¡Adios Oaxaca!

It is hard to believe that we are leaving this beautiful city and enchanting valley tomorrow. I can't believe how fast time has flown while we've been here in Mexico. It probably has something to do with the fact that we were studying Spanish 6 - 7 hours per day and squeezing in time for sightseeing, relaxing, running, homework, chatting, eating, and all that! We have really enjoyed our time here and the school was fantastic. I am sure that we will visit here again someday.

Today we had classes in the morning and then set out to explore a town called Mitla. The town is known for an ancient archelogical site. The site was very interesting as it was built from enormous stones drug down from the surrounding mountains. The edifices were built between 800 - 1300 A.D. The construction was impressive because of what technology was available and the actual buildings that were there! The walls were also tapered out at the top and the bottom so as to survive earthquakes without collapsing. The bus ride out and back through the Etla Valley is very scenic. The mountains that surround the rather lush valley are quite imposing and covered in trees for the most part. As the sun was setting, the shadows on the mountainside were quite breathtaking to see. We will try to post some photos the next time we are here.

Amid all this activity, I've been reminded of and instructed in a few things. Through my time in class and in life here learning Spanish, I am reminded about the power of learning. It has been awhile since I've been a student at something I knew nothing about. It is a humbling experience. Learning demands a lot of self-reflection, patience, dedication and flexibility. There were days - minutes even - where I was ready to jump ship and coast through it. It wasn't as if I was earning credit, right?! It was frustrating, hard and confusing a lot of the time, and it still is. Through it all however, the beginning of my Spanish learning curve has reminded me of what it's like every time children walk into my classroom. Learning is hard. It is challenging work but above all of that it is infinitely rewarding. It has opened my world even wider than I could have imagined. I can more or less navigate and communicate my way through another language. How cool! Don't get the idea I'm fluent or anything - far from it! But, working through the hard stuff and making mistakes (lots) along the way, has made me appreciate the gift of learning and education yet again. That lesson will remain close to my heart for a long time.

I was also part of a conversation workshop throughout my time at school. It consisted of two hours each afternoon of just having a moderated discussion in Spanish with other schoolmates. The teacher who moderated the discussion was everything you could have wanted in a teacher - patient, understanding, engaged, and fun. On my first day of the discussion, I almost wet my pants! It was excruciating! I wanted to talk but not much was brewing in my Spanish brain. As the days wore on, I became more sure of myself and by yesterday's class, I was itching to talk. In this way, the workshop was very powerful. Additionally, the discussion topics and converstaion that grew out of it was very insightful, too. I learned a lot about how other cultures live, what they value and how they struggle. The discussions offered perspective about how I live in the U.S. and how we present ourselves as a culture/civilization to the world. I have found there to be little respect for and lots of fear about the U.S. and it's role in the world. It is hard to wrestle with these ideas but it is important work. Becuase of the opportunity to discuss and to reflect, I have come to a few thoughts of my own about what is most important. I have been incredibly impressed with the sentiment here in Mexico that family is the most valuable "thing" in life. Daily life and living configurations all are family motivated. Conversing with family, meeting new people, and learning about others seem to be a lot more important here than they are in the U.S. Television, Video Games, Computers, Work and the like take a real backseat here. Perhaps all this is just a reminder for me to carry home and put into practice. Enough of that!

We are off for our Peruvian adventure tomorrow morning. I am a bit apprehensive because I've really enjoyed it here. I think that Peru has a lot to live up to! Oaxaca has really set the bar quite high!

Hope all is well north of the border!

Miss you!

Love,
Kerry & Peter