A Day in the Life

I realized the other day that while I have written a bunch of blogs about the different experiences I've had and observations I've made while in Guanajuato, I haven't written anything about my daily routine. Now that I've been here for two months, my days have a pretty set pattern.

Every morning I wake up at 6:35 to shower and get ready for my day. I eat breakfast around 7:05 which consists of a huge plate of fruit and a main dish. This can be anything from quesadillas to eggs and ham on toast. I leave for class at 7:30 so I have time to make the trek to the university. Along the way, I see many of the same people every day. There is the elderly man with the straw hat and the security guard at the government building who I always say buenos dias to. I spend a good portion of my walk dodging the slow walkers on the sidewalks and trying to avoid being hit by the camiones (buses) that rule the streets. As I walk I like to try to figure out where all the kids go to school by what their uniforms look like. I've actually gotten pretty good at this game.

I have class at 8:00 every morning, but I finish up at a different time depending on the day. On Mondays and Wednesdays, I stay at the school after class and hang out in the courtyard area to do some reading or I will go up to the computer lab to check my email or write a blog. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, Jessica and I go to one of our favorite cafes and drink coffee or hot chocolate and chat or do some reading for class. Friday afternoons are spent in Valenciana where my History of Mexico class is held.

I get home in time for lunch everyday which is usually at 3:00. I often hang out in the kitchen while the family's housekeeper/nanny cooks lunch, and we chat about our lives. She has a very interesting life, but I will save that for a later blog. This is not only good practice for my Spanish, but it allows me a glimpse of life through her eyes. Plus, by being in the kitchen while she is cooking, I am learning how to make Mexican food.

The post-lunch time slot is definitely not the most exciting part of my day. I usually watch a movie on my computer, blog, or take a nap. Somedays I spend a couple hours reading Harry Potter. I've also started helping my host sister Paula with her homework and sometimes I color with Cesar, my host brother. The only day that I have a planned activity in the afternoons is Wednesday when I go to El Buen Pastor which is a local orphanage run by nuns. I go with two other CIEE girls, and we help the kids with their homework. I think the plan for the next time we go is to bring art supplies so we can do some more activities with them.

My weekends are spent resting or exploring Guanajuato. This can mean going to a museum, shopping or just sitting in the Jardin and people-watching. Sometimes I go out of town, like I did this past Saturday, but the majority of weekends are spent in GTO. On Sundays I go to church and then spend the afternoon doing homework, reading, watching tv.


My host family eats dinner at about 8:00 every night and this is usually the smallest meal of the day. We have had everything from cereal to hot cakes to taquitos (small tacos). Then the kids go to bed while I finish up my homework. I hit the sack pretty early myself so that I have energy for the next day.

As you can see, my days are pretty full. I don't have a lot of homework, so I am able to use my freetime to explore or relax at a cafe without having to worry about doing hours worth of reading or paper writing. The weeks go by quickly and while I have a consistent schedule, every week something unique comes up and makes that week special. I hope this gives you a better idea of what I am up to everyday while I am here.

*Photos in order from top to bottom: One of the local school buses - I think it's funny that they are called "special" buses. A calla lily or alcatraz as they are called here. A funny restaurant sign that brings back great memories from Guatemala. A street sign in San Miguel that paired with the arrow is priceless.