First week

Phew! This week has been kinda nuts. I have decided that learning Spanish is much more difficult than I ever imagined. I am learning a ton, but its amazing how much concentration it takes to understand and respond in a new language all day. My teacher only speaks in Spanish to me. If I don´t understand a word she tells me in English or explains it to me in Spanish. I pretty much just decode the entire lesson and write everything new down in a notebook. So far I have learned/ reviewed about 50 verbs and tons of vocab. Every day I come home from school, eat lunch, and crash for an hour. Then I try to do something fun, and back to studying before and after dinner.

So far for fun I´ve had a Salsa lesson and visited a macadamia nut farm. Pictures are posted on facebook. I tried to share them with the group email but we´ll see if that worked. Ha, even as I write this email I´m writing half Spanish words and having to delete. You thought I spelled poorly before! The salsa lesson was fun but I already knew how to do everything they taught. I pretty much spent the entire time laughing with the instructor at the gringos trying to catch the Latino beat. Most of them failed to do so. They tried to sell me lessons but I prefer to learn from the locals at the bar for free. The farm was beautiful. We got to try some yummy nuts and I even got a free facial with the nut oil! The trip ended in a torrential downpour and we all got soaked. I have since learned to put my things in a plastic bag inside my purse to save them from the rain.

Well gotta run, Mom´s about to call the house. Don´t think the photos were sent to the email group, not sure why not. Here is the facebook link and a few I posted here. The connection was bad so after three attempts I ended up with about 50 photos. Most were repeats. Can someone help mom get a facebook account? Bussy? Miss you all!!

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?cropsuccess&id=19220234#!/album.php?aid=2369325&id=19220234&ref=mf

How to find me... for reals

Here is some updated info about how to get a hold of me. You can still text my cell. I have included the CORRECT country code if you need to call. The best bet is getting an international calling card. I am usually home and finished with dinner between 830p and 930p Colorado time, but just email ahead to make plans for a different time during the day. The best mailing address for me is the p.o. box at the school I have included below. I LOVE the emails I have been getting from everybody. They have made the adjustment to a new place much easier. Miss you!

email: gowerlo@gmail.com
cell: 970-402-6806
home phone: (011) 502 7832-5507
address: 5a. Calle Poniente No. 6
P.O. Box #372
Antigua, Guatemala

Rain, rain, you can stay...

School starts tomorrow! I hope the other kids like me. I am all paid up for the next month of room, board, and Spanish lessons. Only took a little bartering to get the price I was promised six months ago. See dad, all those years of ¨like arguing to a brick wall¨ finally paid off! And if I study more, I get a bigger discount! Gotta love Guatemalans.

So I woke up to a thunder storm this morning and ran to yoga class in the rain. My yoga studio is held on a roof top art gallery at a beautiful hotel. Talk about zen. You can see the roof tops of all of Guatemala not to mention a beautiful view of the volcano. The building is ancient and covered in 100 year old foliage. I took lots of pictures but the lighting was bad and Bella just wouldn´t approve. So I shall try again on a sunny day and share. Yoga was lovely, an hour and a half of gentle restorative poses to calm my nerves about the hard work and excitement ahead.

It pretty much drizzled here all day, but it´s not really a sad rain. It is warm and smells wonderful, and is pretty much the reason there are 500 different shades of green here. I would not advise walking on the wet cobble stones in flip flops however. I know from personal experience that can be very hazardous.

So tomorrow I am starting off with four hours of Spanish lessons in the morning and salsa dancing lessons in the afternoon. I´m so excited, can´t wait to meet my teacher. Oh yes! And other good news, as soon as I receive my nursing license in the mail I can begin working at the big hospital 5 minutes outside of Antigua. So when I get back to the states, technically I won´t be a new grad anymore right??? Well maybe that´s a stretch but a girl can hope right?

Love and miss you all. Sorry this ones a bit lengthy!

Lazy Saturday

My new neighborhood

I woke up this morning only moderatly confused as to where I was. My room is small and modest with a bed, table, and corner shelf. Just what I was hoping for. My house mom (can´t remember her name but I think I will just call her Madre anyways) has promised me the big room as soon as the other students move out today. She is so sweet and has one of biggest, kindest smiles I have ever seen. My sister Veronica seems very outgoing and fun. She gave me a big hug when I got there and showed me all around the house. It is set up sort of like a dorm that houses about 8 students. A tiny woman (forgot her name too dangit) does all of the cooking, cleaning, and laundry for us and insists that I don´t help. I think she is convinced that I speak fluent Spanish and talks very quickly to me all the time weather I understand everything or not. Gotta learn some time right?

