Week 2: Hostels are Like Real-World Dorms

A whole lot has happened during our first week of touring the road.

Last week, we went to Temple, Villanova, Penn State Abington, Swarthmore, Holy Family, and Drexel. We flyered (it's road team verbage) all over their campuses, went to some club fairs, kicked some ass, and took some numbers... 200 numbers to be exact. Pretty amazing for our first week, if you ask me.

I can't speak for Mike or Em, but it was definitely overwhelming to just throw myself into the road team lifestyle. I was thrown out of my comfort zone, for sure. But I've always believed that the best way to learn is by overcoming obstacles and by putting yourself outside of your comfort zone. And in just one, short week, I've already learned so much about myself and what I'm capable of accomplishing, so this road tour has already been a positive experience.

Today, we went to Holy Family and spoke to the girl's soccer team, thanks to the efforts of Joanna, a volunteer from one of the August trips this summer. The coach seems like he's trying to find a trip for them to go on together, as a team, so hopefully, we can convince them to come to Honduras and play some futbol with the ninos! We're going back tomorrow because Joanna got us a table in the main dining area, so props to Joanna for setting up so many opportunities for SHH at Holy Family!

Last week we were at the Motel 6, and this week, we're at Chamounix Mansion - a hostel - in Philly. This is my first hostel experience, so I had no idea what to expect... let me just say that the Motel 6 in Maple Shade, NJ was a palace. I miss having a private bathroom and shower, a queen-size bed, and air conditioning. I keep telling myself that this is just dorm living in the real world. It's helping... sort of. In all fairness though, hostel life does have its perks. We have a kitchen, a fridge, free laundry, free WiFi (so clutch), multiple common areas with sofas, and lots of people my age. Mike said you meet the coolest people at hostels. It hasn't happened yet, but I'm hopeful.

Alright, I need to get some shut-eye so I can be at my full recruiting potential tomorrow at Holy Family. Nighty night.

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Day 1: Philadelphia University

The SHH Road Tour has finally begun! The road crew consists of me, Michael Glasner, and Emily Reutinger, and for the next three months, we'll be recruiting our asses off and putting up flyers until our fingers fall off. I'll be blogging about it as often as I can, updating you guys on all the schools we go to, and all the thrilling adventures we'll have on this three-month excursion of recruitment!

The three of us met up yesterday at Mike's house, with the addition of a dengue-infected Shin, to grab some dinner, and then we headed out for Philly. While Mike drove, Em and I cut flyers. It was so exciting.

We roll up to our humble abode - the Motel 6 - around 11:00 PM after our fingers are blistered from cutting thousands of flyers (not an exaggeration), and pass out pretty much immediately. So yesterday wasn't super eventful. Just a lot of car riding.

The first school we'll be recruiting volunteers at is Philadelphia University, woo woo! Their club fair is at 4:00 PM, so we'll be throwing up flyers before then, and working our magic at the fair. Hopefully, it'll be a successful first day of work! Wish us luck!

Until December, Honduras.

So I'm sorry it's been so long since I've last updated this thing. I actually wrote a novel of an entry four days after I got back from Honduras, but somehow, the entire thing got deleted. I miraculously restrained myself from launching my computer through a window. But my blog and I are friends again, so now I can rewrite about my incredible two-week adventure in Honduras!

My second visit to Honduras was so different from my first. Back in March, I went to Honduras not knowing anyone, expecting nothing. Everything was new, overwhelming, and exciting, in the most amazing way. I guess you could say the world that I knew was turned upside-down (or right side-up, however you want to look at it). That one week gave me a fresh perspective on life and made me a better person. It changed my life.

The second time around, I knew what to expect before I went, for the most part, and I was looking forward to so many things: all the kids and families at Villa, all the kids at IHNFA (the orphanage SHH helps), the hotel staff, and the SHH staff. I was excited to see all the progress that had been made on the learning center, finish the education center, meet new families and kids at Villa, and to meet new volunteers. It was also a different experience because I was a student leader during the second week in May that I was in Honduras.

