Life Back in the United States

Well, to all of you who have been keeping up with my blog this year, I am finally giving everyone an official update on life back in the United States, like I said I would do as I headed back from Honduras.

In all honesty, it has been a strong mix of emotions, as well as finding some things surprisingly easy, and others just as difficult as expected. One thing that is hard for me to fathom is the fact that I have already been back in the states for a month and a half. Some days it feels like it has been so much longer, and other days it feels as if I just got back yesterday. I'm not exactly sure how I feel about all of it, but I'm still in an adjusting process. Since I'm not really sure how I "should" present the pros and cons of being back, I guess I will just jump straight into it.

PROS:
There have been some very nice things about being back in the US. One of the greatest things is getting to be around my family and friends whom I had not seen for half a year. I've enjoyed eating some of my beloved TexMex food, and seeing places I have missed. I've also had the longest break from work in my entire life since I've been back...although I actually am ready to get back to a job because I feel so lazy. Also, being back in Texas means that I will get to be around for all the birthdays, weddings, and births that I have missed the last several years of my life with college and living out of country. There are many positives to being home. Surprisingly, I have adjusted fairly easily to being back..and I have to admit taking a hot shower is kind of nice, as well as being able to drink water from the faucet instead of running down to Eldon's to buy a 5 gallon bote de agua.

NOT CONS, BUT RATHER CHALLENGES:
While I am very happy to be home with my family after not spending much time with them for almost 3 years now, I have run into some things that have been difficult getting used to. While living in Roatan, I was immersed in the culture and (not quite sure how to translate this into english) me pusé la cultura and customs. A specific example is that in Honduras, we point to things with our lips...coming back to the states, I have gotten some strange looks from people.
I also really miss the music, the ocean, the pulperias, canchitas, and food (especially baleadas)! You don't find those things very easily (if at all) in the United States. I also really miss the people..and the Island accent :D
I will say, though, that the hardest thing for me being back is the whole aspect of speaking spanish and being accepted into a community. For anyone else who has gone on missions for an extended period of time, you know what I mean when I say that I don't really feel like I belong in one group or the other. I kind of feel like I'm lost somewhere in the middle. Obviously I am in an english speaking community, and I don't have a problem with that at all. However, it doesn't feel completed, if that makes sense. There's still a big part of me (like a puzzle piece) that has a connection with the latin community and life that I don't feel I get to experience. Living in Honduras, I got to speak spanish all the time, but here people don't speak to me in spanish unless I strongly implore them to (and even then it doesn't always happen). Roatan was a very bilingual place filled with people of all different skin colors of brown, black, and white, and almost everyone there spoke at least 2 languages, so the conversations were very much spanglish. Here though, since I'm white, people don't talk to me in spanish, so I'm having some trouble maintaining it.

Overall, it has been nice being back in the states. I will actually be here for another year at least because things did not work for me to go back to Honduras this next school year.

I do want to say, though, Honduras, I miss you very much. You are the country of my heart, and I will forever love you. Can't wait to come back and see you again.

Until next time!
-TimTito (Native Texan and Catrachigringo awaiting his return)

Last Post from Honduras

   So as I sit in the airport, I decided to write a blog to pass time...you know, maybe this will eat up an hour out of the 11 I have left here (ha). I am no longer on my beautiful little island. Right now I am sitting in the airport in San Pedro Sula, awaiting my flight for this evening.
   Although it was sad, it was a good way to end my time here in the island. This morning we had a breakfast at the school, and most everyone was there. It was nice to get to see most of my friends one last time this morning and eat a catracho breakfast on my last day. Last night, though, I had a hard time falling asleep. Of course it had to do with the impending thought of the trip today. (If I have never told you before, I always get nervous when flying international. I always think of the worst circumstances that could happen and spend hours planning out what I would do if they actually happened.)
   This morning was a bit difficult too. I had my alarm set to go off at 7:20am...but the gallos woke me up at 5:50 instead. At first I began to complain at them, and then I stopped. I realized, that even though they are some of the most annoying little things I have ever known, I will actually miss the sound of their crowing in the mornings. That's definitely not something that I will have in the city in Dallas when I get back.
   On the way to the airport in Roatán, I felt really sad as I saw the ocean pass by my window, all the trees, driving through Los Fuertes and all the familiar sights. I know I'm going to miss this place and the people a lot. I think I may have mentioned this before, and you may laugh, but I almost feel like I'm traveling to a foreign country. Como, the way I felt when I headed to the airport on my way to Honduras is the way I feel now as I head to the United States. After 6 months, it almost feels like I'm going to an unknown place to start a new adventure.
   I'm excited, though. I'm excited to see my family. Excited to see my friends. Excited to see places of childhood memories and places I used to go to all of the time. So USA, see you soon. I'll be writing again soon to tell everyone how I'm adjusting back to American culture.

