HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

     So as I am told Thanksgiving is this Thursday! I personally don't feel like Thanksgiving is this week. I partially blame this on the fact that the weather is the same as when I arrived in Honduras 3.5 months ago: hot and sunny. So for me, it is really hard to get in this holiday spirit without the freezing temperatures. However, the American in me knows it is Thanksgiving and the human part of me is a little home sick when it comes to missing my first family Thanksgiving and even more sad that I will be missing the most epic day ever: BLACK FRIDAY. However, like I have mentioned before "I am not missing out on anything I haven't done before." So instead of sulking in homesickness, I decided to be thankful and grateful for the amazing opportunities I am given. This past weekend we were invited to celebrate Thanksgiving at one of the missionary families here in town. It was a potluck style thanksgiving dinner, in which my house brought the mashed potatoes (what is Thanksgiving with out mashed tators!?). We showed up and the amount of food and people there was awesome! It smelled, tasted, and felt like Thanksgiving. Over 50 people from 14 different states and 3 different countries were represented. It was a great day in Gracias.

      As much as I will miss spending time with my family, I am beyond excited to do something new on Thanksgiving for once. This year my roommates, Elizabeth and I are going to explore El Salvador and hit up a surfing beach! I am excited to spend Thanksgiving laying beach side reading a great book. We get 4 days off for Thanksgiving, so it will be a nice and much needed break! So there are many things I am to be grateful for! 

The Lawrence, Kansas of Central America

     Antigua. When I told my friends and family that I was headed to Antigua this past weekend, many of them instantly thought I was headed to the tropical island shown on so many shows and movies and probably the most famous, The Bachelor/Bachelorette. So to answer you question, no I did not go to the romantic and tropical island. Instead this weekend, I went to Antigua, Guatemala. Although, it was not the Antigua many people are already aware of, it did not disappoint! Antigua, Guatemala is hands down the coolest, prettiest, historic, and romantic places I have ever visited.

     After waking up at 3:30 am on Thursday and about 14 hours in a bus, we had arrived (fashionably late, of course, like all Hondurans do) to our conference. The whole reason for traveling to Antigua was for an educational leadership conference. The director of our school had extended the invitation to attend this leadership conference hosted by ACSI (Association of Christian Schools International). I thought to myself, "hey why not attend this leadership conference, not only could I learn something but I will travel and even better miss school!" I had little expectations (living in Honduras, you learn real quick to not have many expectations). So when we arrived about an 1.5 hours late, I was not surprised. In about the first 5 minutes of sitting in our our first workshop, I concluded a few things. One, we were the youngest people BY FAR. Two, these people were not playing around, this conference was NICE. Three, I was about to learn so much more than I had expected. After 2.5 days of seminars and some amazing food, I was reminded so much of what I want to do with my life. I was reminded in so many ways throughout the conference that I do want to teach and I do want to become the best educator possible. It was a very interesting atmosphere due to the fact that we were the youngest of the teaching world. All the teachers from my school who attended are first year teachers, straight out of college. So we are the youngest set of teachers, teaching this year. At first, I was a little intimidated by the amount of experienced teachers in the room and begin to ask myself if they would even take us seriously. However, the conference taught me a lot and gave me the confidence to become a better educator. Once again, I was reminded of one of my favorite quotes...

"There is no COMFORT in your growth zone, but there is no GROWTH in your comfort zone." 

After the conference was over we decided to take an extra day and leave on Sunday. Best decision ever made! We got to explore the amazing and beautiful town of Antigua. I am not joking when I said the most beautiful and cool places on this planet. After spending about half a day in Antigua, I have decided that it is the Lawrence, Kansas of Central America. The town is so welcoming, fun, cool, colorful, down-to-earth, and the list can go on and on. Basically, if you have never been there and you are planning on traveling somewhere unique. Go to Antigua. It will be well worth you time and money! After eating some awesome food, meeting some awesome people, playing in the cobble stone streets, and traveling hours upon hours through Guatemala, I have came to a few conclusions. 

--You know you are no longer in Honduras when...they you see more Pepsi than Coke. 

