Photo above taken from rooftop of my Spanish School on the first day of class
I have completed my second day of class. It has been exhausting and difficult yet on the bright side of things I must admit that I’ve already come a long with with my Spanish. I by no means can speak well but at least I can somewhat formulate some sentences and understand more.
It has already been quite an adventure and indeed a huge cultural experience. I have never done something like this before. It is my first time traveling completely solo and living with a host family. The family has eight residents plus myself and a yellow lab (who is adorable but loves to bark incessantly in the middle of the night). The family is wonderful, gracious and very fun-loving yet the language barrier has been hard, especially during mealtime when everyone is eating together and talking extremely fast. It is a unique experience to be an outsider who doesn’t understand the language or culture. Definitely a “third-eye” experience in which I am certain I will learn a lot and grow from it.
I have already taken lots of photos and when I return home will do more detailed posts of my stay here in Guatemala as well as my impressions of the experience. In the meantime I will post a photo a day similar to my thirdeyeworld site (which is short posts containing postcards from my travels). I am sure you understand that it is more important to be exploring my surrounding than spending time writing my stories.
Tomorrow I am rising at 4:30 am to do the sunrise trek to Santa Maria Volcano! I decided to skip a day at class so I could experience the trek. I have hired a Spanish speaking guide so I guess I’ll be practicing on the hike. Wish me luck! I can hardly wait to share the photos with you!!!!
Stay Tuned…..
We miss you Nicole but love seeing your adventures from afar! Kisses!!
Erin
Can’t wait to see the photos and hear about your hike! Sounds like you are doing great!
Hugs,
Kathy
Hey,
Wish we could skype or talk. Good luck on your hike tomorrow, be safe!
Miss you and can’t wait to see you and hear all about your adventures.
Jen
Hang in there and Enjoy the Experience:)
How AWESOME!! By the way I read every word you write now in your Minnesotan accent!!
I’m thinking of you and living vicariously through your trip!!
Jen 🙂
I know just what you mean. I did 9 months of intensive language courses in Spain and it was mentally exhausting at times. But at the same time it was the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done.
How long will you be staying in Guatemala? Stay safe on the hike and enjoy the experience!
What an awesome experience! Looking forward to your photographs from this journey!
Being totally immersed in a non-native language is exhausting but oh, so rewarding! Looking forward to seeing photos from the hike. What an absolutely wonderful experience!
It’s probably the best way to learn a language – full on immersion!