Until next time world,

-Tim Tito
(Native Texan and Catrachigringo: training on hold)

As the Days Count Down

 
 As the days start coming to an end, I have been thinking back on all the amazing things I have seen and experienced since coming here. In all my life, I wanted to move to another country, but never did I think it would actually happen. I am beyond thankful and blessed to have had this opportunity to serve here in Honduras for the past 6 months. But with everything that's gone on, it's hard for me to believe that I only have 4 days left.
  Since I moved out here, I've been marking off the days on my calendar too see how long I've been here. Last night I marked off the one for the 10th of June, and I looked up and saw 5 other full months completely marked out. It doesn't feel like it's been that long. If anything, it feels like it's only been a few weeks...where did all the time go?
   I'm excited to be going back to the states and seeing people this summer...but it's strange. The way I felt about coming out here to a new country is almost the same way I feel about going back to the states. I kind of feel like so much has passed me by since I've been gone, and that it'll be kind of hard to get used to all that again. The island life is simple and relaxed; the states is busy and busy. But you know what, I adjusted to this place pretty quickly, so I just may adjust back to the other quickly as well.
   I will say, though, adjusting quickly is one of my fears. Not that I don't want to acclimate to the culture and everything and get used to it again, but that I'm a little bit afraid that once I go home, I'll get too used to it and kind of lose everything that has become a part of me since I moved out here. But oh well. Only time will tell what will happen.
   Honduras has now become my love and it has my heart. Sadly, though, I'm not sure if I'm going to get to come back or not...So while I spend my last 4 days here, I'm going to enjoy it for everything it is.

Until next time family and friends,

-Tim Tito
(Native Texan and Catrachigringo...training almost complete)

5 Things Future Missionaries Should Hear

   Today I read an article talking about things missionaries wish they had been told before they started their work. I loved the article so much that I decided to make my own list of 5 Things I Think Future Missionaries Should Hear. Hope you enjoy!

1. Do not try to "lose yourself" in the culture or become "one of them."

   This is probably one of the hardest things I had to come to terms with and it took me the longest to learn (and I am still learning). Sometimes it may be easy for you to want to fit in and kind of "lose your old self" in your new country or area. For me, this was very hard. I wanted to strive to be "one of them," and I would get so frustrated because I was never quite accepted as one of them. But what I have learned is that this isn't a bad thing. Don't ever lose sight of who you were before you came to the new country. Be willing to adapt to the culture and even take on certain aspects of it and things…but do not try to get rid of who you are. To the native people, you will always be seen as a foreigner, but they will come to love you for who you are. And they will accept you into their lives and family in a special way. 

2. Life does not get easier..it actually will get harder

   Sometimes, people who are about to go on missions are filled with the stories of greatness from the mission field, and they don't hear about the hard things…kind of like war stories that a grandchild hears from their grandparent. Just because you are doing mission work for the Lord, it does not mean that things will be amazing and like you will be on a "Jesus High" all the time. In fact, things will be very hard a lot of times. You will go through phases of missing home intensely, meeting people with heart wrenching stories and not knowing exactly what to do, or anything else. That doesn't mean that missions are horrible…absolutely not! I recommend everyone to go on missions; it will be one of the best, if not the best experience in your life. But I think it is important to know that those best months, years, or weeks are accompanied by some of the hardest things you might face.

3. Be patient (the hardest part is the beginning)

   Always be patient. I read somewhere that the first 2 months are the hardest…and I will completely back up that statement. I remember that my first 2 months living here were super hard for me; Not because it was a horrible experience, but because I missed home so much. There were many times in those first 2 months that I questioned if I had made the right decision of coming out here. But after those 2 months, life got easier, and I adjusted to the culture and life. So my advice for you is to just be patient and wait. Give yourself time to adapt and get used to things.