--when you can drive faster than 60 mph for longer than 20 yards without having to stop/swerve for a pothole. 

--Gracias, Lempira, Honduras is the country. I did not realize how country I was living. Antigua is not a big town however, the food options were awesome. 

--Central America decorates so early for Christmas AND I LOVE IT! I believe this is because they do not wait for "after Thanksgiving" to decorate. 

--Guatemala is beautiful. (DUH!)

--Guatemalans are even more beautiful. They take pride in their culture so much. Their bright colored traditional dresses are an everyday wear. The people are also so much more indigenous than here in Honduras and I love it. 

--Guatemala seems to have it a little more put together than Honduras does...or ever will. 

--Traveling by bus is exhausting but never a dull moment. 

--I have a hidden talent that all my co-workers are now very well aware of and that is BARTERING. 

--The reason why some people might think Central America has some work to do is because they sell 40 cent shots of Tequila on Friday nights. (Blame it on that)

--Antigua embraces their love for art. It was awesome seeing all the different types of art work around the city. So much talent and so much work is put into so much whether it is the tiled Stop Signs on every street corner or the hand painted and sewn headbands. 

Basically that is what I took away from this mini vacation. I had such an amazing time and learned so much! I am beyond excited to go back someday but in the mean time, I am so thrilled to be back in the small, peaceful (for the most part, minus the barking dogs), and beautiful town of Gracias, Honduras. 

Goodnight loves!

xoxo,

Carly Adams 

GOALLL!! HONDURAS WINS....

These past few weeks have been crazy busy, so busy that I have forgotten about this whole blogging thing. So update on my life here in Gracias, Lempira...my life has been crazy, fun, exciting, busy and beyond blessed! It is safe to say I am never bored! First things first, I can NOT even begin to believe that October is HALF over already! I swear I just moved here yet in reality my 90 tourist visa is about up. CRAZINESS! I wake up ever single day thinking "omg, today is already Wednesday, Thursday, etc." Every single morning I am in awe of how quick my days go by here. My weeks fly by and then before I know it it's the Middle of October! However, I am not complaining, I like to believe that it is a good sign. A good sign and reminder of how much I am thoroughly enjoying every thing here. I love my life, i love my job, I love my co-workers, I love my school,  I love Gracias, and most importantly I love my kiddos. So through all of the craziness and time-flying days of school a lot has been happening here in Gracias, Honduras.

-Girl Scouts. One of the teachers here on staff thought it would be a great idea to start a Girl Scouts Troop. Being a girl scout myself for about 7 years, I loved the idea. I am now a troop leader for the "Bees" (Kindergarten to 3rd Graders). We had our first meeting last Friday and had about 25 girls show up. They were so excited to start their journey of being a Girl Scout! They are excited to start "helping others" and to get "patches". This whole Girl Scout thing is still a very new idea, but a very fun and exciting one at that. I think it is a great idea for these girls to have a group of women that they can identify with and look up to. A lot of the children here lack confidence in so many ways. Whether it be self confidence or even school work, I think being in Girl Scouts will help better their confidence.

-HONDURAS WINS!!! If you know anything about Central America, you know one thing and that one thing is soccer! They love their soccer. So over the past couple weeks we have had the awesome opportunity to watch the road to the world cup become tangible. It started last Friday, when after school we watched Honduras win their match which advanced them into the next game. This game was last night (Tuesday). We went to a local restaurant to watch the game. It was a really neat experience eating, drinking, and watching their team play for their spot to the world cup along side 40 other Hondurans. All Honduras had to do was win the game or tie and they had sealed a seat in the world cup. So 90 minutes later game was over and the town was going crazy! Honduras had tied the game and they were on their way to Brazil! The town was nuts until sun up the next morning. We have a local beer stand near one of the teachers house's and karaoke was going on until 4 am! (No exaggeration) Coming from a school where we take college basketball very seriously and we know how to celebrate a win, I felt very similar feelings last night. Seeing the town so spirited the days before the game and seeing the town go in a instant uproar was so awesome! The town had a constant parade of cars, trucks, and motos fitting as many people as possible, for about 2 hours straight! Safe to say, Honduras is very excited at the fact they are going to the World Cup for the 3rd time!

