mexico!

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so my last entry was from a local coffee shop, and this entry is from a starbucks, where i am sitting without buying coffee, nabbing the free internet from the restaurant across the street.

playa del carmen is a bit touristy for my taste, but i've managed to find a really nice hostel with a really big common area, cooking facilities, and good people doing interesting things. i met a girl who is a diving instructor, and she and two friends rented an apartment, and one of the guys does random promotional stuff and makes enough to pay the rent. i think it is pretty great that people find a way to make it work with less of a plan than me, and it makes me want to travel again and live somewhere random and beautiful. lots of people are either starting or finishing their 3 or 6 month travel spurt through south or central america here. as always, i met a bunch of swedes, canadians, and israelis. and i have come to the conclusion that everyone cool speaks spanish. it is definitely the next language i want to learn. i feel like i can understand a lot more than i had realized, which is just further proof of my own innate coolness, but i am unable to say almost anything so far.

school starts monday for my CELTA course. its been long enough since i've been in school or taken a class that its kind of fun to be reminded of all the social concerns like whether i'll get along with my classmates since i'll be needing to work with them for the next month. i already stopped by the school to check where it was. it is literally one block from the ocean. it was so hard to find, nestled all in between resorts and bars and restaurants, with tourists in beach wear walking all around, and then this leeetle tiny doorway and path with a tiny sign that says "international house". but the woman i talked to is one of the trainers and she seemed really nice, so i figure it will be good.

so now i am off to find the student residence and decide if i want to stay there or stay in the hostel and save some money. after that, hitting the beach.

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