The tour started in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, which was definitely more developed than I remember from my last visit in 1995. It is alien and humorous to see the American franchises such as McDonald’s, Pizza Hut and KFC all over the city. San Pedro Sula is only a 3.5-hour flight from my home in Gainesville, Florida, but it is a time warp with the only similarity being these big business franchises and the all-American clothing and shoe logos that everyone was wearing.

I’m sure many thought that I was an American tourist, most likely traveling with my mother and father, since I was with an American group. I initially would let some know that I was Honduran, yet after 23 years in America, I may have also been trying to convince myself that this was my country of origin and that I was not as alien as the familiar franchise logos. I don’t have a Spanish accent; I am brown, have curly brown hair, and am a towering 5’9 for Honduran standards with no resemblance to my 4’5 Maya grandmother.

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For more information about The Maya and More program, visit: http://www.roadscholar.org/n/program/summary.aspx?id=1%2BJB%2B86