Saturday, April 26, 2014

I Am The Greatest Version Of Myself...

...while laughing in the passenger seat of your car.

The majority of my friendship with Karen can be summed up by me riding shotgun in her car while listening to teen pop music, telling ridiculous stories, and laughing just a little bit too loudly.

But the tables were turned just a little bit this Spring Break when SHE CAME TO SPEND THE WEEK WITH ME IN HONDURAS!! I still get excited thinking about it. I cannot stress it enough; it is so, so great having people from home come visit me.

We actually hadn't even planned this trip until it come up in conversation that we had the same Spring Break. Two hours upon having this realization, tickets were bought. Two short weeks later, Karen would be on her way to Honduras. And let me tell you, there are few things greater than thinking you might not see your best friend for at least three months but all of a sudden realizing that you will see her in fourteen days.
I couldn't contain my elation. I was SOOOO happy!
I was so anxious to see Karen. I didn't sleep the night before. All morning I was smiling and screaming about how happy I was. I was in a fantastic mood until I realized that we were running late and she was going to be waiting for us at the airport. At which point I became very cranky. But then I screamed the whole way down the road leading to the airport and jumped out of Cristian's car before it came to a complete stop. And then screamed in the airport when I actually saw her. I regret nothing.

We started off Karen's Honduran adventure with a trip to Denny's. A real Honduran meal, ya know? But then on the way home we go roadside fruit and stopped at my favorite Honduran chair before picking up everyone else and riding in the back of a pickup truck to go get pupusas. Which is far more Honduran than Denny's.

The essence of Honduras.
I'm obsessed with this chair. I'm obsessed with these people.
When in Honduras, do as Honduran do.
Las Cabanas-- a true Honduran meal. 
Day Two was spent at Water Island. Where we ate some of the best fried chicken I have ever consumed. Going to the pool in April will never get old. Going to the pool with my best friend in April will never get old.


We ventured to Comayagua and the creepy playground on Day Three. The church was just as beautiful as always and the town was just as hot. Unfortunately, the playground equipment at the playground is all breaking (shocker, I know), so it's just being more and more of a disappointment. The rickety, old wooden bridge never disappoints though.

Comayagua.
My really photogenic friends.
Things you don't see in Ohio. Ever.

We drove to La Ceiba for the end of the week and spent a day in Cayos Cochinos. It. Was. Beautiful. The 45 minute boat ride was all sorts of painful, but we could not stop laughing. Held some snakes, snorkeled a little, ate some fish, gathered some shells. General beach things. The words "It's so beautiful here" were said no less than 50 times that day.

The two people who know me better than anyone else.
My people.
Welcome to Cayos!


If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times. I love being in Honduras, but it is SO HARD to be away from everyone in the States. It meant the world to me to have Karen here and show her what my life has been like for the past two years. And, just like it was with my family, saying goodbye was so much harder than I could have imagined. I am so, so grateful for my family and the friends who have stuck with me despite the physical distance I insist on putting between us.

The time together is always wonderful and better than I could ever hope. The goodbyes always bring me to tears. Please come back. :(