Changes

I spent the first week going through a bit of an emotional breakdown. Being homesick and the frustration of learning a new language is not a great combination. Every night I would be physically exhausted from the day and I would got to sleep early. My host family wasn't very understanding of what I was going through, which caused a few problems. My first weekend in my new home I got to escape to the beautiful countryside. Siguatepeque is surrounded by lush forests and rolling hills but people rarely take advantage of it. I was happy to be out of the house and reading a book overlooking a green hillside was a perfect escape. Two days later I got notified I would be switching to a new host family. I packed up my stuff and met my new host mom Patty who was sweet and welcoming. My new host sister Eliana is my age and is in my class. My family owns a hotel called "Puesta del Sol" and we live right next door. We spend a lot of time at the hotel watching TV or hanging out with the host mom while she works. From the first day with my new family I knew we would get along better then the previous. Patty explained to me that she is a bad cook so we go out for dinner every night and for breakfast and lunch the maid brings something for us to eat. I have been cooking a lot too due to lack of healthy foods. I find myself craving whole grains, simple salads and fresh vegetables. The resources for fresh fare are never ending here but the people don't seem to embrace it. One of my favorite Honduran foods are called baleadas. It is made with fresh dough flattened out to a tortilla on a grill then while it is cooking its filled with beans, cheese and a cheesy sauce. You can buy baleadas at small "restaurants" that are usually extensions of peoples front decks or sidewalks.