half-year mark.

Catacamas, Olancho

(rainbow from my rooftop)

I cannot believe it has been almost six months since I have arrived in this country. Time is flying by, and Catacamas now feels more like home than Long Beach. For the first time in 26 years, I am living on my own. I am now doing things I would have never imagined myself doing...like cooking...and laundry!

my sitemates enjoying a cheesy meal
(made with love by yours truly)

My apartment has all the basic necessities for survival - gas stove, hot shower, king-sized bed, TV with cable. There's a balcony outside my bedroom and stairs that lead up to my roof complete with a grill, a hammock and an amazing view of the lush green hills of Catacamas. I even purchased a blow-up kiddie pool and a spray bottle to fill with ice water for those hot sunbathing Bloody Mary Sundays. It's definitely a nice getaway from living with host families for the past six months.

And now, to tally things up…

(*Note to reader: This time I am going to leave out the number of baleadas and beverages knocked back, for the consumption of the latter has inhibited my memory of consuming the former.)

Amount of:

parasitic incidents: 3
vaccinations received: 9
hours of Spanish spoken since arriving in Catacamas: 3.5
pounds gained: more than last time
piropos received: 57,938
bug bites: at least 7 per day
volunteers that have left/got kicked out: 10
washing machines at my apartment: 2
packages/letters received: 15
cockroaches killed: 8
machetes fondled: 1
peach core rules broken: 0
times I’ve called my mother without an answer: 42
full-body sunburns: 2
hitchhikes: 17
aforementioned hitchhikes that were sketchy: 15
books read: 7 (please send more)
movies seen at the theatre: 1
sticks of real butter used to cook my first meal: 1
beds sampled: 10.5
day’s salary spent on sushi rolls & sake bombs: 12


I thought I would be completely without sushi for two years, but it has entered my life once again. I feel I could end my journal right now. Just happily let it slip away having accomplished everything it was looking for.

But, in actuality, my hunger grows deeper. And the title is still the absolute truth.

my neighbor, Paco