Beyond: Honduras

Although I am not a Buzz Lightyear enthusiast but only a casual fan, I believe his quote is worthy to be a parody for the title of this blog. 

Michigan is an adventure all in itself, but Honduras?! That's a whole other story. 

Quick run down  of FAQ's for those who didn't catch all the facts from my stammering.

Who are you? "About Me" tab. Check it.

Where are you going? I will be living in Santa Lucia, Honduras. Taking classes in Tegucigalpa (Phonetically pronounced "Tay-Goose-E-Gall-Pa"). Tegus is the capital of Honduras with approximately 1 million people.  While living in Santa Lucia, I will be in a home stay with a mom and her teenage daughter. Below are a few maps to get a better idea of where we'll (geographically) be. 

How long are you gone? I am leaving August 22nd out of Grand Rapids and flying home December 17th. 

Why are you going? I am an International Development Studies major and it is required that we study abroad in a developing country for a semester. Calvin has great programs in Ghana, Peru, China, Honduras, etc. I chose Honduras and am excited to have this opportunity ahead of me. I have been doing some gentle fact correcting on this section. Note: I am still a student taking classes. This is not a mission trip. I have not dropped out for a semester. Calvin will welcome me back in January with mounds of snow - can't wait!  

Will you take classes? Yes, I am enrolled in a Spanish course, and we take three development courses as well. There are also various excursions and tours as a part of the curriculum.

Who's going with you? This is a Calvin program through their study abroad office. There are 11 other Calvin students, and I'm sure you'll see of pictures of them on here. 

Who is your professor? The program directors are Kurt and Jo Ann. They live in Honduras and do bunches of wonderful things besides keeping track of rowdy college students.

Are you excited? Depends on the time of day. I am stoked for the experiences and growth that'll happen. But not so cool with leaving campus, friends, family, and 5th floor Heckman (top floor of the library) behind. I think that if it wasn't bittersweet I wouldn't be anticipating the next transition and savoring the current state. 

What's the best way to contact you? Until August 22nd: cell phone. Post 8/22: email. (addie.smith22@gmail.com) Now I would love to talk to everyone, and certainly could, but there's a problem. If I am connecting back to the states all the time then I won't have any good stories to tell! It's a conundrum. This blog is the compromise. I update one location, you check one location, and everyone is happy. I am not discouraging emails. Please send them! It's just outlining expectations.

Where can I learn more about the program? Okay, this isn't a FAQ or even an asked question, but incase your curiosity is peaked or I did not answer a question: http://www.calvin.edu/academic/off-campus/programs/honduras-development/ 

Stay tuned! There's more to come!