic about my midterm!
This morning, after only about two hours of sleep, I frantically packed, as I always do, last minute. It became all too real that I was about to leave the country, which was when my anticipation turned into excitement. Thankfully, my new friend Randa was with me every step of the way, so I could repeatedly tell her every five minutes "oh my goodness, I'm really doing this!"
I'm thankful to begin this journey and cannot wait to tell you all about it along the way! It's time to fly!
So before we depart I will give you brief history of the last few days...
About a week ago I was having a conversation with my sister about how I grew up in New York State my whole life, and yet I will now have traveled to another country before ever visiting New York City! Ok, so at this point it's sinking in just a little.
Then Wednesday rolls around, my to do list is a mile long with a Statistics midterm at 7:15pm. I finished early at the office and went home to dedicate 4 hours to studying and practicing for said midterm. Then, while driving to class it hits me like a brick and I start texting my friend Ashley, a partner in this "back to school" journey, and she replies with limitless excitement, while I begin to stress, then panic about my midterm!
This morning, after only about two hours of sleep, I frantically packed, as I always do, last minute. It became all too real that I was about to leave the country, which was when my anticipation turned into excitement. Thankfully, my new friend Randa was with me every step of the way, so I could repeatedly tell her every five minutes "oh my goodness, I'm really doing this!"
I'm thankful to begin this journey and cannot wait to tell you all about it along the way! It's time to fly!
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