Leff on an Adventure : Orientation highlights

I’ve officially been here a week! In some ways, I feel as though I have been here for much, much longer. It has been a whirlwind of a week. I’ve seen a lot of the Ranch, and been given a great deal of information. In true Jessica form, I’ll give you a list of highlights:

Orientation began the evening I arrived (6/29) with a bonfire. All of the current and new volunteers introduced themselves, made s’mores, and hung out. I found out that in addition to fellow American volunteers, I will be spending part of my year with volunteers from New Zealand, Holland, Germany, Austria, Spain, Switzerland, and Colombia, which I’m very excited about. By 9:00, however, I had been awake for almost 21 hours, so I’m not sure I was the most fun to be around. Over the course of the week, I'm slowly getting better with the names and jobs of everyone!
I’m currently living in a dorm with the two other July girl volunteers who are here. It’s the not the most glamorous living situation, but overall I don’t mind. I could do without the cucarachas as extra roommates, however.
We have met several offices and departments around the Ranch, such as Human Resources, the Godparent Office, Communications, the Religion Department, Internal/External Clinics, Holy Family Surgery Center, Social Work, and Psychology. It has been interesting to hear about each department’s role, and see what a big operation NPH is.
We went to Tegucigalpa for a day to get to know the city. We learned how to catch the bus, where to get off, and where to find the bank, grocery store, post office, etc. I can’t say I’m confident enough to do it on my own quite yet, but hopefully over time! While we were there, we stopped at a store to buy some juice. I chose jugo de límon y mango. It was delicious! It was cheaper to buy my juice in a bolso, or bag, so I drank from a plastic bag with the straw poking out.
Tuesday was Día de Talita Kumi, which is the name of all the homes where the girls live. We ate a delicious lunch of churrasco, rice, and salad, and spent the afternoon playing and dancing with the kids. It was a really fun day.

I have moments where I look around and think, “oh my gosh I can’t believe I’m here!” which is exciting to think I have so much time to grow and learn. But sometimes I feel homesick and lonely. It’s hard to ever have privacy, so even my brief phone conversations with home are surrounded by others. I’ve learned to appreciate even 10 minutes alone in the dorm, just for a few minutes to give myself some space.

I know it will take time. Everyone has told us we have a “three month hump” to get over, before we can really settle in and adjust. I’m nervous to see what these months will bring, but also excited to finally feel as though the Ranch is home. Thanks to those who have continued to send prayers and good thoughts. Although I know this year will not be easy, I’m so thankful to have you thinking of me.

I want to post soon about the kids, visiting hogars, and share a few pictures with you. The internet is tricky, so I’m often at the mercy of when it works. I'll do my best!