4. Be prepared to be humbled

   This one kind of goes along with being patient, but be prepared to be humbled…especially with the language! I came out here and had a decent grasp on the spanish language, but when I first got here, I realized I really was not up to speed. It has been a lot of sweat, a lot of tears, and a lot of embarrassing moments. And you know what? I'm still learning! You will have many times when you get blank stares from people because you said something completely wrong, or someone will laugh at you, or you will get corrected 100 times a day…every day…for months. Haha! But hey, you will get a grasp on it and it will eventually start coming naturally. Just be patient and realize that it is difficult learning a second language. Also, you will get humbled on some of the cultural aspects. Just roll with the punches, and be realize that it is not the end of the world if you get embarrassed. It's just a learning opportunity.

5. Don't get discouraged

   It is so easy to get discouraged as a missionary. You will have times when the people you minister to just eat up the word of God and everything. And then you will have more times when you don't see anything change, and you will get discouraged and ask, "Am I making any difference, God?!" But remember…plants and trees don't grow overnight. You are planting seeds that you don't realize. Sometimes it just takes longer for others.

*BONUS*

   Something I wish I had been informed on is that mission work does not always look like feeding homeless and starving children like we see many pictures. While that is amazing and beautiful, missions, many times, look like normal life. I am a school teacher here. I wake up, get ready, go to school, teach, tutor, go to the grocery store, meet people while walking home, etc. It sounds like a very normal life like what many people have. In reality, this is what many missionary lives look like…because our missions field is in the every day life. It never stops. The mission is where you are.

Hope you enjoyed! Please comment any things you would like to hear about next time. I also included the link to the other article I based this off of if you would like to see it.

-Tim Tito

(Native Texan and Catrachigringo in Training)

www.askamissionary.com/question/31

A Glimpse of My World

So, Tim, you've lived in Honduras for all this time, and you have not even given an idea of what the culture is like or anything? Well guess what, guys! I am finally going to give you a little snippet of Honduran life (at least here on Roatan).

I live in Roatan. It is one of the Bay Islands off of the northern coast of Honduras. It is the biggest of the Bay Islands, but it is still small. Specifically, I live in a small community called "French Harbour," which started out as a fishing community. In the area of French Harbour that I live in, most of the people speak spanish, but on the other side, most of the people speak Island English. (Island English is kind of like a Creole english.)

The culture here is pretty cool. It is very tranquilo and relaxed most of the time, and the people are very friendly. The main industry of the island was fishing, but it is beginning to turn more to tourism, as a lot of Americans, Canadians, and Europeans like to visit. However, they normally stay on the west end of the island.

One of the things I really find cool about this place is all the food. Wherever you go, you will find people selling fruits, vegetables, and cooking meat on the side of the road. And let me tell you, the food is amazing! Islanders know how to cook...like seriously! A normal meal usually consists of some kind of meat, beans, rice, and platano. There's a lot of other variations, and they are fantastic. If you ever come to visit, you HAVE TO eat Baleadas. The best way I can explain it is heaven wrapped up in the warm hug of a tortilla. Baleadas consist of a freshly made tortilla, frijoles, queso or mantequilla, and you can also add eggs, aguacate, longaniza, or some kind of meat. Just trust me...it is AMAZING!

Continuing with this snippet of the life here, I thought I should give a brief look at the spanish here. If you speak spanish, you probably have noticed that different countries have their own ways of speaking the language. Here in Honduras, we have different caliche (or nicknames/slang) for certain things. Here are some of them:
1. Paja - a lie
2. Maje - dude (or fool)
3. Wirro/a - boy or girl
4. Tacos - cleats
Another things you should know about Honduran spanish is that they use something called "voseo," which is an informal way of speaking where they replace tu with vos. Honestly, when I first came here and would speak spanish with people, I would get so confused when people would speak to me in vos...but now I use it all the time, and I actually prefer it. I think it's easier sometimes than using tu.

Now, with all of this, I can't leave out some of the important things. Roatan is beautiful, and a great place I would recommend anyone to come and visit (or live). But just like every place has their richer and fancier areas, we also have the poorer areas as well. And these areas, in my opinion, are the best areas. Yes, it's nice to see all of the scenic places that you want to take a picture in front of, but to me, life truly exists in the areas where there isn't as much money. This is where life is real. Hondurans are strong people, and they are amazing people. They have a lot of heart, and a lot of spirit. Living here has really put into perspective the life people (me included) have in America.

