It has been a very busy past couple of days. Yesterday, Leigh Ann and I went to Teotihuacan to see the Aztec pyramids. We saw and climbed the Pyramids of Quetzalcoatl and the Sun. Leigh Ann was rather afraid of heights (and thus of climbing the Pyramid of the Sun at its whopping 246 feet), but she did so with a general ease. I was so very proud of her. We saw quite a phenomenal view from the top. It was incredibly sunny, and although we both put on spf 50 sunscreen, we both got a little burnt. It was a good day although we were quite tired when we returned although we're less sore than we expected to be.

Meanwhile, it has been unbearably hot here, hitting 100 degrees F. on a regular basis, and we don't have air conditioning here. We come home from school and usually nap because the heat just zaps our energy. This is our last week of classes, and we're both excited to go to our respective homes soon--Leigh Ann back to the US and me, of course, to Honduras.

I am so excited I can hardly contain myself. I have been waiting to return to Honduras since the day I left--July 23 of last summer. When I left, I had no idea when or how I would return, and I had already made peace with the idea that God was not going to permit me to return this summer. How I am blessed that He is allowing me to return to my beloved home! I called Roy yesterday and was just reminded of all of the precious, simple things with which I can't wait to reacquaint myself. Washing my laundry in the pila. Daily rain pounding on the tin roof. Homemade coconut paletas. Motorbike rides through city streets. The smiles of orphan babies. Hugs from Kendi. I simply can't wait. I have such a difficulty going to sleep at night because I can't stop imagining what that moment will be like when I finally touch down in Tegus again, and I wake up every morning before dawn wide-awake with excitement.

I am, however, also trying to savor these last few days in Mexico. Mexico is a beautiful country, and I like the people. I would like to return someday. I have enjoyed my time at Uninter, and I do feel that it has helped my Spanish fluency although I rather worry about what will happen when I return to the US. (I don't want to lose all my progress!)

Today, I had the same class and the same grammar professor as before. I really like the class that consists of a few other girls from Gonzaga University, and I also enjoy the professor, a young guy who likes to pick on us girls. He keeps the class captivated by involving us personally, and I enjoy that. I also have the same literature class with a professor I've had since the first week. I love that class because we have lively discussions that actually carry meaning for me. Lastly, I still have Marielle for conversation class, and she has grown accustomed to my nerdiness of never really going anywhere and not being a dancer or drinker. While I like my professors and fellow students, I am pretty burnt out on school in general. Daniel, my grammar professor, was saying today that at the level of the class I am in, there is no real reason to teach grammar because we've basically learned all that there is to know. Our main problem now is internalizing what we've learned so that we can apply it in writing and in speaking. This is the hard part because you can't really teach that. You can only facilitate practice. With this in mind, I am thrilled that I will be going to Honduras after this. I have a difficulty with talking for the sake of talking. Even in classes at Shepherd, unless I feel as if I have something of importance to say, I don't talk in class. Thus, talking here isn't any different. I am terrible at small talk and don't often offer my opinions at the drop of a hat (if I have any at all). I am ready for my practice to carry some meaning. I want to have conversations with people that carry weight and importance for both parties and aren't merely an educational obligation.

Anyway, I suppose I have probably neglected to share a little bit about our everyday lives here, so here is a breakdown of our daily routine:
I get up around 6:30 in order to shower. Since we've been closing the drain cover, as Coco directed, we haven't had any more cockroaches or scorpions. No more cockroach dance in the shower with Fernando. We get ready for classes and go down to breakfast at 7:30. Without fail, we begin our breakfast by telling Coco hello and good morning and by eating fruit of some variety--mango, watermelon, bananas and kiwi, apples with yogurt, or papaya with lime and sugar. Then we have any variety of breakfast foods here--eggs and beans, bread with beans and cheese, pancakes, French toast, etc. For every meal, the baby television is on, and we laugh over ridiculous morning shows, unbelievable international dance competitions, and crazy telenovelas where the same girl almost gets raped by the same guy every time and the mother of the loca lady looks like a lion. There's one show called "Llena de Amor" or "Full of Love" about a fat girl who is played by an actress who is quite skinny in reality and who wears a fat suit to fit the part--except that they don't add any "fat" to her face which just looks silly.