You don't really think about it as a volunteer, probably because you're going through way too many emotions to think, but there's a LOT that goes into making an amazing SHH trip. I have an entirely new appreciation for Clare and everything she did back in March, just so I could have a life-changing experience. Instead of living the experience myself, my job, along with Emily’s and Jess’s, was to facilitate that life-changing experience for each volunteer. And let me tell you: it's way more fun to have the experience than it is to create that experience for thirty other people. But, although it was stressful at times, in the end, all the hard work we put into those trips paid off when I saw how affected each and every volunteer was throughout the entire trip. Seeing their perspectives change right before my eyes was such a rewarding feeling because I played a part in making that happen!

The inauguration of the education center took place during the second week I was in Honduras, and I’m so glad I was a part of it because it marks a huge moment for SHH. From March to May, the education center went from being a large, gray, empty structure, to being a bright, beautiful building filled with computers, books, and eager children, ready to learn. The kids at Villa now have the opportunity to learn and broaden their horizons whenever they want. They're no longer restricted from learning because their teachers went on strike for the hundredth time, or because their school uniforms weren't in perfect condition. Now that they've been given the resources they need to succeed, the sky's the limit for these brilliant kids.

Going back to IHNFA was one of my favorite parts of the trip. IHNFA is a government-run orphanage that SHH tries to help in every way we can. There are several IHNFAs all over Honduras, but this one in particular is called, "Nueva Esperanza" and it's a transitionary orphanage for young children. Although children are supposed to get transferred out, there are currently 150 children living in an orphanage that is only supposed to hold 80 children. Most of these kids have been verbally, physically, or sexually abused. But despite their bleak pasts, these kids are so full of light, energy, and love. There were some children at IHNFA who were sadder than others, but if someone took the time to play with them, they would start laughing and having fun in no time. That's what I love about these kids, and kids in general: they are so resilient. Their resilience gives me hope that, no matter how difficult life gets, kids always have the will and ability to bounce back. We played on the playground, drew pictures and cards, and I pushed them on the swings, and they were honestly happier than children on Christmas morning. They appreciate the littlest things in life and they make me appreciate my life so much more.

On my last day at Villa, I walked around to a few of the houses with Melissa and Taylor to say goodbye to the families and the kids. It would be a complete understatement to say that I was a mess when it was time to leave. After spending three weeks with these kids and their families, the ninos have become my little brothers and sisters, and their families have become my family. These kids may not have much, but they have an unlimited amount of love to give and they give it to everyone. They open their hearts and their homes to us, and treat us like we're a part of their families, so saying goodbye is so hard. Every time I go to Honduras, I feel like my heart opens up more and more, and it's because of these kids and their families that I continue to become a better person.

I was a little nervous about my second trip. Don't get me wrong: I was beyond excited to be back in Honduras, to be back at Villa, but I knew there was no way that this trip could ever be as amazing as my first. I'm so glad I was wrong. My second trip only reaffirmed my unrelenting love for this country, these people, and this cause. And those kids... they have my freaking heart. I'll do anything to see them succeed.

And clearly, the trip wouldn't have been what it was without all the volunteers that I met, all the hard work put in by the SHH staff, the great accommodations and crazy-delicious food made by the hotel staff, Mayliss (who completely surprised me by showing up on the second trip!), or Em, Jess, and Brit - we were the best student leaders SHH has ever had... and the only, haha.

Until December, Honduras.

Home, sweet home.

I'M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok, I just had to get that out of my system, haha. I'm in Honduras!!! I got back yesterday circa 11 AM after six hours of travel, got picked up by the cutest man ever named Amilcar, and realized the extreme heat and humidity that I'm about to endure for the next two weeks. I met up with Emily, one of the student leaders who was in Honduras during my spring break trip, and Jess who was a volunteer with me back in March. In true Chi fashion, I tackled both of them.

When I first got to Honduras, I didn't feel like I was really back. It just didn't seem real to me at all that I was in Honduras two months ago, and now I'm back. But it became so real to me when we made that left turn into Las Brisas, the village right before Villa, and at the entrance of Villa, there was Angel, the most eloquent twelve-year-old boy, and he was just genuinely so excited to see that I had come back just like I'd told them I would, back in March. I wish I had that moment on video because it honestly was the best welcome I could've received. I've never been so excited to hear my name before in my life.

