La Ceiba

Boat we rode out to Cayos Cochinos to go snorkeling

To do list:

1. Ride in a bus with no air-conditioning for 8+ hours
2. Drive through several Independence Day Parades and be the center of attention
3. Have to stop for a herd of cows crossing the road
4. See some of the most beautiful parts of Honduras
5. Apply 50 SPF sunscreen
6. Run and jump into the Caribbean Sea
7. Discover how warm and salty the sea is compared to the Atlantic Ocean
8. Swim really far out to get to the sandbar
9. Dive down to pick up sand dollars and watch them move in my hand
10. Walk along the beach
11. Share a room with Jen, Jen and Julienne
12. Watch disturbing music videos because it is the only channel in English
13. Turn on our air conditioning and enjoy a cold room
14. Fall asleep in a hammock on the beach
15. Apply 50 SPF sunscreen
16. Ride a tiny boat out to Cayos Cochinos to go snorkeling (see picture above)
17. Discover the beautiful coral reef and colorful fishies
18. Swim next to a swordfish
19. Get a headache from my goggles being so tight
20. Actually being able to float in the salty water without a life jacket
21. Meet the indigenous people who live on Cayos Cochinos
22. Apply 50 SPF sunscreen
23. Lay out on the white beaches on the Islands
24. Drink a Coke out of a glass bottle while laying on the beach
25. Eat a fish even though I could still see his eyes
26. Realize that water takes a long time to boil
27. Eat a community spaghetti dinner with everyone in our group
28. Apply 50 SPF sunscreen
29. Zip-line through the rainforest
30. Sit in a natural hot spring 
31. Get rubbed down with mud
32. Wait for 1 hour to get my food (definitely worth it though, see item # 32)
33. Eat steak for the first time since I've been in Honduras (much needed)
34. Get up early to go for a run on the beach but realize that its already to hot and just lay out instead
35. Get eaten by sand fleas
36. Oh yeah, Apply 50 SPF sunscreen
37. Stop on the side of the road and buy a coconut
38. Discover I don't like coconut water (or eating fresh coconut for that matter)
39. Have a long talk with Jen V. on the way home :-)
40. Realize I can survive without communication to Jeremy or my parents for 4 days! 

I thought I would love coconut milk, I was wrong!

There is bound to be things that I have forgotten.  The week was so amazing and everything we did was relaxing and incredibly fun.  At first I thought that I just wanted to go and sit on the beach for the whole trip: 1. Because I love to sit on the beach and 2. Because I am a bit of a cheap skate.  However, Snorkeling and  Zip-lining were great decisions!

Also, as you may have noticed, I kept of with my sunscreen application and hardly got burnt at all.  My back got a little red the day we went snorkeling (self explanatory) but other than that, my 50 SPF was true to its word.  The sun is so much hotter here, and even more in Ceiba than in Tegus, but I can hardly tell that I have been out in the sun.  Thank you Banana Boat!

Yes I actually took a bite of this guy.

Now, back to the grind.  Time for some Rosetta Stone (thank you Jeremy) and Journal writing (thank you Hubers) and then begins another week in my new, exciting life.  Can't wait to see what's in store!

Also, I'm going to try and get a list of all of my students that I teach and send them to my mom. (Sorry I haven't actually mentioned this to you yet mom!) There are probably around 100 high schoolers, but one of my friends was telling me that she was going to have people at home commit to praying for each on of her students (which is only 21 because she teaches 2nd grade), but I thought that it was a great idea.  If you would like to commit to praying for one of my students, please let me or my mom know so that we can give you a name.  I know it would only help out my classroom and it would be an encouragement to me and to my students.  Maybe I'll even be able to send pictures and I can update you on your specific student and let you know special needs once we get it all figured out!  But let others know because I need about 100 people to commit to this task! 

Thanks to all of you for your already continual prayer for me!