Service Abroad in Honduras

My STEP Signature Project involved a week-long service trip in Siguatepeque, Honduras. It focused on learning about coffee processing from the farm to consumers. Some of my main activities included picking coffee, helping build a house for a coffee farmer, tours of farms and plants, and more.

My STEP Signature Project gave me the opportunity to travel outside of the United States for the first time. I pushed myself outside of my comfort zone and the result was a very positive experience. I was previously unaware of my ability to adapt to a new environment and how little I knew about the world around me. After completing my STEP Signature Project, I know that I am capable of trying new foods, learning a variety of new vocabulary terms in Spanish, helping serve communities in need, and much more.

One of the things that had an impact on me was interacting with the locals. I really enjoyed the opportunity to learn more about the culture and everyday life in Siguatepeque. I also was challenged to engage in some conversations that were completely in Spanish. Most of the time, I was able to understand what was said but not knowing some terms hindered my ability to be able fully comprehend everything. I saw how difficult language barriers can when getting to know someone. So, as a Spanish minor, I am going to continue developing my conversational skills that way I will be more advanced the next time I travel abroad.

I am a very picky eater. So, prior to traveling abroad I was very fearful that I would be unable to find dishes that I really enjoyed. However, when I was in Honduras, I challenged myself to try new dishes and I found I really enjoyed the cuisine. I loved the fact that a lot of the food was fresh. It was also surreal to indulge in various cultural dishes that I had only read about in textbooks.

Finally, the service aspect of my trip had the largest impact on me. It is one thing to learn things in a class presentation and it is another thing to actually see other parts of the world yourself. Growing up in America, it is sometimes easy to assume that people in other parts of the world are unhappy because they don’t have the same privileges. It was wonderful to find out how simple, peaceful and joyful the people of Siguateque were. Their lives didn’t revolve around material gain or academic success. So even though I was happy to have contributed to making some of their lives easier through our projects, I learned that they were more than satisfied with their lives.

My main take away from my STEP Signature Project is that I know I am going to continue to travel abroad throughout my life. I want to integrate service trips into my future career as a physician. I am aware of the limited healthcare access that exists in third world countries. I think focusing on helping those in need is worth sacrificing a large salary or notoriety. I now know how important it is to try to make a difference not just on my surrounding environment but on the world at large.