life-ful

When I lived in the US, there were a lot of things I got used to having, doing and buying on a regular basis. Moving to Honduras and living on an MCC budget has  forced me to cut back and live with a lot less, but in many healthy ways.

This is not to make you think that I am above impulse purchases--that hard find, often dreamed of chocolate bar that randomly shows up in the grocery store?? In the basket, in under 2 seconds. Nor is this meant to give the impression that I live in austerity. My life in Honduras is rich and varied, always with new things to be discovered and joy to be found in surprises along the way.

Take for instance, what used to be my morning drive to work…in my own car, with my own choice of radio station, and climate controlled interior. A wonderful luxury to have my own car, perhaps even a necessity in a place where public transportation is very limited.

Now, I walk 3 blocks to the office, assaulted by many noises, smells, and sights along the rutted cobblestone street of Santa Rosa. Talking parrots at the corner, the smell of fresh tortillas from the ladies down the block, hammering, sawing, taxi horns and reggaeton music all meld together to serenade me on my way to work.  

And when work requires leaving town to head for the campo? Even better. Fresh air, the cool fog leaving its mark on us as the moto slices through the mountain passes, dust, cattle, trucks, bicycles, bright sunshine, shady coffee plantations and rolling green hills set the backdrop for the ride.

My life here in Honduras is a lot different than my life in the States…

Can I just google a new restaurant on my iPhone and drive there for dinner? 

Nope. I have to ask 4 different people if they’ve heard of the restaurant, and where (in their opinion) it is located, then figure out where the former Copan Dry factory used to be (that was at least 15 years ago) then locate Don Mario’s house that is a block “up” from there, turn where the lady is usually selling tamales (is she today? Who knows?) and hang a left…and maybe, if I’m lucky, I’ll find some kind of restaurant (probably not the one I was looking for).

Can I just go to the store and buy cottage cheese when I want cottage cheese? 

Nope. I have to check 3 different grocery stores (one requiring a taxi ride), scour the shelves for any kind of cheese or cream that resembles cottage cheese, try to describe what cottage cheese is to a Honduran store boy who has no idea what I’m talking about and finally resign myself to finding a manageable substitute.

Can I just walk down the road to clear my head and get some fresh air? 

Nope. First of all, if there is a road that doesn’t have much traffic and leads to a forested area, it’s probably not safe. And as a female, if I walk anywhere, I am bombarded by stares, cat-calls and general annoyance from most male presence.

Would I say there are a lot of things I miss about living in the U.S.? Certainly.

Are they all necessary to me living a full life? Not really.

Oh sure, there are things that would make life easier, but there are so many things I enjoy about life here.  And despite all the drama, there is a surprising amount of normalcy in my weekly routine. The ups and downs in my job that everyone experiences on some level or another; sharing with friends and co-workers the funny (and not so funny) moments in life; going to the gym, cleaning, cooking and going to the movies. But what keeps me on my toes is the never ending learning curve of living life in a culture that is not your own.