February Already!

Hello everyone... so I am still trying to get over the fact that it is 2009, but it is even harder to believe that I have been in Honduras nearly a month (Feb 13th makes 1 yr exactly). Crazy how fast time flys. It has definitly been a hard year, adjusting to life in Honduras, working/trying to start projects..... but all in all it has been a successful year. I think one important thing that have learned in this past year in Honduras is more of what kinda of person I am. Alot of inner-reflextion. I have lots of time to think and just be myself without the influence of anyone else. It is a constant learning process and I have a whole year left to process it all.... but you sure do learn alot about yourself when you are ripped away from all things familiar and forced to survive in a foreign land without a familiar face in sight. I am constantly surprised at the things I am able to do now on my own.. things I never thought I would ever be doing (homemade bagels and making all sorts of food from scratch, spend hours doing absolutlely nothing but not even be bored, washing my entire wardrobe by hand, rediscovering my love for books, forget about the television and just disconnect from the world....etc). It is tough to be so far away from everyone and sure there good and bad days-- but it is just one big learning experience and I think it is important to take the time to sit back and soak it all in. I feel like alot of the time in the states we never give ourselves a minute just to reflect... to think about who we are as individuals and what kinda of person we are trying to be. Just to pause for a second and look inside- back on life and the events that have happened.... to give yourself 5 or 10 minutes just to process it all. I have had lots of time to do this and sure.... I think that sometimes it confuses me more but the more and more I am able to relax and give myself a moment just for me-- i am able to discover things about myself I didn't even know existed. You all should try it.... just look back on your day or week. What happened? How did you handle the day? Why did these things happen? Are there things you would do over--why and how would you do it different? Just take a minute, breathe, relax and reflect. Sometimes we have to step back and work on us a little bit.