"Oh Mexico! It sounds so simple I just got to go...."

---

Well, I'm not physically in México just yet, but mentally...I'm there! Ignoring the heaping pile of clothes sitting next to my suitcase, I choose to start my adventure early. Mentally I'm already exploring the new sights, sounds, and smells. And because I'm an optimist...I'm already fluent in these daydreams! :-)

I've been thinking a lot the past two days about how different this trip will be from my other experiences in a foreign country. I am fortunate to have studied abroad in Barcelona for six weeks in 2003, and then backpacked through Europe last summer, but never have I entered a foreign country the way I'll be entering Mexico tomorrow. I can say 100% that I have clear goals for my time in Cuernavaca. I want to wholeheartedly experience all Mexico has to offer. I want to dive into the language, the culture, the food (big surprise there, right?!), the people. I want to understand new perspectives, opinions, and the influences surrounding and affecting México. I want to spend hours people watching in bustling plazas just for the chance to gain a new perspective. And given the right atmosphere and dance partner...I just may salsa!!

Whatever the next five weeks hold for me, I'm ready for it! The good, the bad, the ever difficult verb tenses, whatever. I'm ready. But...I suppose before I can conquer the Pluscuamperfecto de Indicativo, I should pack my bags.

---