Waterfall

If you would have asked me last year about why I wanted to travel to Honduras and spend an entire summer away from home and family I would have given you some line about wanting to expand my knowledge of animal sciences and agriculture in developing countries.  Of course, that was true and I did succeed in fulfilling my objective.  But, I believe my main reason for going was for the stories.  I wanted the memories.  I had heard the stories in the news and I had read books on Latin America, but this time I wanted my knowledge to be first hand.  I wanted to see the people, I wanted to hear the music, I wanted to taste the food and I wanted to be taught the culture by those who live it.   

            Along with seven other students from the US, I stayed and studied at the Esquela Agricultura Panamerica, aka Zamorano. We learned by doing.  We woke up at 4am to start milking cows, fought the midday heat while cutting grass with a machete, and of course, spent a large amount of our time with our arm up the back end of a cow either palpating or inseminating. What more could a pre-vet student ask for?  Education in Zamorano was much more physically demanding than we are accustomed to at Purdue.  But, I did not travel to Zamorano to be seen as a gringo in Latin America.  I traveled to Honduras to immerse myself in a culture apart from my own.  Labor is a corner stone in the culture.  Kids as old as three worked beside their fathers in the field and the students at Zamorano lived by the motto labor conquers all.   It was inspiring, as well as humbling.  I stopped complaining and learned how to work.     

            Honduras is a place that is largely untouched by progress, and therefore, it has maintained an untamed spirit.  We rode horses through the mountains and raced along side mustangs running free.  We danced till dawn.  We swam under waterfalls and jumped from cliffs to be cushioned by rushing water.  We waded into teal water and relaxed with the site of dolphins playing in the distance.  We would joke that it was paradise, but in our minds it truly was.  The people and the culture are as beautiful as the country.  The families seemed to really support each other and welcomed us into their homes.   I am not fluent in Spanish, but I never came across a person who wasn't eager for me to try to improve and who would gladly wait patiently as I stumbled over my words.  They were excited to teach me their culture and I was excited to learn.   

            I had a number of trying times while in Honduras, but by far the hardest part was saying goodbye.  I now have my stories to tell; and, I will forever have my own vivid picture of the Honduran culture painted in my mind. 

Newsletter Links: [Current Articles] [Archived Articles]

[Sign up] to receive newsletter updates in your email.