Those from America, we are truly blessed to live where we do. We don't realize how blessed we are. Don't take anything you have for granted. Living life here has put my own life into perspective and seeing how blessed I was growing up, and my family was not even a well off family. There is so much I would love to say and impart, but I have to save some things for another time.

I would love to talk to you guys if you have any questions or would like to know more about life here. Have a great week, and God bless!

-Tim Tito
(Native Texan and Catrachigringo in training)

The Battle Over You

Let me tell you a story.

Once upon a time there was God. He created the world and everything in it. He created the light and dark, the waters and land, animals, and vegetation. Then He made something else. He made this thing called "man" and breathed breath into his lungs. He then formed a partner for this thing called "man" and began a relationship with these living beings known as "mankind."

Then there was this bad guy. This bad guy didn't like at all what God was doing. You see, he wanted to be God and to have His power. So he decided to try and take away that which God had created. He tempted, man bought it, and here we are today.

I may not be the best narrator, but I'm pretty sure you got the picture, or at least be able to identify the story (history). Here's the thing, though…the story is not over. There's a battle constantly going on between good and evil. A battle between God and Satan. We learn about this from an early age (especially if you grew up in a church like me). However, I would, if you will, like to bring forth a new thought about this.

For so long we have talked about the battle between God and the enemy. Sometimes it's kind of talked about like a battle for power, or to show who is stronger. However, we already know who is going to win. The Bible already says it. The Lord wins. The enemy is defeated, and God wins.

I started thinking about this the other day: If we already know who is going to win…if we already know the outcome, then what is this battle about? Is it that God needs to show that He is more powerful? While I do believe that everything in the outcome is to bring glory to God, I also don't think God has to prove His worth. He knows He's going to win. We know He is going to win. The enemy knows He is going to win. So what is the battle for?

You.

God doesn't have to prove anything. He's God. The enemy already knows he's going to lose. So why fight? Well, in a short answer, it's for you. The battle is over your eternity. God is fighting for you because He wants you to be with Him for eternity in heaven. The enemy wants you to go down with him into ruin.

So here's my question now: Who do you want to win the battle over your soul?

When We Don't Understand Why

Let's get real. There are some days, months, or seasons that we go through and we don't really understand why we are going through them. I'll share a little bit of my story, and maybe it will be encouraging to you.

If you guys know me, you know that music is a very big part of my life. I went to college to study music, specifically for the church. It was one of the greatest things I have done in life. I knew God wanted me there, because He made a way for me to do it when all odds were against me. However, by the end of my time receiving my education and degree, I felt kind of burnt out on the whole "worship" music thing, and was not sure if I actually wanted to do that anymore. I was a little worried that I had just wasted all that time and money for something that was uncertain and that I felt I wasn't sure if I wanted to do anymore.

Fast forward about 4 months later, I am now in a place where music is the farthest thing from what I do. Now I am working in another country, teaching math in a school, doing absolutely nothing with music. I have not played an instrument since I moved out here, I have not sung since I moved here, and I have definitely not done any vocal warm ups. Because of this lack of music, I have gone backwards in my "musicalness." My piano and theory skills definitely are not on point like they were, and my singing has suffered. I used to be able to belt an A above middle C, and now I am lucky if I can sing out a D# above middle C without having my voice crack. Being completely honest, it is very discouraging, and I get frustrated many days. Because of talking all the time in class, I never have moments to just let my voice rest, so I always feel horse.

Now don't get me wrong on this next part I am going to say. I absolutely love Honduras and my experience out here (if you could not tell from all of my other posts). I would not trade this part of my life for anything in all of the world. I am beyond grateful to be out here, and I could not be happier. However, through this experience, I constantly ask God why exactly He brought me out here. I see fruits of my time here, and I know God has big plans for why He brought me out here. Many, I'm sure, I will not see until later, and many I may not ever see at all. I just have to trust that He is faithful.