-Birthdays! Birthdays here are so fun!  I have now experienced a few birthdays being here. All ages are so fun to celebrate! One of my kiddos birthday's was last week and we celebrated by having cake and soda (ya i know just want children need is more sugar, but hey they loved it). This morning we also celebrated a very special birthday. Our director and founder of our school (aka my boss) turned the big 5-0 today. Well here in Honduras it is very very common to get a serenade for birthdays. So we decided to surprise Doctora Sandra with just that. Little did I know that these serenades happen about 4 in the morning. So this morning we crawled out of bed, welcomed the still celebrating partyers, and stood outside our boss' house as the Mariachi band serenaded her. About 15 minutes later one very tired Doctora opened her door and welcomed us in. We had coffee and ate some danishes. It was really neat to see the Honduran teachers and the international teachers come together in a time of celebration (even at the crack of dawn).

4 am Happy Birthday to Doctora Sandra.

-Travels! Next month, I get the pleasure to travel to not one, but two countries. First I will be traveling to Antigua, Guatemala for a educational leadership conference. Nine teachers from Minerva School are going. I am super excited to learn more about education and leadership, bond with other Honduran teachers who are going on the trip, and to see Antigua. I have only heard awesome things about Antigua. Secondly, for Thanksgiving (so bizarre to even think that Thanksgiving is in one month!) myself and some other teachers will be making a very long bus ride to El Salvador. We are going to the beach! Never in my life have I ever been able to say I was laying on the beach for Thanksgiving!!! I think being at the beach will help take away the thought and pain of not being with my family for my favorite holiday! However, I was given some great advice today. I was told by an amazing teacher I work with that not to worry about what you are missing back home because you are only missing things you have done before. Here we are doing brand new stuff every single day. That was the truest statement I think I have heard so far. It's true, often times when you are abroad or away from your family for long periods of time it is so easy to get homesick. It is so easy to dwell on the things you are missing out on back home, however, it is only stuff you have done before. So life in the moment and absorb every single opportunity that comes your way.

So there it is, just a little update on my life. My life as a kindergarten teacher in Honduras. I am still in awe and at a loss for words with my life right now. I honestly don't think I can say I have had a bad day thus far because the good out ways the bad in so many ways, shapes, and forms. My days here are so awesome and eye opening. I continue to learn so much every single day. The country I live in is so pretty and the people here are even prettier. God sure made on beautiful world. Take some time out of your day to enjoy it!

(Photo Cred to Alice.)  This is the breathtaking view I get to see every single day. This is just a fraction of the beauty. 

xoxo,
Carly

The real life.

      Gracias, Honduras. That is the nice, beautiful, friendly, safe, and small town I live in. Before moving to Gracias I had been to Honduras, twice to be exact. I was aware of what to expect from this gorgeous country, I was aware of the poverty, and I was aware of all the headlines. So when I moved to Gracias and got settled in and used to the great neighborhood I live in, my thoughts and opinions did change a little bit. Prior to living here, I volunteered in small villages outside El Progreso where these villages were not all that safe. We always had guards with us, we traveled in packs, and I was with a well known organization. While I always did feel completely safe, I knew if I was not with such a well known and respected organization I probably would not be feeling this safe. However after moving here, I had the exact opposite feelings. I did feel safe without guards, I can walk around town by myself, the town is practically my family. There is something so magical about Honduras, Gracias especially, that I get lost in its beauty and sometimes forget where I am. Or simply the fact that I am in fact living in a third world country. Except today, today I was reminded so much that I was in fact in a struggling country, in a country that needs help, a country that is not well educated. 

