Saying goodbye, for now

I can hardly believe it, but I'm just two days away from the end of the fall semester here at the Facultad de Lenguas. It's been a great four months, although I feel like the time has absolutely flown by. As much as I'm excited to go home and spend a month back in the States, there are a few things I'm going to miss about this country: the intoxicating smell of the many varieties of the tortilla + meat + cheese + salsa combination lining the streets, the warmth of the people who don't just wave hello as they pass by, but actually stop to give you a kiss and ask how you are doing, the thrill and mild terror that comes with a public transportation system that lacks established routes or stops, the fact that I can get my shoes shined so well that I can see my reflection in the black leather for a dollar or take a bus all the way to Mexico City for four, coffee dates that last for more than three hours, the incredible friends I have made here, the creepily mechanical voice of the automated vendor selling "tamales oaxaqueños" in the neighborhood, and the feeling after teaching a class that went really, really well.

I never expressed what I was grateful for during Thanksgiving, so I may as well do it now. I am grateful that I have great family and friends to see back home and I am very grateful that I have five more months to explore this incredible country.

Feliz Navidad y Prospero Año Nuevo!

New Year's Resolution: Be better about updating this blog!