One thing, though, that I have realized through this time in my life is that, while I may not completely understand God's full picture, He has revealed something to me. My passion and love for music and worship has only intensified. I have come to realize that it is not just something I like to do, but it is literally a part of my being. It is God's calling in my life. I think He kind of had to bring me somewhere that I am completely without it in order to revive in me that calling I felt before.

So my encouragement to you is that, if you feel like you are somewhere in your life where you don't understand exactly why you are there, don't get discouraged. Sometimes the Lord has to take us somewhere in order for us to see something in a different light, or to reveal something to us because we wouldn't listen otherwise. Don't be discouraged. God has a plan, and He won't leave you out there alone.

"Yet, I am not alone, for my Father is with me. I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." - John 16:32c-33

A Heart Divided

It has been quite a while since the last blog post I have written. There has been a lot going on, and I have honestly had a harder time finding inspiration of something to write about. Many times I have sat down at my computer to compose a blog about something inspirational, or about how I feel, or something along those lines...but nothing has quite come out the way I want it to.

A couple of days ago, I reached the 90 day mark of living in Honduras, and I am now, officially, in my 4th month of living in Latin America. Throughout my time here, I have learned many things about myself, learned things about life, discovered more questions and uncertainties about myself, and I have come to realize that I have changed since moving here.

One of the hardest things I have had to deal with since moving here is finding my since of identity. A few weeks ago I posted something on Facebook about missionary kids and talked a little about how I find myself kind of caught in between two worlds, both of which seem to pull me at the same time. I will dub these two worlds "World T" and "World H."

From birth until the age 18, I lived and grew up in the wonderful state of Texas. It stole my heart at a young age, and it is still my love. It has always been home. It has my family, my familiar surroundings, and my cultural heritage there. I will always be a Texan. It's who I am. It is also the only place I have ever felt at home. I lived in Tennessee and New Jersey for a time between the ages of 18 and 20. Neither of them felt like home. I always felt like I was just having an extended visit somewhere. The entire time I was living in those other states, I always wanted to go home to Texas. And that is where I found my identity as a person for the longest time.

But then "World H" came into the picture. At the age of 20 (right on the verge of 21), I moved to Honduras, and it stole my heart away. (Honestly, it ripped my heart right into two.) Right after getting here, I felt welcomed and comfortable here. And, while only having lived here for 3, going on 4 months, I feel at home. That is something HUGE for me to say. Recently I took a trip to Belize to renew my visa so I could come back to Honduras and stay through the rest of the school year. The entire time I was in Belize (although a beautiful country), I felt uncomfortable and out of place. When the plane landed back on Roatan, I immediately let out a sigh of relief because I had made it home. Since moving here, I have grown accustomed to this way of life. I have taken on the cultural aspects, the food, the lifestyle, the language, and everything. And now my heart is torn in half between my "World T" and my "World H."

Now, I don't expect many, if any at all really, to understand this next part. It would sound kind of silly to me if I was an outsider hearing this. Quite honestly, though, I don't really see myself as an American anymore. And I don't see myself as really a Honduran either. I see myself as half American, half Honduran. Many of you are probably thinking, "Ok, Tim, that's a pretty drastic thing to say after only living there for 3 months. That doesn't make you Honduran." And yes, that would be true if I had come out here with someone from home, someone that I maintain my American culture with, or a place I go to get back in touch with my American roots. However, that's not the case with me. I came out to Honduras alone, with no one from back home. I live in an area where I am one of the only white people in my surroundings. I go to a church where I am the only gringo. Spanish is the most common language I hear except for when I am teaching classes in school (and even then the kids are usually speaking spanish in class). I speak spanish every single day at school and in day-to-day life, and I speak spanish about 60-70% of the time I'm in the house. So, honestly, you can see that I am literally immersed in the culture. Also, I am still in my developing years that are essential in the formation and identity creation of who I am as a person.

All of this to simply say that I am not the same person I used to be.

My heart is kind of in a battle between the two places. My home of Texas which I have loved and been in since birth, and my home of Honduras, a country that my heart has loved since the age of 12.

This wasn't really a blog of inspiration, or a blog of "look at how cool life is here," or anything like that...it was more of a way to share part of me with you guys. I promise that the next blog will be something of inspiration and fun reading!


