Adios Honduras?

Whiskey and I were out exploring the other day, when he fell into a pit.

A pit of despair.

And he's asking himself a question I find myself asking today:

What do I do now?


Let me explain...



I got an email today.

I was walking back from buying dog food for Whiskey when I got a text message. There had been some changes going on within Peace Corps/Honduras due to increased security incidents. But this time was different. The text message said we received an urgent email from Emily, our Country Director. The last email we got from Emily said the group coming in February would be suspended. That was pretty serious.

This was even more serious.

I walked straight back to the house, not stopping to greet anyone on the street. I went straight to the computer to check the email. Basically, what it said is that Peace Corps/Honduras is being temporarily suspended while the staff manage growing security concerns. They will be doing this while all of the Volunteers are out of the country, safely back on their mothers' couches in the U.S.A.

So what does that mean for me?

There couldn't be a more difficult question. OK, I'm only 24 (for a couple more weeks). It's not the end of the world. Peace Corps is sending me home "temporarily" while they redesign the program here to be more secure. One of the measures is to reduce the number of volunteers and to place volunteers in "safer" areas. Unfortunately, my little tiny town in Yoro qualifies as part of the danger zone, with its proximity to La Moskitia, Olancho, and the north coast, puts it in prime real estate for drug traffickers (crime seems to follow them). Even though I feel completely safe in my site, PC has labeled this region as unsafe. As they should. You can't live in Subirana without living in the surrounding, dangerous, regions. Do a search for Honduras in the news, and, unfortunately, most of what you'll find is related to drugs and violence; bus assaults, shootings, gang wars, etc. PC has taken substantial precaution in placing us in our sites, however they are currently reassessing the situation.

This means my time in Honduras has come to a premature and tragic close. I made it about half-way through. We have until January to pack up and say goodbye to our communities. Thankfully we have that long and we're not being extradited immediately without notice. Although sad, PC is doing its best to keep us safe.

Weren't you doing a Master's program with Peace Corps?


Something like that. Who knows what will happen now. I still really want to do/finish Peace Corps. There are a few small hopes left about coming back eventually, but let's face it: they were already shutting down the business program and the future Volunteers may not even be able to ride on buses. (OK, that's just ridiculous. But there will be a lot more restrictions). So I guess at this point, it's time to start thinking about the next adventure, postpone life a little more, and see what God has in store.

Unless any of you has a job offer for me?!


And to answer the Master's question... haven't got there yet. I need to do some kind of capstone project, which was most likely going to be this recycling project in my town. But así es la vida. My dad reminds me of a good quote by John Lennon, "Life is what happens while you're making plans." All those awesome dreams I had about changing a town, about putting things off and arriving late, embracing the culture and the obscene amount of free time I had, all the friendships, partnerships, and plans... those have all given way to a whirlwind of emotions. Confusion, disappointment, sadness, relief, abandonment, anger, frustration, bewilderment... the list goes on as more emotions join the party. Granted I haven't slept since hearing the news, but my head is spinning (maybe from the wine I'm not saving anymore) with all of the implications of this news. What it means for me, Honduras, my friendships, my life plans, my puppy, my future.

There aren't enough words.

Honduras, I've loved you like my own country. I'm sad to see our time come to such a regrettably early end. Here's hoping the future treats you well.

P.S.

I finally rode a horse in Honduras today. Boy, did he love to run!

I'm not leaving without picking coffee. Making the call tomorrow to make that happen.

Whiskey is going to cost a lot of money to bring back. I think he's worth it.

Postpone mail and packages until further notice.

I still get to see my family in Roatán for Christmas! Thanks, Emily, for approving that!

Adam & Whiskey