These Days, I Live on a Ranch.

Before coming to Honduras, I knew I'd be living on a ranch, but somehow, I don't think I really got it. 

Yeah, a ranch. Cool. But Spanish-speaking people throw around the word "rancho" all the time, don't they? I mean, I know everyone at NPH Honduras refers to it as "the Ranch," but that's just an abbreviation of its name -- Ranch Santa Fe --- right? (In Guatemala, we called it "the Casa" -- short for Casa San Andrés.) No big deal. And yeah, the website says it's a 2,000-acre piece of land, but that just makes it sound fancy in print. Right?

Hah.

Apparently, my brain had a problem fathoming 2,000-acre ranch until I was actually smack in the middle of it. Surrounded by cows. And horses. And bunnies. And chickens. And snakes (haven't actually seen one yet, but others have!) And fields of corn, cucumbers, peppers, watermelon, tomatoes, cabbage, lettuce, limes, and a million other fruits and veggies. And a pond. And a reservoir. And a dam where kids go swimming. And forest -- tons of forest!

(Note: As a write this entry, a cow is circling my office. Yes, a cow. I've been warned to stay away from the cows -- they like to charge people. I kid you not.)

It takes the kids about 15 minutes to walk from their dorms to the on-site school, and it would take me at least 20 to walk from my room to the Ranch's front entrance. A school bus shuttles employees to and from the offices (tucked way back here in the far corner of the Ranch) every morning and every afternoon.

This place is massive.

So there you go! A better idea of this crazy place I'm now calling home. Maybe you'll picture it better from now on when I use the term "the Ranch." And maybe you won't be as surprised when I blog from bed rest after having been charged by a cow. (Kidding. But seriously, keep fingers crossed for me.)

Love from El Rancho,

Carrie