Two Months Down, Three More To Go!

I spent a lot of time this weekend thinking about how I've already been in Mexico for two whole months, eight weeks! In some ways I can't believe how quickly the time has gone by and how, at the same time, it feels like I have been here forever. I've been thinking about what it was like when I first arrived in Guanajuato and how so much has changed and yet how much has remained the same.

In the language department, my general understanding of Spanish has improved greatly. I can carry on a conversation now and understand the majority of what my professors are saying in their lectures. My reading comprehension has grown tremendously, and while there are still lots of words I don't know, the grammar and sentence structure doesn't throw me for a loop. I can write a comprehensive essay without stressing about it, and I know Dr. Barbas-Rhoden would be amazed at how much better I am with subject-verb agreement and subject-adjective agreement. I'm trying to read as much as I can in Spanish, so I've been working my way through the Harry Potter series. It isn't a hard read, and because many of the words are common household words, it's helped me with my vocabulary as well as grammar. Not to mention, their great stories that keep my attention. Unfortunately, my speaking is still pretty iffy, and I tend to freeze up if I have to articulate something.

I have good days and bad days when it comes to Spanish. For example, this past week I had two conversations with the nanny at my homestay. We talked for a good hour or so each time and they were legitimate conversations about our families and our lives. She has a very interesting life that is completely different from mine and she is more than willing to tell me all about it. She also seems very interested in learning about my life back in the States. On the other hand, there are days when I can't focus on the Spanish to save myself, and end up getting caught in awkward situations because I wasn't listening. It is easy to get discouraged by these times and forget about the successes, but I try to stay positive and keep working at it. I think that if I were able to make some friends that were Mexican and I was forced to speak Spanish with them, my speaking would improve greatly.

In regards to my homestay family, I don't yet feel like a part of the family. Not in a bad way, but I still feel a like a guest. However, the feeling that I am a guest in the home of a stranger has passed. My host family has given me a nickname, two nicknames actually: la chica and Rebeca-Becky. They take good care of me and have even begun to trust me to take care of their kids if they have to run an errand or go to an evening party.

I remember arriving Guanajuato and going to an overlook of the city and not knowing how in the world to find anything. The curving, narrow streets were a mystery to me, and I wouldn't have known where an Oxxo was if I desperately need a bottled water. However, yesterday I was walking home from church, and I noticed that a new bakery was opening on one of the street corners. I was excited to know that I could now tell if a new shop had opened because I am familiar with the streets. I know more than one way to get to class, and I see the same people everyday on my way to the university. There are people here who know who I am and who recognize me enough to say hi when we cross paths. I have my favorite cafes and places to sit and people watch. I know where to go to get things like shampoo or peanut M&Ms.

While it is neat that I've become acclimated to Guanajuato and feel comfortable here, the place hasn't lost it's charm. Things still amaze and amuse me, and I am confident that I haven't seen everything there is to see. I may have my favorite spots, but I am also constantly finding new ones. Every time I stop focusing on the sidewalk so I don't trip as I walk, I see something I never noticed before. The next few months are going to be so filled with all sorts of fun and new experiences between all the Mexican holidays and the Cervantino festivals that final exams will be here before I know it. So while three months sounds like a long time, I know it will fly by and I'll be home sharing my pictures and telling everyone about just how wonderful Guanajuato was.

Do I have goals for the rest of my time here? Of course...goals of fluency in Spanish, good grades in my classes, exposure to Mexican culture, and growing as a person with increased confidence and openness to new ideas and a new culture. And, once I can understand my three-year-old host brother, I'll know that everything else is in the bag.

P.S. Today was a good day, Spanish-wise. I was able to follow my professor in my Migration class, I had a brief but understood conversation with the nanny, and I screwed up the courage to go by a cellphone, and it didn't turn out to be nearly as difficult as I had feared.