Day One

Today I stepped into the unknown, searching for adventure. I climbed out of bed at an ungodly hour, and hopped into the car. I drove with my parents, taking in their presence like a perfume, loving every second of it.

Alex came to meet me at the airport. He wrapped me in his arms one last time, and kissed me goodbye. I didn’t realize until today how much that goodbye kiss means to me. I will miss him this summer more than I ever expected.

After two rather uneventful flights (the only exceptions being the flamboyantly gay flight attendant on the second flight that spoke less English than I do. He basically played charades with the passengers the entire time). I landed in Leon, Guanajuato. Passing through customs in a foreign language is no fun, but I survived. And I went to meet my host family.

Gilberto Rodriguez and his son Brian met me outside the gate. Gilberto is a jolly man, he is kind and courteous and always laughing. He owns an adorable café close to the university, and loves to practice his English with the students.

His son, Brian, shares his love of English. Brian is always asking me questions in Spanish, and trying to teach me words. I don’t have to the heart to keep repeating “no entiendo” so I’ve just started saying “si, si, si” over and over again. I don’t think he’s fooled though, because he keeps repeating himself. Brian’s sister, Jessica, is much more laid back than her brother, but she is helpful and always smiling.

Gilberto’s wife, Rita, is truly the center of this family. She is always laughing, and telling stories. I can’t wait for the day I can understand them. :D She took me on a tour with her children this evening and as much as my feet hurt, the views she showed me were GORGEOUS. We rode a rickety old tram to the top of a mountain and looked down on the entire city.

The city is built close together, which is unsurprising, considering how close knit this community is. Everyone on the street greets each other and says hello. It was a bit of fresh air to come into their home, and see neighbors leaning out of balconies, chatting and listening to “Temperature” by Sean Paul and "December" by Linkin Park. Almost feels like home.