Living on a Volcano

A good day today.. it's late at night and the evening was full of good conversation with friends and long distant family. Good to know that everywhere, people are the same. Some days are good, and others you feel like you're balancing at the top of a Volcano. I'm trying to be at peace with the uncertainty, volatility... at least the view is pretty great.

Hey hey, it's the end of the school day on a Wednesday here in the cozy little mountain town of Siguatepeque, Honduras. I've been here a little more than 2 weeks, and have been teaching almost since I hopped off the plane. The first two weeks were a blur, awash with Independence day that and kids day celebration this, and even a teachers day holiday. Holy.

I think Sam knows what I'm talking about when I say my brain is tired. I remember we'd sit down on the balcony couch back in Toronto, and not have done a lot of physical work, but were just exhausted at all the input. Here it's new language, new people, new home, new everything.. I can't even buy groceries or take a taxi without a fair bit of language learning.. Fun but busy. Lots to learn.. spanish lessons on monday nights, constant reading and planning for classes.. All the new teachers are finding these first months exhausting, so I'm in good company.

I've got a pretty darn good deal teaching Phys Ed and Science at the primary level.. but it's not as easy as you'd think (if you're silly enough to think it's easy), when you don't speak the same language as the kids. But we're working at it. And I want to do this really well.

Then there's the camp. Once things get settled, I'll use some of the open spots in my timetable to work for the camp up the road. I met Ken, the camp director and there apparently a number of mountain trails to map out using GPS. I think there's just as much to learn from him as anyone else. Or maybe I'll just help Dave build cabins, it's all good.

Sun's going down. The clouds here are amazing.. Off in the roads nearby I can hear a rival school band practising for the marching band competition this Saturday.. we're all going to check it out, apparently it's pretty full on.

Aight, time for dinner, and then off to soccer with some kids at the mission and my roomate..

Here's some pictures of my first day here, more to come..
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=56206&l=3ecfc&id=594095642

Did I mention I went Surfing and Hiking in El Salvadore too? Okay maybe that's why I'm tired..
Pictures to follow.. Talk to you all soon.

On The Dirt Road Walking Towards Me

I've never had a blog before, I always wondered why anyone would want to hear someone else's ramblings on a regular basis. But now that I'm out of the country again and out of regular contact with the people I care about, I can see this will be useful to help us stay in touch and share the adventure as it happens. It's a good thing, so here we go.

The quote is from a book I read days after I came back from teaching in Australia, "Blue like Jazz" by Donald Miller. I didn't know it but apparently the book was all the rage at the time, which I'm glad I didn't know, because I might have not have read it. As it happend I flew into B.C. and read late into the night thanks to the benefits of jet lag. Back home in Canada with a good book, what could be better?

So this next trip starts here, with the right perspective; the thought that these events are part of a path I'm walking along, that there is a reason for things happening the way they do, and that though this part of the story is for me, the story is not about me. These truths both drive and comfort me. And in quiet mornings like this, I wonder at the Figure far down the road walking towards me, and smile knowing that the destination is more a person than a place.