I hands down had one of the best times ever in Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo. I did so many cool things. I went para sailing, sailing, ate raw oysters off the beach, swam through coral, and slept on the beach! And, ah, the beach! The trip was really affordable as well. I think I payed about $200 US dollars the whole 3 days including bus. I also ate like 30 something oysters and some lobster. Not a bad deal. Words seriously cannot describe how amazing the whole trip was, so I will leave it up to my videos and pictures to show [View Full Entry]

---

---

First off, I can't believe I'm 21! Seriously?? Time goes by so fast. Life goes by too fast. I don't turning 21 was going to be kind of weird in Mexico. 21 is not a big deal at all here, but it turned out to be pretty amazing. The International Studies Abroad (ISA) office had a cake for me and everyone sang happy birthday. Here in Mexico, there is a custom to bite into the cake after singing. I guess it is supposed to be good luck, but sometimes people shove your face into the cake. So maybe it isn't really [View Full Entry]

---

---

So I haven't updated in awhile....sorry for being a slacker! So...there's been this huge 25 things about me trend on facebook. I'm supposed to write 25 things about me, but I think I'll just use this opportunity to update you all. 1. I am loving Mexico. The food, the houses, the buildings, the streets, the weather, the people, and of course all the puppies. 2. Yesterday I went to San Miguel de Allende and these AWESOME hot springs....I SWAM IN HOT SPRINGS OUTSIDE IN FEB. I seriously love my life sometimes. 3. I didn't like San Miguel de Allende as much [View Full Entry]

---

---

So this past week has been crazy! I can't believe it's been a week since I've been here. My Spanish is getting a little better and I'm getting way more accustomed to life here. The best part of this experience is submerging yourself into another culture, and seeing how other parts of the world exist. With human civilization comes life, and all the life has in store for us. There is never a better or worse culture, just a different culture. This last week alone has been an amazing time for me to think and reflect on my life and a [View Full Entry]

---

---

Hola everyone! Well...I'm finally in Guanajuato, Mexico and I absolutely love it so far. I think it is one of the most beautiful cities that I have ever been too. I got on my plane in O'hare airport yesterday morning and flew into Houston, Texas, from there flew to Leon, Mexico and took a bus ride with other students from my program and met my familia. I almost missed my connecting flight to Leon! That airport is pretty big. The plane to Leon was kinda creepy, I'm not going to lie. It was very skinny, small and shaky, but everything was [View Full Entry]

---

---

So, I know this blog is supposed to be all about my trip to Mexico, but I found out earlier this week that my professor for the course I took on Contemporary Latin American Culture, Dr. Susan Goodrich passed away. Dr. Goodrich helped encourage my passion for Latin America, and my passion for Latin America is why I chose Mexico as my study abroad destination. In a sense, Dr. Goodrich helped guide me in the direction of further studies of Latin American studies and I feel as if I owe her a few words of respect. I wrote this on the [View Full Entry]

---

---

I received another scholarship (the diversity scholarship) through ISA, which is my program that I am studying through. You can check it out here: http://www.studiesabroad.com/announcements/ <3 Nancy [View Full Entry]

---

---

Hola! I was awarded a $5,000 scholarship through the Gilman international scholarship program. :) When you receive this award, part of the deal is to find away to promote studying abroad and the Gilman award through what they call a follow up project. This blog will be a part of my follow-up project for the scholarship. It's going to be great so stay tuned. I'd appreciate it if everyone would leave comments and make it interesting for readers! I know these last two entries are boring, but soon enough I'll be in Mexico! 28 more days! Oh by the way, I [View Full Entry]

---

---

Brrrrrrrrr. It's so cold here in the UP. Can't hardly wait for Mexican weather! So this entry is about preparing to study abroad. It is a lot of work, believe it or not. I find myself filling out an endless amount of forms, applying to a plethora of fun things, waiting anxiously to see if I got enough aid/into the program/the visa, finding cheap airline tickets (I used travelocity by the way...good deals), prepping to move out of my apartment, getting my immunizations, attending orientations and fairs, picking the country that I want to study in. But all of this probably [View Full Entry]

---

---