Rheana's Travels

    Bueno (which is how everybody here answers the phone. It’s probably not correct to start out a letter that way, but I’m a rebel. Haha),
                    
    So I've been here for over two weeks and a LOT of things have happened during that time... except for me to wake up one morning completely fluent in both Spanish and English. Don’t worry though, I’m still waiting for that day with rapt anticipation... but no longer holding my breath. Fainting once (true story. I go into detail in "First Excursion") was enough for me.

    I have now been living in Mexico for sixteen days, and they have both flown and crawled by. A weird phenomenon. I guess it all depends on how my day’s going. I don’t really feel like I’m here yet, but am working on that. I imagine that’s going to be a process for the entire 13wks I’m in Mexico. I am having fun though, and haven’t yet regretted making this decision. Which I guess is the basic judge of it all.

    I get along with my family, which is a huge plus. My host mom is super nice and lets me do my own laundry and even lets me wash dishes every once and a while. Believe it or not those are two of the biggest complaints I hear from the other girls. Everybody in the group has been out of their parent’s house and on their own for at least two years and so the idea of not taking care of yourself and your things is a hard thing to deal with for some. Maybe I’m just lazy, but I can’t complain too much. :-). Americans value personal space much more than Mexicans do (and I’m guessing many other cultures as well) but I was able to adjust to that pretty well. The language barrier is still huge, so it’s hard to really get to know my family and for them to get to know me, but we’re trying.
    Both my parents work but they told me what they do the first night I got, so I couldn’t tell you anything more than they do go somewhere five days a week. I’m pretty sure my HD works with money, but I could be wrong about that. I’m waiting to ask them again til I understand a little more Spanish so I don’t have to ask them for a third time. Haha.
    My HM is very friendly, and I’m starting to understand her a lot more now. I had a hard time understanding her for the first week cause she talked SO fast. I’m not sure if she’s slowed down, or I’ve caught up (probably a mix of both) but I now know what she’s talking about much more than before. My HD is really nice as well, but pretty quite; he likes doing his own thing. He likes watching TV so when he’s doing that in the kitchen sometimes I go down and sit with him. I get along with my host sister, Daniella, really well. The only problem is that she’s writing her thesis right now and so is always busy. She’s in her room a lot, and since I’m pretty sure she’s studying most of the time I don’t want to disturb her. But when we do hang out it’s fun. We spend the majority of the time laughing at my mangled attempts to communicate.
    I have also spent a full day every weekend with my family and two of my host aunts, one uncle and two cousins. They are all super friendly as well. They remind me a lot of my family. A lot of loud talking and laughing. It’s overwhelming to be around that much Spanish at that decibel for extended periods of time but I’m learning to process it.

    I also like my classes, which is good cause apparently they actually want us to go to school while we’re here. That was a surprise to some of the girls. Hahaha. I really really like my Mexican Culture class, and feel like I’m learning a lot about a culture that is super complicated. The teacher is a hip-30 something from Connecticut that came here five years ago with a study abroad program, met a Mexican man and one thing led to another... and now she has a four year old son and a two year old daughter. She is a really amazing teacher and the Mexicans students in the class know enough English to really contribute to the discussions we have. Bob (the professor who came down with us) is a good guy but a slow teacher. His classes are interesting, but aren’t as fast paced as Sarah’s is. Which I can’t complain about because I have to get up before 7 every morning (and those who have lived with/tried to do anything with in the morning know that’s not my best time). His class fits perfectly with the daze that I’m usually in.
    I am in Spanish 299, which has fit perfectly. I have my first test tomorrow (which I should be studying for instead of writing these letters) and feel like it’s pushing me enough without making me miserable. It’s also nice because I really get along with the other three girls that I’m in the class with.

    Speaking of the other girls, I actually get along with all of them. I don’t think all nine of them will be my best friends for life or anything, but that doesn’t matter. As far as I know everyone can go out and have fun with every other girl in the group (and has). It’s been an interesting process finding the different places around town that are fun and safe to hang out in and have a drink (or two). Alcohol is super cheap here, but it’s nice because nobody has cars so I don’t have to worry about people driving home drunk. The biggest partyer in the group got a little too drunk and tore ligaments in her ankle while trying to walk home the first Friday we were here. Although I feel bad that she hurt herself, it’s slowed her down a little which is a good thing on the whole for everybody involved. 

    So I guess to summarize (now that everybody’ read everything) my life here is going well. I think. It’s a lot of what I expected and a lot of what I didn’t foresee, in both good and bad ways. I have a feeling that the next three months here are going to fly, I’m not going to learn as much Spanish as I had hoped, but am going to come back a much fuller person. Which is all I can ask for.