Anyway, then, Coco takes us to class, meandering through terrible traffic. There must be 25 different ways to get to her house and to the school. We arrive at the school and have varying schedules. For me, there is 3 hours of grammar class, a 20 minute break, 2 hours of literature class, a 10 minute break, and one hour of conversation. Then Leigh Ann waits for me and our other housemates--Lisa, Jamila, and Brittney--and we wander out of the campus to wait for Coco to pick us up from school. We chatter about people in our classes--some that drive us crazy and some who we love to laugh with--or about our many mistakes in class that day. I'm always doing something clumsy or just ridiculous at which we enjoy laughing. When Coco comes, we return home to have lunch at 3.

Without fail, we have a soup (avocado, tortilla, carrot, vegetable, pumpkin flower, etc.), a main dish (chicken with mole, pork chops in orange sauce, enchiladas verdes, etc.) with rice or salad, and usually a dessert (manchego cheese with ate, arroz con leche, lime and coffee cookie ice cream cake, lime ice cream, etc.). We eat quite well in the afternoons. Sometimes, an adorable couple--friends of Coco--come to eat with us. Their names are Felix and Carmelita, and I absolutely love them. He is quiet and soft-spoken, but his face carries such a tender wisdom and compassion that I feel as if I could contently talk to Felix for hours. Meanwhile, Carmelita is an outgoing fireball. She is sassy and full of energy and has bright eyes full of life. In short, she is hilarious, and I can interact with her as if we were family. They both speak a little English, and Carmelita has no problems correcting our Spanish mistakes. Carmelita also has no problems calling us out on various embarrassing aspects of life, but that's another story for another time. What I love about them--aside from their sweet and accepting nature--is how very much in love they still are after more than 30 years of marriage. It blesses me greatly to know that they do everything together without tiring of one another, and when Felix looks at Carmelita, I can still see that he adores her (even when he thinks she's being outlandish). As cursi (Spanish for cheesy) as it may sound, that kind of enduring sharing of life between two people is absolutely beautiful to me, and I find myself desiring the same one day.

After lunch, Leigh Ann and I retreat to our room where we talk about the day or things in the US or whatever, usually laughing often. I so love Leigh Ann and how we've managed to become good friends as a result of this experience. I love that we're comfortable enough with each other to be real and pick on each other and call each other out for our nonsense. I will miss having her around whenever I go to Honduras. In addition to talking, we often nap to escape the heat although we pretty much perpetually feel gross. We do homework and get online, and I often read. Right now, I'm still reading that Mother Theresa book along with The Soloist which is very good thus far. Last week, I finished Persuasion which was an odd pick for me, but one that had parts I enjoyed nonetheless. We play with Monina, the poodle. Sometimes, we venture to the Superama, but most of our time is just spent en casa which I don't really mind.

To end the day, we descend downstairs to eat cena at 9--a light dinner. This can consist of anything from pancakes to sandwiches to hotdogs with cheese to nachos to pozole. We also usually have licuados or smoothies at this time--chocolate milk, strawberry milk, mamey and milk, etc. Licuados are my favorite although I enjoy most of the food here. We visit with Coco and the other girls for a while and then once again climb the stairs to do homework, call our families with Skype, or just talk until we fall asleep. As of now, it is raining--a welcome sound for me as it at least makes the mornings cooler--and I am thankful to be here. Once again, I'm overwhelmed by the depth of God's love that He would permit me to be in such a beautiful place, and I grin with anticipation for the marvelous things to come that exist up His sleeve and out of my sight. God's surprises are always the best.

With Love,
Sarah