Below is a post from Elah Dresden who attends the Near North Montessori School in Chicago and joined NPH USA this past June on a trip to our home in Honduras. Check out what she had to say about her experience at NPH Honduras!
I visited NPH Honduras for the first time in June 2018 for a week. Since this was my first time going, I didn’t know what to expect. My Spanish-speaking skills aren’t that great either, so I was a little nervous. Before we got to the ranch, our leader asked us to visualize what we thought it would look like and how we would feel when we got there. My visualization was blurry, but it was much different than what NPH Honduras actually looked like. I thought that I would feel confused, because I didn’t know how to communicate with the Pequeños. My feeling changed as well.
As I was heading into the ranch, I noticed that it was much bigger than I anticipated. There was a lot of green grass, trees, and beautiful houses (hogares) for all of the children. I thought that it would be smaller, closer together, less greenery, and fewer playgrounds. The more I explored the ranch, the more I fell in love with it. Every single building, statue, or landscape was more beautiful than I could ever imagine.
As for the people I met, right as I got off the bus, I was greeted with many smiles and hellos (holas)! Everyone was very welcoming, and understood that I didn’t speak their language that well. One of the things I learned throughout the week was that there are more ways to communicate than talking. There is hugging, playing, smiling, or simply waving to them as they walk to school. Those small acts can make a big impact.
When our group leader asked us what we took away from the trip on our last night, a lot of people answered with this statement: “I won’t take what I have for granted.” While that may be true, I believe that there is so much more that I personally took away from my visit. While they may not have as many materialistic objects/experiences as a kid in the United States, they are much happier and content with what they have than most of their peers in the US.
Those kids really inspired me. My views on life completely changed. We don’t need social media, fancy cars, designer clothes, etc. to be truly happy. As long as we have good friends, amazing caretakers, and the ability to communicate in a meaningful way, those materialistic things don’t matter as much.
I visited NPH Honduras for the first time in June 2018 for a week. Since this was my first time going, I didn’t know what to expect. My Spanish-speaking skills aren’t that great either, so I was a little nervous. Before we got to the ranch, our leader asked us to visualize what we thought it would look like and how we would feel when we got there. My visualization was blurry, but it was much different than what NPH Honduras actually looked like. I thought that I would feel confused, because I didn’t know how to communicate with the Pequeños. My feeling changed as well.
As I was heading into the ranch, I noticed that it was much bigger than I anticipated. There was a lot of green grass, trees, and beautiful houses (hogares) for all of the children. I thought that it would be smaller, closer together, less greenery, and fewer playgrounds. The more I explored the ranch, the more I fell in love with it. Every single building, statue, or landscape was more beautiful than I could ever imagine.
As for the people I met, right as I got off the bus, I was greeted with many smiles and hellos (holas)! Everyone was very welcoming, and understood that I didn’t speak their language that well. One of the things I learned throughout the week was that there are more ways to communicate than talking. There is hugging, playing, smiling, or simply waving to them as they walk to school. Those small acts can make a big impact.
When our group leader asked us what we took away from the trip on our last night, a lot of people answered with this statement: “I won’t take what I have for granted.” While that may be true, I believe that there is so much more that I personally took away from my visit. While they may not have as many materialistic objects/experiences as a kid in the United States, they are much happier and content with what they have than most of their peers in the US.
Those kids really inspired me. My views on life completely changed. We don’t need social media, fancy cars, designer clothes, etc. to be truly happy. As long as we have good friends, amazing caretakers, and the ability to communicate in a meaningful way, those materialistic things don’t matter as much.
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