Welcome to the Hond

I´m here! I left home at 4am on Wednesday. It was emotional and I didn´t want to leave, but as soon as I stepped out and breathed Honduran air, I was thrilled to be here.

My family is nice, there is an 8 year old girl called Ambar. She has a brilliant smile and uses it a lot. She has taught me a few card games and last night she let me choose some seashells from her collection. Very sweet.
My technical ¨mama¨ is in her 60´s and is nice but doesn´t talk to me much...yet. She has been to Chicago quite a few times and speaks some English, although when she does I am usually more confused because my ears are expecting Spanish.
Then there is Ambar´s mother, Gloria. She talks to me a lot and has walked me to school twice.
My family took it upon themselves to call me Esperanza [Hope in Spanish]. I like it, it sounds nicer than Hope I think. They think it is easier to pronounce.

It is very warm, very sunny, and very beautiful here. The land is hilly and curvy and in places remniscent of San Francisco. ¨The campus is like paradise. (Deborah, it looks a little bit like Santa Clara--they have a rose garden).
We started class today, 3 hours of Spanish in the morning and 2 of history in the afternoon. I am in the highest of 3 Spanish classes, which is just Literature and Culture. I think it is going to be a little over my head.

Oh yeah, as the airplane was landing, I saw a circular rainbow! And as the plane dipped below the clouds, the plane´s silhouette was transposed on it. It was awesome. Symbolic, you might say.

There are a ton of U.S. chain restaurants here. Jessye, you and I could fit right in--there are Dunkin Donuts and Burger King on my walk to school.

Anyway,
Adios, Kwaheri, Tchuss, Tot ziens,
Esperanza