     Today after school we decided to play some soccer with a family that goes to our school at a local field. We went their house to meet them and they soon led us to the field. Instead of taking the long way, we took the short cut of a well walked path through a few hills and over some rocks. Along the way one of my co-workers noticed some biohazard waste bags in some ditches. She asked the father of the family who was with us, what exactly these red bags were. He informed us that they were in fact exactly what we thought they were. They were biohazard waste bags from the local hospitals. You know, just some bags that in the states we take very seriously about disposing of properly (not like they might contain needles or blood or anything!!!) Seeing all these bags just piled into a ditch was eye opening and heartbreaking. On the way back home, I stopped to get another look and to see if they really were items from a hospital or just a few dirty diapers (wishful thinking I know). But that wasn't the case, they were from the hospital. I saw old cotton balls, blood sample containers, needles, gloves, the list goes on. It was in that moment that I was so quickly reminded of where I am. Yes, I am in a very nice neighborhood and town, yet at the same time I am still in Honduras. I am still in a country where the fact that just throwing out a biohazard bag on the ground means nothing to them even though that is illegal, I am still in country that needs help and some educating. 

     Aside from that eye opening experience today, I am still in love with my life and my job. I have never been more happy to live life. My kids are awesome! Yesterday was teacher's day so the kids were not shy of showing you love and I got a cute little bracelet and earrings from a student today. I love waking up in the mornings and knowing I get to see those bright and shining faces! So aside from a more "sad" post, I do love where I am, what I am doing, and who I do it with! 

Night y'all! Miss and love you all mucho! 

Happy Independence Day!

Happy Independence Day from Honduras! This past week was a fun filled with custom tailored shirts, lots of band practice, hot Honduran sun, a parade, and one of the most hectic weeks to date. This past week of school was pretty crazy if I must say so myself. It started on Tuesday when we celebrated Day of the Children. This is a day where the kids are allowed to show up wearing normal clothes (not their typical uniforms) and basically think they can do whatever they want. The kids also got cake and pop in celebration of themselves and received an extra long recess. The day was fun in a sense that we got to see some personality in how the children dressed themselves, however giving children cake and pop as a snack is always a great combination. Needless to say the children were a little bit nutty.

One of my favorite 5th graders, Roberto. He might be the next Rico Suave. 

One of my little guys, Harvis on "colors" day.

The rest of the week consisted of getting ready for the Independence Day Parade that would be happening for the whole town on Saturday morning. Each day of school we would take the whole school and practice marching around the block. And if you have ever worked with children before you know that any slight change to a child's schedule leads to a crazy day. My kids took full advantage of that too. By the time we were done practicing, we had about 15 minutes before "Snack time/Recess Time" so I hardly had anytime actually teach last week. However, the madness only lasted a few days and it was a really fun experience to see how they prepare and celebrate their own independence. 

     Bright and early, all us teachers woke and met on Calle Principal (our main street) to wait for our wonderful students to arrive. It was really cool to see all the hard work start coming together, the students looked awesome on all their different themed costumes and all the kids were so excited to show off their hard work. We paraded down the main street and into the main park. Like I mentioned before, it was a fun experience and Honduras loves to show off their pride. I have attached some pictures from the parade. 

Most of us teachers with our custom tailored shirts that we had made for us, and we only had to pay 20 Limperas (about 1 American dollar). Yes, they look kind of similar to a waitress/flight attendant shirt. 

Little Miss Independencia, one of my girls from my class.

Handful of trouble, if I say so myself, not really but just a few of the Prepa boys before the Parade started.

Some of the drum line. 

I don't really remember what the theme of his costume was but all I know is that he was adorable. 

Google's homepage yesterday, the countries bird flying an Honduran flag in his mouth. I found it to be pretty neat!

As a reward for our busy day Saturday, we have today off! So today, I am going to enjoy my day off doing laundry and lesson planning! 

xoxo,

Carly 

"Miss...Miss...Miss Carly"

About one week ago, I sat in a friends classroom as we scrambled to put our finishing touches on our classrooms when I came across my favorite book, Oh the Places You'll Go! by the one and only Dr. Seuss. There was not a more needed moment in my life for that book to come back into my life! If you have not read that book anytime soon, go pick a copy up and read it real quick...talk about a pick-me-up. As I read the book again, as I always do when I am down, worried, stressed, or just want some motivation in my life, a few lines from the book stuck out to me more than usual. It said:

 "You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know and YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go."