Mi Casa #24

The house has a full kitchen for us to use and a fridge and cupboard for snacks. But the food is so yummy I don´t think I will need to use it much! Last night we had Guatemalan style spagetti, fresh bread, and sweet plantains for dessert. Yum!! I´m sure the students will come and go as most people stay in Antigua for weeks as opposed to months. Right now my house mates consist of an English girl, a Canadian girl, and three Germans. I look forword to making a few more friends from around the world!

The road to Antigua!

A wild start... wouldn´t have it any other way!!

Hola mi familia y amigos! Yo estoy en la Antigua Guatemala!! So most of you should have received the travel update from my Pops but here´s a little recap of my journey if you missed it:

Door to airplane won´t close, delay taking off in Denver, doesn´t really matter because there is a storm in Dallas Fort Worth that prevents landing, airplane circles for an hour, we give up land in Abieen, TX (where is that you wonder? I don´t know either). Proceed to sit on the runway there for 2 hours because the ity bitty airport doesn´t have enough security to let us off, finally take off again and land in Dallas, my AA flight to Guatemala is officially cancelled so I re-route myself to Miami, 20 minute connection accross three concources in Dallas, made it by the grace of God, end up in Miami at one in the morning. Phew! I am promised a discounted hotel in Miama by the lovely employees of American Airlines... slight problem, no one is home at the AA office. Good thing I left the comfort of my morning departure gate. Oh well, no taxi to be found in this ghost town they call Miami International Airport. I finally give up and try to sleep next to the ticket counter. Good thing they play really loud elevator style jazz music and make security announcements all night to me and the 2 other people hangin out! Jump on the first flight to Guatemala City bright and early and alas! I made it! Where is my bag? Well, again, the lovely employees of AA are unable to locate it but perhaps it will show up over the next few days?

But I am here!!!! And my family is lovely! And I love it here so much. I have so much more to tell but I am about to be late for my first family dinner so I have to run. I´m sure it will be smooth sailing from here. Love and miss you all!!

p.s. I don´t know how to turn on the english spell check yet so please disregard all of the misspelled words.

And I'm off!

Well I've been running around a little crazy the last few days but I think I'm finally ready to go. Or as ready as I will ever be. It's been a few years since I've lived in another country, and I'm pretty sure I was a little more young and wild back then. I somehow managed to shove three months worth of clothes into a somewhat smallish pack. Dad aren't you proud?? I'm only bringing four pairs of shoes!!! And don't forget the yoga mat. How am I supposed to study a foreign language if my Chi isn't centered?

I hope everyone stays in touch. I make friends pretty easy but I anticipate being a little lonely at first. If you don't want to write to the whole group, please email me at gowerlo@gmail.com. Love and miss you all already!!

I'm a real nurse!!! Time to start pack'n

Phew... got my NCLEX results today and I am now "unofficially" a registered nurse in the state of Colorado. So obviously it is now time to begin preparing to leave the country! I am filled with a mixture of both excitement and anxiety about what lies ahead. What will my host family be like? What if the kids at school don't like me?? Three months is a very long time!!! Okay... I know it is going to be wonderful. Besides I'm getting ahead of myself. First things first, tonight it's off to the Rio to celebrate my small victory with Margaritas. Anyone from the Fort please join in, friends and fam from afar, please come in spirit!

More to come on Thursday when my adventure begins!

Hooray for a game plan!!

Well just as I was about ready to pull my hair out, alas, the state board of nursing sent me a test code for my board exam today! I will be taking my exam next week and then I'm off to Guatemala. I am leaving on Thursday, June 24th and will tentatively return in mid-September, pending no dream job offers that mandate an earlier return. That is a long time, but it is very important to me to be bilingual as a nurse. I will be studying Spanish in Antugua at a Cabaguil Spanish School. My host family is ready and waiting for me, I can't wait to meet them! Here is the address and website if you want to check it out. Wish me luck!!

Cabaguil Spanish School

5a. Calle Poniente No. 6

Antigua Guatemala

P.O. Box 372

http://www.cabaguil.dana11.dk/