Let me start out by giving a very special shout out to one of my best friends, a spiritual leader for me, an amazing artist, and stand up human being, Nick Parker. Congratulations on getting married my friend, you are a lucky guy!!! I know He will guide you and Rose along the righteous path so that you always find comfort and happiness in one another. Love ya.
Ok, Ok, I know I have not been the best blogger in the world! But cut me some slack...I'm in Mexico! First of all, I miss everyone out there...ALOT! In fact I needed a taste of home so bad today that I went to McDonald's and woofed down a giant hamburger haha! But it has been a great cultural experience down south in good ol' Mexico. I have increased my fluency to well above conversational, and I can understand just about anyone who has something worth listening to (just kidding). The only problem is...I'm with a bunch of other Americans on all my trips! My fellow students are great, but there are only a select few who will continue to speak Spanish with me while we are on a tour bus, and driving 2 1/2 hours to Mexico City!
Last week I had a small scare when I came down with a stomach bug. Something very uncomfortable that would not even let me stand straight up. I was curled on the bed, hoping to keep down the water I was slowly drinking. This nightmare only lasted about 12 hours, meanwhile Linda and Manuel were waiting on me hand and foot! At one point I had to ask them to slow down because they were both trying to fluff my pillows, give me tea, and ask if I was taking all of my anti-biotics at the same time (in spanish of course) haha! It's times like these that you look up, thank God for the people who love you, and pray for that no one you care about ever feels this way. I'm fine now. 100%!
Despite the craziness of 6 hours per day in straight Spanish classes, I have managed to hike to the top of Ancient Aztec ruins in Teotihuacan (good luck with that one), enjoy the architecture of some of Mexico's finest cathedrals (including Our Lady Guadalupe, the reason there is so much Catholic influence in Mexico), and attend the classy Lucha Libre wrestling matches of Puebla! The wrestling was by far the best 5 dollars I have ever spent...Watching HUGE, sweaty, Mexican's wreck one another, while the crowd cheers "Ole! Ole, Ole, Ole!" is by far one of the most culturally submersed feelings I've had in this country.
This past weekend our group of exchange students from OSU, OU, Arkansas, and UD headed for the east coast of Mexico, to the state of Veracruz. The gulf beaches were no Cancun...but wonderful all the same. The Gulf feels like bath water this time of year, and on Friday, I was invited by a large group of local kids my age to participate in some Volleyball. Don't worry, I represented the United States of America with pride...by spiking a Wilson into several people's face...It was fantastic! I made some very nice friends, who lead very different lives, but still things in common. Which is what traveling is really about for me. Relationships between others, nature, and myself. These can all be cultivated with the more you learn, and I realize how important the friends and family back home are in my life. Saturday morning some friends of mine went fishing, and brought back over 30 fish, which were immediately filleted, soaked in lime, and married with tomatoes, onion, jalapeño, and cilantro in order to create the BEST Ceviche I have ever had!
After leaving the hotel, we visited the home of conquistador Hernán Cortés' and saw the first established church in Mexico. It was built at the same time Michelangelo was painting the Sisteen Chapel in Rome, 1520's. Our group then returned to Puebla...except me and 3 other guys! We decided that it hadn't been a long enough weekend. We hopped another bus (a chicken bus) to the capital city Veracruz. Because Mexico is so cheap, we were able to afford a Master Suite, with ocean view for about $30 per person (4 guys)...We spent the night enjoying the city center, and watching more World Cup highlights (GO USA!), while a huge festival of flowers danced around us. This little excursion from the school trip was fantastic. No itinerary and no giant group of gringos walking together haha. I keep thinking about how life is flying by, and if there is an opportunity to step out of the comfort zone, try something new (while being safe Mom), and seize the day, then it has to be done!
I know it is impossible to fill you in with everything I've been doing, but I will be better about blogging, and hopefully in Peru I'll have internet as well. This is an online journal for me, and hope those of you who follow enjoy! As I go on with my summer adventures please keep me in your prayers as I have kept all of you very close to my heart. Bueno Noche!
