Living Situation

I've had quite a few questions regarding the "living situation" here. Since some of you think I live in a hut, here are a few pictures to prove otherwise. Ha.

My room

I'm proud of the fact that I only packed one suitcase... :D

View of the street from my room

Amazing taqueria across the street- delicious Mexican food.

The houses are so colorful here

My "desk"

My standard of living here seems quite high to me. I even have hot water! Yesterday the water wasn't working and I had to take a good 'ol bucket shower and I actually enjoyed it. It reminded me of my days in Cambodia and quite frankly, nothing wakes you up better in the morning then a freezing cold bucket of water.

What Qualifies being Qualified?

My first week of classes went well... I think.

I have never taught adults before and didn't go to school specifically to teach English. I spent my undergraduate hours making lesson plans and learning how to teach children how to read. I feel comfortable doing these things, but teaching people an entire language is a daunting task.

I had a few moments, ok hours... of panic. I felt like I didn't know where to begin and I began to fear that if I didn't succeed as a teacher, my students wouldn't gain the knowledge they are so desperately seeking. That  would be heartbreaking, cause that's why I'm here...

It's a beautiful island and I know a lot of people think I'm here cause I'm sort of a gypsy and can't stay in one place too long... ahem...  while that may be true, the real reason I'm here is because I feel I have something to give. I care.

I may not have extensive training in teaching English as a second language, but I believe my students are going to learn. I plan on taking my heart to work every day. I plan on giving it my best and asking for wisdom. And most importantly, I plan on trusting God every step of the way.

With these "lesson plans" in place, I look forward to seeing my students succeed.

The awesome library- books in English and Spanish.

"Teacher's lounge"

Our Classroom

& here we go again...

I've promised I would continue to give updates via the old blog sooo here we are again...

Brief synopsis of what brought me to Mexico:
* I quit my job on a Friday, got an e-mail from the principal of an English school that very same day
*Interviewed
*Got hired
* Two weeks later flew to my new home on La Isla Mujeres

So I woke up this morning ready to explore my new home. It's a very small island so I basically walked all the way down to the North end. In some parts, the island is so narrow that one can see the ocean on either side! Despite the fact it's so small, I was pretty sure I would still get lost but actually ended up finding my way just fine.

I started the day out right with a good breakfast and an even better view from my balcony... until the gale force winds started blowing the cheese of my eggs, then I had to eat inside.

On the way, I took in the beautiful sights of the ocean and practiced saying "Buenos dias" to just about everyone who passed. I decided that I really want to be a part of the community here and being friendly wasn't a bad way to start. It seems that most people here are friendly and laid back.... it is after all, a beautiful island.

I had to whip the camera out of the backpack for this view.

So my goals for this blog are to keep it simple and provide you with some info on my adventures. I'll be sharing the insights God teaches me along the way, and I pray we will both be learning a lot.