This is the end, my friend

Honduras is sending me off in style, with one final megastorm. I’m just waiting for lightning to strike the house or for a tornado to hit. Either one would really be the perfect finish to this rollercoaster of a summer.

Currently, I’m in the middle of packing. I almost have everything situated and my bag is only slightly heavier than when I arrived. That’s a lie, both of my bags are stuffed with things I’ve accumulated over the last 7 weeks. Pascuala and Dalila asked me at work on Monday if, in the States, do I ever put on a dress and wear my hair down and make myself look pretty? I think that’s a pretty good indicator that it’s time for me to go home and take a long shower.  On the other hand, Elmer’s 9 year old daughter Karen asked me tonight if I was a model since she couldn’t think of any other reason why I should be so tall.

Things I will miss about Honduras:

1) The fact that Esmeralda (the cook) knows all of 2 words in English, but she uses them as often as possible.  Incidentally, they happen to be 2 of my favorite words: coffee and lunch.

2) Hair-raising car rides.

3) Speaking Spanglish with Jose and Elmer.

4) Freshly picked mangos, pineapple, bananas and plantains.

5) Following the political situation from the inside.

6) Thunderstorms.

7) Pascuala’s back rubs.

8) Morning coffee (and midday coffee, and afternoon coffee…)

9) Playing soccer with Elmer’s kids.

10) The way everything feels, tastes and looks so vivid.

Things I will not miss about Honduras:

1) Forever being the tallest person in the room.

2) Hair-raising car rides.

3) Knowing that an earthquake, a lightning storm, or a persistent and hungry cow will wake me up tonight.

Tomorrow afternoon I will go with Melvin Flores to San Pedro Sula to spend the night with his family there before I fly out at 7 a.m. on Friday. I feel good about our chances of getting past protests, roadblocks and curfews, especially since ex-pres Mel has decided to delay his triumphant (?) return to Honduras until Saturday.  I still don’t have specific plans for my life once I return, nor do I have specific plans for coming back here. I hope I’ll be back, though, because somewhere between May 16 and July 1, this became home.

Finally, as I’ve adhered to a strict eating regimen that involved stuffing as much tortillas, beans and sugar cane down my throat as humanly possible, Operation Run Off Honduras begins asap. It was worth it.