My host family were super nice and they helped me so much with my spanish. However, spanish class for me was usually an up/down experience. Some days I liked class and it went great but there were days that I got overwhelmed with the amount of the information given.
With class 9-1, intercumbio 3-4 and salsa 5-7 I was usually pooped by the time I got home and had dinner. Day 3 into my stay in Oaxaca, we finally found a gym and I couldn’t have been more happy. By the way Mexican food is amazing. However, they do eat a little bit too much and I struggled to stick to a good diet routine.
As time went by classes got easier and my spanish progressively got better. Week 2 I took a cooking class instead of salsa and learned how to actually make some Mexican food i.e. Taquitos, Chilaquiles & Mole verde to name a few.
During my time here I visited some really cool places i.e. different types of museums, Monte Alban, Hierve al Agua and was able to see Oaxaca city in all of its glory. In my opinion I’d compare Oaxaca to Galway; a great city with great people. In addition the Santo Domingo is probably the most beautiful church I’ve ever seen.
Fitting in with the locals was still difficult and I usually opted to hang with the American friends I made at school. Personally, I definitely think I’ve learned some valuable lessons over the past 2 weeks and hope to actually apply it instead of passively saying it.
A short hike to the observatory. Leaving my host family and everyone I’ve gotten accustomed to over the last two weeks was a bit tough. I know two weeks is a short time but I feel like when you’re abroad you get closer to people in the same situation/environment as you.
With my short stay in Oaxaca being over and having a little over 6 weeks left, I’m looking forward to actually getting down to working with the kids. I’m super excited at the opportunity to finally start my project, help others and experience a different environment.
Adios – hasta luego.
