My life here is like a rollercoaster. My life, my emotions, my feelings, my ability to speak... This is definitely the hardest thing that I have ever done. It´s also probably the hardest thing that I will ever do. I mean, some days, I´m wonderful, life is grand. Other days, I just cry and want to do nothing but come back to Indiana. It´s just really hard. Anyway... let´s begin with the happenings in my life.
Like I said, there are good things and bad things. I´m gonna focus on the good things right now because I´m in a good mood right now. Lol.
1. One of my best friends down here, AJ, had a birthday Wednesday, and a party. It was sooo much fun. I have an amazing, tight-knit group of friends here. Me, Jill (Columbus East), AJ (Zionsville), Melanie (Elkhart), Hailey (Martinsville), and Sophie (Carmel). We laugh and cry and support each other ALL THE TIME. If we are on an excursion, some of us are always together. It is great. But we all were at AJ´s party and had a marvelous time.
2. We went to San Miguel de Allende yesterday. It was SOOO pretty!!! And I bought a bunch of things in the mercado (like a BIIIG market). I even bargained with the people sellin things! In spanish! It was so cool. I bought these keychains with my and Ian's names on them (Ian for me, Maggie for him) and WATCHED a man carve them out of brass. It was soooo padre!!! (Padre here means cool. Lol)
3. I have had Starbucks three times since I arrived. I don´t think a drink from Starbucks ever tasted so good.
4. I have rediscovered MANGOS! I eat one almost every day. They are soooo good. It´s definitely my favorite fruit now. Too bad we don´t have good mangos in Indiana.
5. THE COKE HERE IS SOOOO MUCH BETTER THAN IN INDIANA! I think it´s made with real sugar here instead of corn syrup and that´s why. I know for sure that it tastes magnificent.
6. I can understand way more than when I arrived... but that´s subject to change. Lol. It depends on what kind of day I´m having. If I´m frustrated or sad, it´s much more difficult to understand and comprehend everything.
7. I bought some magazines and 50 First Dates the movie in Spanish. They are really really cool.
8. The other day I heard my host brother playing the piano. He was playing Jump by Van Halen. I want to learn how to play it before I come home. Lol.
9. I am one of the only people in my group of 22 students that has not had to take some peptobismol because of the food here. I thought i had an ironclad-gut before, I am absolutely sure of it now.
And now onto the not-so-good...
1. I have shin splints (again) right now. I ran with some friends in the park Thursday, and they returned with a vengance. Then yesterday it did not help that we walked all day. Right now, I´m in bed. Resting. Lol.
2. I have homesickness like it´s going out of style. I miss soo much and I think I really appreciate more. I have a new kind of appreciation for home. I don´t know. Im learning a lot about myself here.
DISCLAIMER - I don´t cry every day like it seems here. Lol. I cried because I missed home the first 2 days, then I was good until Wednesday because I had a bad day Wed.
3. I think I sleep with mosquitoes. Every morning I wake up with more bites. I think I have some 19 today...
4. My friend Jill was a vegetarian in the U.S. and it made her stomach really weak. Yesterday she had to go to the hospital because she has the thing you get before you get an ulcer. The food here was just too strong for her stomach. But shes at her home here now and feeling better.
5. This is the worst thing of all... THEY DON'T HAVE ROOT BEER HERE!!! I can tell you, the first thing that I want when I step off that plane in Indiana is a big glass of A&W. They have Coke, Pepsi, Sprite, Dr. Pepper, and all kinds of fruity flavors... BUT NO ROOT BEER. Its very sad.
Those are really the only bad things that I can think of.
The food here is different, some good, some notsogood. Im learning. Little by little. And Im having all kinds of fun adventures.
Any questions? Just ask in a comment. =)
I love you all. So much.
And I miss you all. A LOT.
But I´m alright.
ADIOS FOR NOW!!
And here are some pictures. Currently, I have taken almost 600 while here.
This is a picture of Melanie, Sophie, AJ, me, Hailey, and our teacher Stephen, with STARBUCKS!! This is in the centro of San Miguel de Allende, in the plaza.
This is a picture of Jill, Hailey, and I with tipiokas. They are drinks that have different flavors, kind of like smoothies, and they have big tapiokas in them. Tapiokas are kind of like the ones in pudding, but they´re much bigger and chewy. My brother here works in that shop behind us. I still can´t figure out why I look so awkward. Lol.
This was taken at AJ´s birthday party. It´s Jill, Sophie, Melanie, me, and Hailey. I´m not sure where AJ was... Lol.
Posts
#1 Sleep with bugspray on. I did and it will really help you with the number of bites you get.
ReplyDelete#2 You say your friend Jill is vegetarian in the U.S. I assume she's eating meat there? Tell her she doesn't have to and it's not rude. You wouldn't go to a friend's house and eat a burger in the U.S. so there's no reason not to tell them politely you don't eat meat. I was vegan while I was there without a single problem. Even if you do eat meat in the U.S., they handle it differently there and it can cause sickness. Just make sure she's aware she can tell her family about her dietary preferences without any problem at all. They're all really understanding.
Good luck!
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ReplyDeleteI have been waiting "patiently" for a new blog update. It sounds as if you are making new friends. I am glad. Tamara loaded the songs that you told her about on her Ipod at the nail salon. Her assistant is glad to have some more current music!!! Be safe. Love you, Aunt Jane
ReplyDeleteI am so proud of you! I will have a great big Root Beer ready for you at the Airport when we pick you up!
ReplyDeleteLove, Mom
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ReplyDeleteHi Maggie-
ReplyDeleteYou don't know me but I read your article in the Reporter. My name is Amy Garrison and seven short years ago, I was in your shoes and experiencing every feeling that you described in your article.
I had a beautifully written comment, full of advice for you to read, ( and I even wrote some of it in Spanish!) but it didn't post! Grrrr. Its getting late, and I need to get to bed, so I will re-post it tomorrow! My advice for now is good luck and you will make it through this!
Amy
Hola Maggie. Saludos desde Trafalgar, Indiana. Te felicito por tu empeño para aprender acerca de otra cultura y el esfuerzo para comunicarte en castellano. Habiendo viajado a San Luis un montón de veces te sugiero un par de cosas: 1) Sí hay Root Beer en San Luis. Lo he encontrado en el mercado pidiéndolo por su nombre local- soda de raíz. Comúnmente se encuentra en donde venden mantecado. 2). Yo sí soy latino con descendencia mexicana y te puedo decir que en familias humildes debes cine lo que te sirvan. Pero en familias de buenos medios no son ta sensibles. Have fun!
ReplyDeletePerdona, escribí cine pero debí escribir comer.
ReplyDelete