"So, have you thought about what are you doing after college?"
"I've found a job teaching kindergarten."
"Kindergarten? Well, good luck with that...Where are you going to teach?"
"Honduras."
"Honduras....oh. That sounds....interesting...."
If only I could have a dollar for each of these conversations, I could pay for a tank of gas. Well, on a good day.
I am so grateful to have found a job right out of college that will allow me to work with children and travel outside the United States. For the next two years, I will be working as a Kindergarten teacher at the American School of Tegucigalpa in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. I'm not sure what to expect, but I know it will be an adventure worth having!
THAT, however, is NOT the beginning of the story:
For as long as I can remember, I have loved traveling. The youngest memory I can conjure is flying to Seattle, WA for my uncle's wedding (1995). I was three years old, but I remember crawling across the lap of a stranger, just so I could peer out the window of the airplane at the green expanse below. My great-aunt June was a tour guide during my lifetime and would graciously regale my brothers and I with stories of African Safaris, Guatemalan people, Asian adventures, and New Zealand landscape. As young children, Mom and Dad took my brothers and I on several driving trips throughout the US to look at sights, generally consisting of landscape and cattle ranches.
I remember when I was seven, I just wasn't sure I wanted to go to New York City (1999). It would be such a big place and would it really be any fun? Mom said, "Let's go!" And it was. Then, when I was eight, Mom and I traveled all across Europe by bus which meant a lot of sights and a lot of card games (2000). However, this was the trip that sparked a flame! I just knew that one day I would return to see all those great cities again. In a moment of spontaneity that was worth every minute, Mom dragged myself, now thirteen, and two younger brothers to Australia (2005). I was in love! Maybe one day I will live in Brisbane, the city of my dreams! When I was seventeen, we went to Hawaii (2009). It was beautiful, but just not the same as stepping away from everyday American culture.
By this point, I had worked hard to finish high school in three years. If Mom and Dad weren't going to let me out of the country yet, then I was headed off to college! Central Methodist University came out of nowhere, but ended up being where I would spend the next four years of my life. The only thing I could image doing on a daily basis was working with children, so naturally, education became my area of study. It was a wonderful experience where I learned so much, made some great friends, and grew up (a little bit). Always in the back of my mind was "Where will I go next? I've got to finish this degree so I can go somewhere!" Thankfully, I learned to relax a little and enjoy the time at college too.
I was yearning for some adventure which my college roommate was willing to share. So, our Junior year, Lara and I spent Christmas and New Year's in England (2011/12). College meant I had to miss out on a few trips as Mom and the boys traveled to Scotland and then to Israel (2011), though I was determined to get even! I cannot possibly let them have seen more oceans, more countries, or more museums than I have!!!
This brings me back to 2013, college graduation, and the start of my next travels. Honduras is home to a completely different culture than I have ever experienced before, but I look forward to my departure anxiously as a new teacher in a new land. When people learn where I am going, I receive a mix of reactions from "that sounds like something I would do" to "you are crazy!". Thankfully I have a host of people that have supported me from the moment I was born, which gives my confidence to face all the challenges of the future. So thank you to all the people who have inspired me with their stories and helped me through every difficulty!! And thank you to my Saviour for the strength to face each and every day!