All the kids ran and jumped on me, and the excitement was obviously matched, if not surpassed, on my part. I saw little Mario, my six-year-old best friend, and his whole family who always show so much love to me, both in Honduras and back in the states, so it was awesome seeing them again. We were there for a few hours, and all I did was run around with the kids, catch up with them with my minimal Spanish, play games with them, and attempt to pick up 60-pound bags of cement: FAIL. Seeing those beaming faces just lit up my life and my Honduran high is shooting through the roof!

The volunteers are coming today, so Em, Jess, and I are going to the airport in an hour to pick them up! I can't wait to meet them all, and I can't wait to see what this week has in store for us! There are 30 people on this trip, so it's definitely going to be a different experience from my spring break trip, but I'm mui emocionado (I'm amazing, I know) to see what the group dynamic is going to be like. Obviously, it isn't going to even come close to Spring III (miss you guys!!) but it'll still be a fan-fricken-tastic time and I'm excited for another two amazing weeks in Honduras!!!

Time for breakfast! Words can't even begin to express how awesome it feels to be back!!!

my life-changing spring break

Hi, guys!

So as most of you know, I went to Honduras over spring break with an organization called, "Students Helping Honduras," and it changed my life forever.

While I was there, I helped build a library and an orphanage for a village called, "Villa Soleada." Villa has been built from the ground, up, by SHH volunteers and men of the village, and it consists of 44 cement houses, this newly built learning center, and an orphanage, which is still in the process of being built. The other students and I manually mixed cement with shovels and hauled it back and forth with wheel barrows and buckets. It was really hard work, especially with the sun beating down on me, but what motivated me to keep working was the men of the village who worked right next to us, never tiring. It was the kids who ran home from school, kicked their shoes off, and shoveled right next to us in their school uniforms, with beaming smiles on their faces.

At Villa Soleada, I played with the cutest kids in the world. Don't get me wrong; all kids are cute. But these kids just radiate with joy and their pores seep with love. These kids don't have much at all, but they have an abundance of love that they share with everyone they meet. It made me realize that if these kids can be so happy with so little, then I can be happy with the life that I'm so privileged to live.

These kids taught me how to open my heart to others. These kids taught me that, rich or poor, people are people. These kids taught me that the life I've been given is a gift, and I should live it to its full potential. They would constantly thank me for the work I put into their village, but the impact these kids had on me is insurmountable.

We visited a state-run orphanage in San Pedro Sula, Honduras and that really blew shit wide open for me. These kids are so hungry and desperate for love, affection, and attention. They want, more than anything, to be freed from the four walls of this prison. At the orphanage, there were two two-week old babies who had been left on the side of the road by their mother. There was a twelve-year-old that wore a diaper who had lived six years of his life, fighting to survive by eating his own feces and bugs. And there was a toddler who sat alone in a room full of kids, with hatred and defeat in his eyes, who wanted nothing to do with me when I tried playing with him. It was an overwhelming experience, but I now appreciate my parents and my life more than ever.

So how exactly has this changed my life forever?

I'm going back to Honduras from Friday until the end of May. I'm going to be a part of SHH's Road Team, driving around to different college campuses in the U.S. promoting SHH, starting SHH chapters, and recruiting volunteers to come to Honduras to have the life-changing experience that I did. I'm going to Honduras in the winter to lead the service trips. This trip isn't just some experience that I plan on stowing away in my box of memories. I'm going to be the change that I want to see, and work my ass off for these little Honduran kids so that they can receive an education and live their lives free from poverty. I want to be a part of something bigger than myself for the rest of my life.

I've decided to start this blog to mark the beginning of the rest of my life (since I just graduated, woo!!!), dedicated to an amazing cause, the beautiful country of Honduras, and a beautiful village of loving people. I hope you guys have fun following me and my Honduran adventures!

If you want to learn more about this amazing organization, you can visit SHH's website. If you want to contribute to this awesome cause, you can donate at my donation page. And i you want to be the change, you can go to Honduras in May, August, December, or next spring!