Alyssa Katz

akatzspanish

Alyssa Katz

¡Hola!

My name is Alyssa Katz and I am a Spanish teacher in Lawrenceville, NJ. I have traveled to many Spanish-speaking countries and I love to share my experiences and photos with everyone.

Please feel free to browse my entries and pictures, comment, or share with anyone who you think would be interested in following my trips.

¡Muchas gracias!




Dia 7 Can't believe this is our last day here in Honduras! While many of the kids are looking forward to being back home, eating American food, sleeping in their own beds, and especially taking hot showers, most of them will miss being here with the people of Villa Soleada. I know I am not ready to go home yet. I feel like I missed a good part of the trip with the clinic visits and taking care of the kiddos. But no matter, it was and always will be an experience I will never forget. The last full day for the volunteers is always a trip to the Playa Tela, one of the most beautiful beaches and popular vacation spots in the northern region of Yoro. I am not a huger beach person, but I ... read more
Mis amigos de Villa
All dressed up for the night out!
Learning Merengue with Dara


Dia 6 = Best Day Yet! I can't believe my time here in Villa Soleada is almost over. The week always goes by so fast. And I felt like I might have missed out a little since I spent so much time in the clinic with the sickies! But today made up for everything and then some. I even got to see mi amigo Hector this morning! When I told Shin about the dresses the other day, I thought he would have been more excited. I didn't think about the logistics of how he would need to distribute them fairly, evenly, and then get me the pictures I had requested. So I left him to think about it, and waited for him to get back to me. He came to me yesterday with an idea I ... read more
A little beauty
Filling in the last cement of the summer
Meeting 2 goals at one time!


Dia 5 Planning to make this a shorter entry... we shall see! So wake-up was earlier than normal today, as breakfast was at 6:30 instead of the normal 7. Because today we were off to the village of Balsamo to finish their school! The last step was laying the cement flooring in the three classrooms and main walkway. This was to be a loooong, tiring, but productive and fulfilling day. However.....there it goes again...Matt was feeling a little sick, and due to doctor's orders, we had to return to the clinic once again to provide a stool sample. We left with the rest of the group after breakfast on the bus, since the clinic was on the way to Balsamo. We got there a little after 8am, and Matt was kind enough to offer up his ... read more
Me and Juan, down by the (new) school yard
Pobre yo


I was able to upload some pictures! Check em out! Day 5 Blog forthcoming...... read more


Dia 4 If anyone thought yesterday's entry was intense, or crazy, wait until you read today's! Normal morning, and I still can't believe how I was not that tired. Started with a breakfast of eggs and potatoes, and 2 cups of coffee for me today. (just in case) Yes, I am drinking plenty of water. Not to worry y'all :) The coffee here is so good, and strong, which I usually don't prefer. But the sweetener we use is sugar cane sugar, so much sweeter and so amazing! In fact, all of their soda is also sweetened with the cane sugar, unlike in the states where they use that high fructose corn syrup crap. I was very much looking forward to the work today, where we would be laying the floor in one of the classrooms ... read more
Always a team effort!
Burrito lunch! YUMMY


Dia 3 Day 3.. what can I say? First of all, I am not able to upload any pictures due to some problemas tecnicales... however, if we are friends on Facebook you can see what I have posted there. Waking up to a breakfast of platanos (mi favorito) and breakfast baleadas, we were off to work on the wall behind the Children's Home. Villa Soleada is protected all around by 20ft cement walls and locked gates, with security guards on duty 24/7. (Hoping that eases the concern of many mothers out there) To build the walls here, there are many different parts to the process. In the morning, we were responsible for carrying cinder blocks to the site, along with the necessary materials, including but not limited to shovels, buckets, 95lb bags of cement, and wheelbarrows ... read more
View from the watchtower - calm before the storm


Lo siento por el atraso del blog! (sorry for the delay, internet is very spotty here in Honduras!) But at least it is available at all! So today marked day 1 of work in Villa Soleada. After a delicious breakfast of scrambled eggs and pancakes, we were off for the grand tour of Villa. What an unbelievable amount of work that got done since last summer! So awesome to see all of the progress and to know we would be a part of what is yet to come. When we stopped at the Bilingual School for a brief informational session and update, I had the honor of seeing the plaque which bears my name for my fundraising efforts last year. I was filled with such an overwhelming sense of pride and accomplishment knowing that I (along ... read more
Proud of my name on this plaque at the Bilingual School in Villa
Lifting my first of many cement buckets this week!
Top of the sand pile


I am in Honduras! I say this with a certain level of enthusiasm, as I almost didn't make it on the plane! After a delicious dinner at Outback, I developed a severe allergic reaction to what I can only blame on the lobster tail. Hives all over! So I took a Benadryl and went to sleep. I woke up about an hour later in so much discomfort that we ended up at the ER at 2:30am. Having explained to the triage nurse that I needed to be on a plane in 6 hours, we hoped to be in and out with the necessary meds to get me cleared up and on my way. A little after 4am we were on our way back to pack up the car and find a 24 hour pharmacy to pick ... read more
Like I could beat a Honduran to the ball...
Mi buena amiga Julie


Hola y bienvenidos a mi TravelBlog! Less than 2 days until my week in Honduras! I am so excited to share my journey with everyone again, so please subscribe to get email updates! The Villa Soleada Children's Home for Girls is almost ready to be opened, but they are still accepting donations! I am almost halfway to my goal of $300. If you haven't already, please consider making a small donation via my Project Page at: http://www.ceciskids.org/fundraising/profile.php?id=1244 My trip this year will be extra special, as I will be joined by 2 of my former students from Lawrence Middle School. I can't wait for them to experience such an amazing adventure, and know that the work they will be doing will help make a huge contribution to the lives of some wonderful Honduran families. In addition ... read more
The official dress hand off- Oso was excited too!


So I have been home for almost a week now, and while it is nice to be back in the air conditioning, I think often of my experiences in Honduras. My time there helping others will always remain an important part of me, as well as the families and friends that have touched my life. My mosquito bites and sunburn are a constant reminder of an unforgettable week, and I love that I already have many Honduran friends on Facebook. My last day in Honduras was Saturday. I was psyched to wear my new soccer jersey that I had bought at the market on Thursday. While eating my breakfast, Sentella came in to visit, and excitedly I picked her up and passed my camera off for a picture. I guess she was excited too, as she ... read more
Sentella pup, after she dumped coffee all over me!
Full of love
Interesting front page of newspaper




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