Arriving in Honduras

1.         Arriving in Honduras was a jarring experience. We had all recently learned of the unexpected loss of a friend and colleague and this was weighing heavily on us as stumbled out of our red-eye flight and into the crowded San Pedro Sula airport. It was there we re-connected with the rest of our travel companions and where I first met our jefe, Dr. Javier. His warmth was immediately comforting, The perfect balance of condolences and bright optimism. It was here I realized how glad I was to be with a group of friends sharing common goals and experiences. The drive to Taulabe was a blur interrupted only by a wonderful and generous meal hosted by Javier’s sister, Cecia. The rest of the day was spent unpacking and preparing for the week ahead. Plans of morning yoga and running quickly faded as I fell into the deepest sleep I had experienced for months. Waking the next day with renewed clarity it felt as though the previous 48hrs had been a dream. We spent the day getting to know each other, preparing medications and supplies and discussing the details of our mobile clinic, with physician consult, dental/fluoride treatment, pharmacy, and children’s activity stations while a subset planned for an Advanced Life Support in Obstetrics course they would be leading in Tegucigalpa, several hours away. It was exciting to see our teammates of all ages and varied experiences take on and embrace their roles and once again I was reminded how lucky I was to be part of this group.                                          -Sean