Mexico, Really long story of what has happened so far.....
Ah, Mexico. I am kinda in love. I have been having a great time, which really is quite extraordinary considering everything that has happened so far. The plane was fine other than the guy next to me snoring the entire time. I got to the airport really early like I was told, and really there was no reason to. I was waiting around for a couple of hours. Oh well. Got through security fine, even though the woman was a little rude. I had never traveled before, how was I supposed to know all the rules. Oh well. I get to Dallas fine. Found my gate and everything, all on my own. I was proud of myself. My gate was pretty much on the other side of the airport, so I had to ride in this little sky train thing. The flight to Mexico was fine. I have decided that I really love flying. I could stare out the window of the airplane all day long. After landing in Leon, I had to fill out all my customs paperwork and stuff because no one had given it to me on the plane or anything. So I was a little delayed in that, but oh well. I go to the baggage claim, and well, I can only find one of my bags. The other is lost somewhere. I finally get help and they tell me that it is probably on another flight. So then I have to go and fill out paperwork with the airline saying that my bag was lost. So the director that met me sent the other two girls on ahead to Guanajuato, while we figured out my baggage situation. The good thing was that Carlos made it to the airport and it was good to see him. We waited at the airport for another hour for another girl’s flight. When she got there, Carlos wanted to drive me to Guanajuato. The director and the other girl were going to go with us because they had to get a cab anyway, but there wasn’t enough room in Carlos’s car. So we were just going to follow the cab. We were in route, when there was a terrible downpour (it rains a lot here). So we the cab got really far ahead of us and when we finally got to Guanajuato, we couldn’t find the place we were supposed to meet at. So we were lost in Guanajuato for a little while. When we finally get to the jardín, the daughter of my host mom is waiting for me. We go part of the way in the car and then have to walk the rest of the way. Carlos came and met my host mom. God, I love the woman. Really. She is so welcoming. Anyway, she gave me a tour of the house, met family members (some of her granddaughters stay with her during the summer), I ate, unpacked, did a little of nothing, finally got a hold of my mom, and went to bed.
Orientation started the next day. I walked with these two other girls who are staying in my house. There are 5 of us in all, but 2 leave on Saturday and the other 2 leave in a week or two. Anyway we get to the school super early and no one knows where I am really supposed to go. Finally figure it out, and find out that they have found my luggage. All the directors are really nice and everything. I went home for lunch. One of the granddaughters picked me up. The city is really big and there are lots of alleyways and stuff. The first few days I thought I would never figure it out, but I think that I got the hang of it now. Lunch in Mexico is the biggest meal of the day. It is really huge, there are always several courses. Later that day, we went on a tour of the city and I finally got my luggage that night.
Pretty much had the same routine all week. Go to the school for orientation. Come home for lunch and then later go back for something else. Yesterday we went to Cristo Rey, the second largest Jesus in the world. It was huge, and awesome, and breathtaking, and amazing, and everything. It is on top of a huge mountain with an amazing view. I loved it. Today, we registered for classes. I placed in the most advanced level. I could take classes with Mexican students, but I am not going to. To take classes with Mexicans you have to take 2 different buses to the campus and when we went on the tour today it took forever to get a bus. Plus, I really don’t want to stress myself out. I am here to enjoy Mexico and the last thing I want is to be overly stressed. My classes are going to be hard enough. Even though they are only with other international students, they are still all in Spanish and the professors don’t speak English. Anyway, while we were touring the Valencia campus (the campus where I could take classes with Mexicans), I started to feel a little bad. My stomach felt weird, it didn’t hurt right away, it was just weird. However, while waiting for a bus to come to go back down to the main part of the city, it started to hurt really bad. So bad, I couldn’t stand and I felt really weak. It took everything that I had to make it back to my house, where I promptly went to the bathroom, where we won’t go into any details because they are pretty disgusting. Anyway, Señora made me drink this carbonated apple juice drink. And amazingly it helped a lot. This is why I think that Señora is a miracle worker. Within a few hours I was feeling so much better, not completely better, but better. Apparently there is nothing that you can do to really avoid getting sick that it eventually happens to everyone just because of the differences and the elevation and everything else. So hopefully I am getting mine out the way early and won’t have to deal with it anymore. There is this other girl in my group who has also already gotten sick. She has been taking medicine that she brought from the states and isn’t better, where I just listened and did what Señora said, and I felt better. I really am being spoiled. I have the best Señora ever. She fixes us all food especially for us. She packs me snacks. She lives the closest to everything. She really is amazing. And the horrible thing that happened was part of the gift that I brought here, a wooden basket thing, broke during the trip. People really are not careful about your baggage. She still seemed to love it and said that she could have it fixed.