Until next time friends and family,
-Tim Tito
(Native Texan and Catrachigringo in training)

So This Begins the Next Chapter of My Life

  As I stand in the long line of people, my heart beats with excitement, yet throbs with the knowledge of leaving that with which I am familiar. I peer back over my shoulder and see my family looking at me with smiles on their faces. Their smiles give me the assurance I need as I slowly take a deep breath and 'calmly' let it out. Ok, I think to myself, You can do this.

  

  I walk up to the man at the counter and hand him my ticket and passport, just praying that there are no complications. 'Cuz that's all I need to start this trip, I say quietly under my breath. Within seconds he hands back my passport and ticket, ushers me through to security, and through the metal detector I go. As I walk out on the other side, I look back one last time to see if my family is still there. They are. I wave and walk around the corner towards my gate.

  

  Within an hour my flight boards the plane and we are taking off down the runway. Goodbye America. See you again in 6 months. I try to sit calmly and pretend like I am totally used to flying internationally. I take out my book and start reading. 4 chapter later, I am asleep until we arrive in Costa Rica, land of the Ticos.

  

  Half an hour later I am through security again and sitting in my terminal with an 8 hour layover. Thank the Lord they have wifi, because my phone sent me a text saying I will be charged $2.50 for every minute of data I use. Well, time to call the family and tell them I made it safely to Costa Rica. It's late, and we talk for about half an hour. Then I decide to go and explore the terminal until I realize I'm tired and should try and sleep. Let's just say that does not end up working. I pick my head up from my "nap" and see a bunch of little children running around, getting ready to board their flight. No going back to sleep, I say in my head, so I decide to get ready to board instead, even though my flight doesn't leave for another 2 hours.

  

  7:30 AM I am sitting in the airport in San Salvador, just barely making it in time to board my next flight to finally get to Roatan. All the passengers board a small bus to take us over to the plane. It is surprisingly small compared to the other planes I have been riding in, but I smile, knowing it is the last one I have to get on for a while. Almost there, God. Thank you!

  

  I sleep through most of the flight, and then I am woken up by the captain speaking over the intercom. "Vamos a llegar en 22 minutos." I sit up a little more and look out my window to see Honduras below me. A rush of excitement fills my body as I realize that I am just 22 minutes from landing in the country I have wanted to move to since I was a young kid. I gaze down upon the beauty of the country from a bird's-eye-view. I get to live here for the next 6 months. I smile to myself and just stare out the window.

  

  Next thing I know, we are beginning to descend and land on my island. It is absolutely beautiful. The plane comes to a halt after going down the runway for a little while. I look down at my papers to make sure I filled them out right, and then I grab my things to get off the plane. Everyone else passes me and one by one they step off the plane and onto the land.

  

  I am the last one out. I clutch my bag and adjust my backpack before stepping off the plane. The sun shines in my eyes, and walk down the steps. When both of my feet are on the ground, I stop and just take it in for a few seconds. So this begins the next chapter of my life.

-Tim Tio

(Native Texan and Catrachigringo in Training)

Living a Life in Purple

LIVING A LIFE IN PURPLE

"When you live in a red country and then move to a blue country, you will never be able to go back. You can never be completely red again, and you will never be entirely blue. You will forever be purple."

  This is a quote I heard from a missionary back when I was in the 6th grade, and it has stuck with me ever since. I am living proof of this statement. For me, Texas was my "red country," and Honduras is my "blue country." I can never go back to just being a Texan, and I will never completely be a Honduran. I will forever be "purple." I live in a perpetual state of limbo, walking a line between the two.

  I will never be able to explain fully to my Honduran friends and people why it is that I talk the way I do, or why I love biscuits and gravy. I won't be able to explain in totality the love I have for the country, and the ways of the south, or why I use the words "y'all" and "fixin' to."

  Just like I will never be able to explain to my Texan friends why I have such an intense craving for baleadas and platano maduro. I won't be able to explain why Reggaeton music makes a "lily white boy" like me want to dance. I will always get looks when I speak spanish around my friends in the states, and I will always get looks from other latinos when I use slang words from Honduras like "pucha" and "canchita." 

  I can never go back to living the exact same way I used to before I moved out to Roatan. I will forever have a mixed culture in the way I live and speak. Any of my friends who moved to a different country will understand what I am saying.

