Juan Carlos´s Graduation/Prom

Juan Carlos´s graduation. The event that started it all. Last March when I came to Honduras to visit my family, my Tia Suyapa insisted that I had to come back the following year for my cousin Juan Carlos´s high school graduation. Not knowing what I would be doing in June of the following year, I told her I would try my hardest to do so. Once I started to look into it, I decided that Honduras is quite a far way to travel from Buenos Aires just for one event. It was then I decided that if I was going to come to the graduation, I should turn it into a longer trip. Laura had recently decided to quit her job and come to Argentina for the month of April before then going to Spain with her family in May. She had planned to then travel to Africa, but I convinced her to join me and thus our Central America trip was born!

Juan Carlos and me

So as mentioned the whole reason we came was for Juan Carlos´s high-school graduation. Or so I thought, but as it turned out he graduated the week before. We were coming in town for the party. Well when I think high school graduation party, I think casual. Not here! It turned out not to be a private party, rather a huge event at a local hotel with all of his classmates (read: a very fancy affair). This was a problem as neither Laura nor I prepared for such an event. I brought a few nice sun dresses but as soon as my aunt showed me her gown I knew our clothes were not going to cut it. No worries! Suyapa would find us outfits to wear. She asked our sizes and called everyone she knew to find us the proper attire. After going through the closets of my Tia Maritza, cousin Marissa, and Suyapa´s friend´s niece we found dresses, shoes and jewelery. Now, our outfits were not necessarily something we would normally wear, but we all decided that it was far better than having to buy something new.

my cousin Marissa and me

The outfits Laura and I came up with (4 closets later)

Laura, me, Tia Suyapa and Tia Maritza

The actual event was quite the spectacle! They call the grad night “prom” here, but it was basically the equivalent of a debutante ball. Laura commented on how it was just like Gossip Girl. Marissa and I both agreed! It was super elegant and each of the students (all 65 of them) were introduced with their name, age, future plans, role models, favorite movie, song, book, etc... Needless to say that part took awhile…especially since we knew only ONE person – Juan Carlos. After that, the fun began as the champagne bottles were popped, the music started bumping, and the dancing began! My Tia Suyapa sure likes to dance! Laura and I spent the majority of the night on the dance floor with her. At midnight there was a mini-Carnival complete with a drum circle, dancers and all the grads clad in masks and hats! The night was a really fun and certainly a very unique experience! The next morning Suyapa told me that it really meant a lot to Juan Carlos (and her) that I came. :) I am really glad I came too!