That’s really all that is going on. Having a wonderful time. I love it here. I really don’t think that a semester is long enough here. I think I could live here. It is so beautiful. I could stare out at the mountains all day long. They are just so beautiful. I am so glad that I decided to come here. Tomorrow we leave for an excursion to the next state with lots of nature and everything. Should be really fun. Saturday we will be riding horses for 6 hours to go up and see this volcano. I am excited.
Orientation started the next day. I walked with these two other girls who are staying in my house. There are 5 of us in all, but 2 leave on Saturday and the other 2 leave in a week or two. Anyway we get to the school super early and no one knows where I am really supposed to go. Finally figure it out, and find out that they have found my luggage. All the directors are really nice and everything. I went home for lunch. One of the granddaughters picked me up. The city is really big and there are lots of alleyways and stuff. The first few days I thought I would never figure it out, but I think that I got the hang of it now. Lunch in Mexico is the biggest meal of the day. It is really huge, there are always several courses. Later that day, we went on a tour of the city and I finally got my luggage that night.
Pretty much had the same routine all week. Go to the school for orientation. Come home for lunch and then later go back for something else. Yesterday we went to Cristo Rey, the second largest Jesus in the world. It was huge, and awesome, and breathtaking, and amazing, and everything. It is on top of a huge mountain with an amazing view. I loved it. Today, we registered for classes. I placed in the most advanced level. I could take classes with Mexican students, but I am not going to. To take classes with Mexicans you have to take 2 different buses to the campus and when we went on the tour today it took forever to get a bus. Plus, I really don’t want to stress myself out. I am here to enjoy Mexico and the last thing I want is to be overly stressed. My classes are going to be hard enough. Even though they are only with other international students, they are still all in Spanish and the professors don’t speak English. Anyway, while we were touring the Valencia campus (the campus where I could take classes with Mexicans), I started to feel a little bad. My stomach felt weird, it didn’t hurt right away, it was just weird. However, while waiting for a bus to come to go back down to the main part of the city, it started to hurt really bad. So bad, I couldn’t stand and I felt really weak. It took everything that I had to make it back to my house, where I promptly went to the bathroom, where we won’t go into any details because they are pretty disgusting. Anyway, Señora made me drink this carbonated apple juice drink. And amazingly it helped a lot. This is why I think that Señora is a miracle worker. Within a few hours I was feeling so much better, not completely better, but better. Apparently there is nothing that you can do to really avoid getting sick that it eventually happens to everyone just because of the differences and the elevation and everything else. So hopefully I am getting mine out the way early and won’t have to deal with it anymore. There is this other girl in my group who has also already gotten sick. She has been taking medicine that she brought from the states and isn’t better, where I just listened and did what Señora said, and I felt better. I really am being spoiled. I have the best Señora ever. She fixes us all food especially for us. She packs me snacks. She lives the closest to everything. She really is amazing. And the horrible thing that happened was part of the gift that I brought here, a wooden basket thing, broke during the trip. People really are not careful about your baggage. She still seemed to love it and said that she could have it fixed.
That’s really all that is going on. Having a wonderful time. I love it here. I really don’t think that a semester is long enough here. I think I could live here. It is so beautiful. I could stare out at the mountains all day long. They are just so beautiful. I am so glad that I decided to come here. Tomorrow we leave for an excursion to the next state with lots of nature and everything. Should be really fun. Saturday we will be riding horses for 6 hours to go up and see this volcano. I am excited.