  And you know what…I am ok with all of this. I love living this way. English will always be my go-to language, and I will always love BBQ and living in Texas. But wherever I go, Honduran food and the language will follow me. Living a life in purple is actually pretty cool…I encourage you to try it sometime.

Until next time,

-Tim Tito

(Native Texan and Catrachigringo in Training)

TEXAS: A Land I Call Home

   Living here in Honduras has given me a love for the Latin American culture. In the future, I will be writing a post about life in Roatan and cultural aspects of this place. However, today, I have been thinking a lot in my homeland and the culture there. So, I would like to give you guys a basic run-down of my home, Texas.

   Texas is an amazing, beautiful, majestic, friendly, and basically perfect state! (If you can't tell, I am just a little biased.) Yes, yes, I know that I went a little over the top there…but the first thing you need to know about Texas is that we are probably some of the nicest and friendliest people you will ever meet…but we are also probably the most prideful people you will ever meet. We love our state, and everyone in it (well mostly everyone in it). If a Texan is ever in another state and meets another person from Texas, we will suddenly become the best of friends…even if we don't know each other and we live on completely opposite sides of the state.

    Oh! And that's another thing! Texas is BIG. This time I'm not over expressing it. To cross from one side of Texas to the other (side to side, top to bottom, etc.), it will take you close to 13 hours to get through our state. And we have all sorts of terrain. We have flat lands and mountains, deserts and forests, hot and cold, beaches and islands, cities and farm lands. You name it, we probably have it.

Something else to know is that we also love our Cowboys. Well…almost everyone loves them. But here is the funny thing about it. We love them because we are loyal people…not because the Cowboys are actually that great of a team. Ask most people from Texas why we like the Cowboys, and you will probably get answers like: "Because I'm from Dallas. You have to stay loyal to your state!" Yes, we know they haven't won a super bowl since 1990-something…but we are all still holding on to that dream that one day they will claim that glorious victory again!

   A few other things you should know about Texas: we like our guns, we don't all have accents (but we can all turn it on if we want to), family is important to us, football is basically another religion because it is so important to the people of that state…Also, we are NOT "Texians." Please just stop! The word is "TEXAN." And while we are on the topic of how to say certain things, the drink is called "Coke." In Texas, we have one word for a carbonated beverage, and that is "coke." If you say soda or soft drink, you will probably get some looks, but we will let it slide…just don't. ever. say. Pop. I'll just leave it there.

Here are some words and phrases you should probably know if you ever decide to travel to Texas:

1. Y'all - the southern way of saying "you all." Get used to it, because you will hear it a lot.

2. Fixin' to - this is the way Texans say "I'm about to…"

3. Bless your heart - this phrase can be used in different ways. It can be used to comfort someone or to show sympathy. But the most common way you will hear it used is a replacement for: "That poor soul is just plain stupid…I feel sorry for him/her."

4. Howdy - A common greeting. It is a replacement for "Hello."

   There are also different degrees of Texans. There are 1). Those who were born in Texas, but moved away while still a child [Status: Texan]; 2). Those who were born in another state but moved to Texas [Status: Texan]; 3). Those who moved to and lived in Texas for a short time before moving somewhere else, or have family in Texas and visited them a lot [Status: Honorary Texan]; 4). Those who were not born and possibly not raised or lived in Texas, but one parent is from Texas [Status: Half Texan]; 5). Those who were born and raised in Texas [Status: Native Texan/Full blooded Texan].

   As you can see, Texans are pretty accepting of everyone, and we will basically take you in if you ever lived in Texas, have a parent from Texas, or have a love for anything Texan.

The last thing I feel you should know about Texas (at least at this point in time) is that we LOVE food. Texans have a love for BBQ, almost any type of meat, TexMex, and Mexican food. If you are going to someone's house in Texas, you can be 99% sure that you will be fed well.

   All in all, Texas is a wonderful place to go. This article is just barely a glimpse at the culture and land of Texas. There is so much more I could say about this place, but I thought I should give you the spark-notes version of it. If you have never gone to or visited the state of Texas, I encourage you to go. It is a place I dearly love, and I look forward to going home to see it again.

If you have any comments or suggestions of things to add to this article, or something you would like to hear about or a topic you would like me to write about, please leave your comment below.

Love you guys!

-Tim "Tito" 

(Native Texan and Catrachigringo in training)