Bringing Honduras Home

It has been a week since I left Honduras, and while much of me is here, in the states, a part of me remains in Orocuina. Jumping back and forth between countries and worlds is always a challenge. There is different food to be appreciated, music and movies to catch up on, the use of a car, politics... the list goes on. There is also a change of pace. Aimless hours spent reading or chatting while sharing a hammock are quickly filled with visits to friends and family, catching up on those movies, and 500 other little things you just didn't seem to have to worry about before now. This time I was a bit more prepared, and in order to assist my "transition", I decided to bring a little bit of Honduras home with me.

My first attempts at cooking after coming back to the states

My first trip to the grocery store, my purchases included mangoes, beans, and chili sauce (along with dark beer ofcourse!!). Our house has also blasted lots of Enrique Iglesias, Juan Luis Guerra, las Chicas Roland along with various reggeaton and bachata groups in the past week. There is something comforting about having these basic Latin American staples on hand in that, for now, they represent small ways in which I am able to integrate my two worlds. It is also wonderful to be able to share these worlds with other people. My mom got a kick out of my punta dancing skills and asked that I bring along my "hip shaking music" to the next family event :) She also surprised me by having corn tortillas and green enchilada sauce on hand!

Apparently music and food were not the only things I managed to bring home with me from Honduras... Lester, the friendly parasite, has been camped out for some time. For better or worse, regular stomach and intestinal visitors are a part of the package when living in a developing area with poor water quality. Stomach pangs are fairly common and often go away/get flushed out on their own. In the rare case they decide to overstay their welcome, a quick visit to the local clinic provides your basic antibiotic and antiparasite meds. (Often they don't even run a culture, they just push on your hyperextended belly and give you both meds, assuming one of the two will do the job.) To quote a Honduran friend, " Everyone has parasites, but at least you're never alone." Awesome!

So, I guess I was a bit lax with Lester, and he decided to make his move and attempt to take over the joint. I started to have the tell tale signs that our "relationship" was headed in the wrong direct

• Shooting pains after eating or drinking, even small quantities


• Inflated belly


• Uncontrollable need to burb... without drinking a six-pack


• Fever and chills


• Lots of extra trips to the bathroom

After losing an entire night's sleep to Lester and his "antics," I decided it was time to show my "guest" the door. One mildly amusing doctor's appointment and 3 ridiculously complex cultures later (whatever happened to just the cup???), I am on my meds and soon to catch up on my beauty rest.

I never would have expected just how much I miss Honduras, but I am glad that there are some things that I am able to bring with me. :)