Oh happy day. . .

The world is a beautiful place, and it is so easy to be captivated by the details when you know the One creating them. I can be so content with something that perhaps seems so stupid to someone else. Let me give you some examples of some of the things here that regularly put an immoveable smile on my face:
Horchata -- This is a drink that I had heard of while in Honduras or maybe before Honduras but never tried while I was there. I was thinking about how I'd still like to try it before I go home, and lo and behold--our mamá had it at dinner last night. It was wonderful. There are many different ways to make horchata, but the one that Coco explained to me uses rice and cinnamon. Leigh Ann described it to me as melted vanilla bean ice cream. For me, it was not quite that rich in taste, but it was lovely.
The food, in general -- Authentic Mexican food is fantastic. It's spicier than the food in Honduras. Picante. It features a frequency of beans, onions, cream, lettuce, and, of course, tortillas.
Mornings -- There is a song by Alli Rogers called "For the Morning" that I love because it echoes how I feel about mornings. In general, I'm the kind of person who is the first to wake up and the last to go to bed. I love nights as well, but there is something about mornings that is irreplaceable. It's cooler. There is a careful balance between light and dark, a freshness of new beginnings. The chirping of birds is a welcome alarm for me.
Cockroaches -- Ok, I realize that this is weird, and, perhaps, it is a little ridiculous for me to include this in things that I enjoy because I don't know that I quite enjoy them. However, I appreciate the ongoing joke that our buddies, the cockroaches, provide for me and Leigh Ann. I get up in the mornings, and there is usually a straggler from the night just chilling in our shower. Rather than starting my morning by killing something, I just start my morning by doing an awkward cockroach dance in the shower--trying to avoid my scurrying friend while lathering and such. It's an amusing way to wake up in the morning, and it makes me laugh. I named this morning's friend, Fernando.
Smells and Sounds -- There are so many fantastic smells here. Food, obviously. In general, the men here, and it would seem in Latin America in general, smell very good. One thing I have always appreciated about my roommate, Nikki, is that when someone smells good, she tells them. Anyway, Leigh Ann gladly contributed a sound that we like--the sound of the blender when Coco is making us chocolate milk at night. It's all kinds of wonderful.


Today was the first day of our second week of classes. It was lovely. They have changed my classes and my professors which I kind of like since it keeps me awake and moving. I have a new professor who is now teaching me more grammar than before which I think is more beneficial and caters more to what I actually need. The second class I have now is a literature class with one of the professors I had before. I really like him. When he smiles, it's like the sun is smiling. It makes me laugh which I try to contain but can't. I have the same native speaker for my conversation class which I am happy about, and we have a new student from North Carolina named Samuel. He's really nice, and it makes conversation easier because all the focus isn't on me. He's also been to Honduras--hearing that made my whole day. I don't know what part he's been to yet though. I was also excited today because there is an excursion to an orphanage on Thursday. I am so very excited, and Leigh Ann and I will most definitely be venturing out for orphans. I can't wait.

Meanwhile, Lisa has made friends (as we expected she would), and Leigh Ann and I laugh a little bit about how lame we are. I still don't mind that we don't really go out. I spent so much time being overscheduled to a ridiculous level this past school year that I am so content to not have plans.

Anyway, I haven't even started my homework yet, so I am off.

Ha sabido un placer,
Sarah