This is practically the theme for these children in this school, they are the sole deciders of what, where, when, and how they are going in their future. So as the days closed in and the nerves began to overwhelm me, the first day of school was about to start whether I was ready for it or not. I wasn't scared about the teaching or behavior management aspect but to be honest the language barrier was the scariest, enough to make me feel sick. However, like mentioned before the first day was set in stone and the time was not about to stop because I was a little nervous. So first day began and there it was, I was the teacher to 17 beautiful children and this time I was no longer the student! I was officially: Miss Carly! Miss! Miss! Miss Carly, all the kids welcomed me with wide open arms and huge smiles on their faces! I was shocked at how welcoming, loving, and touchy the kids are here; however, I reminded myself that it was a cultural thing and definitely a cultural thing I could get used to.
    So after the first day and the first "real" day filled with work (second day) came to an end, I sat in my classroom waiting for some of my kids parents to pick them up, I was reminded of why I came here in the first place! All the fears, nerves, and anxiety I had prior to school starting, left. It was such a sign of relief to know that the kids are excepting of this crazy blonde headed girl coming into their classroom and speaking only in English! It was such a sign of relief to know that my kids are smart, talented, and so much fun! It was a relief to know that my co-workers are so supportive and all so creative. It has been a crazy ride to get to this point but it finally hit me on my beautiful walk home today, I am living my dream (as of now) and it feels awesome!
    So there is my first day (and second day) update. School has started and things are very different than when and where I went to school but none of it is in no way shape or form bad. Change is good. Change and difference is something that everyone should try! I cannot wait to see what the school year has to offer, how much I will learn and grow, but most importantly see how much my kiddos grow and learn! I know the year is early and there is still a lot to come but I have a great feeling and I am happy with everything right now!

Attached below are a few pictures of my classroom! 

xoxo,

Miss Carly

Blessed!

I LOVE MY LIFE! How cliche is that? Super cliche, I know! I wake up every morning around 6 am, get ready, and walk 10 minutes to school. On my walk to school, it never fails me! Every single day, I am so in love with my walk to class! I walk down the cobble stone roads with the pastel colored houses on both sides, moto-taxis honking and zooming by as background music, and green, luscious mountains in the distance. How could I ever be upset about having to walk to to work? I can't. I remind myself everyday how blessed I am to have this wonderful opportunity. Like today, we went to run some errands and grab a paleta (Honduran Popsicle) from this lady named Diana, who makes so many awesome flavors! (They are bangin' but that is a completely different story) and as we were sitting there enjoying our paletas trying to wait our the rainstorm we here so many honking horns and yelling. We go to look outside an there is a huge political parade happening down the main street. This year is election year and get this, they have seven candidates in the running. So this parade is just first of many for the next month or so. The rain had let up and we decided to walk back home before it started up again and there was so many people in this parade. It felt like the whole town of Gracias was in the parade! They were blaring their horns, waving flags left and right, yelling, all up and down our main street. It  was wild. They crammed at least 20-30 people in one bed of the truck! It was really neat to experience. It's simple moments like that, that remind me of how awesome and cultural it is to be living in Honduras.

    I think it has finally hit me that I live in Central America, in Gracias, Lempira, Honduras. It took some time but I finally feel like this is my home and that I am no longer just someone visiting. The local fruit stands are getting used to our frequent stops, the moto-taxi drivers are starting to realize that honking at us will not get our attention, and I finally have accepted the fact that I will never NOT sweat, no matter what or how far I go. So living here, yes that has hit me but the whole job thing-no. For the past 2 weeks we have been working on decorating our classrooms, lesson planning, and just preparing for school. However, the actual fact that I no longer am a student yet instead I am the teacher and this is my job, a full time 40 hours a week job has yet to sink in. Tuesday is the first day of classes and words cannot even begin to express the emotions I am feeling. Ecstatic? Nervous? Ready? Scared? Anxious? All the above, I feel it all. I can't wait for the first day of school! So that's my life now it's your turn go outside and enjoy the beauty of life and the world!