Top 10

Last time, I promised you some Top 10 lists. You may not have known what I was talking about then, but today I'm going to share with you two lists: the Top 10 Things About Living In Mexico and the Top 10 Things I Miss About the U.S. Here we go!

Top 10 Things About Living In Yucatan, Mexico

10. Caribbean aquamarine waters and white=sand beaches are a $5 bus ride away

9. Old school VW beetles are the most common vehicle

8. Here in Yucatan, hammocks = beds

7. My own little apartment

6. My laundry and cleaning are done by someone else

5. Tropical fruits, exotic foliage, rainbows...and the clouds here are spectacular!

4. Learning about Mayan and Mexican cultures

3. Sunshine & 80 degrees = no winter coat

2. Speaking in Spanish every day

1. University teaching job with lots of opportunities!

Top 10 Things I Miss About the United States

10. "A hike in the woods" doesn't involve scorpions, tarantulas, copperheads, or jaguars

9. Yoga class

8. My comfort zone

7. Wegman's and Whole Foods...VARIETY!

6. Kale, arugula, hummus, goat cheese, and vegetarian options in general

5. Easy access to good, live music

4. Strict safety and health regulations

3. Drinking the water

2. "Blending in"

1. Family, friends, cats and dog!

I will be home in one week! I am so thankful for being able to come home for the holidays and I can't wait to see everyone. To me, cold is just a concept right now; I'll have to adapt real fast to the PA winter.

Christmas is coming so soon. It's a bit surreal to wander around Valladolid and see Virgin Mary decorations with red, green, and yellow lights blinking, and fake Christmas trees lit up in corners of thatched-roof houses, next to the hammocks. Today is actually the celebration of the Virgen de Guadalupe, and it's a big holy day here. For the past few days people have been gearing up, many of them making a pilgrimage to a famous church in Merida to commemorate the occurrence of a miracle. In the pilgrimages, one person runs with a torch and people follow behind, sometimes on bicycles, sometimes on buses or in cars. I saw one procession two days ago and it was very striking visually.

Just four more work days! Right now we're working on gathering materials and planning for next cuatri. And it turns out the Law Enforcement English course we had been scheduled to teach this week will be postponed until 2010 because it's a busy time of year for Valladolid's Tourist Police Force. We'll be having a department Christmas party for Departamento de Idiomas on Tuesday, and then a university Christmas party on Thursday which is supposed to be a real blow-out. Other than that, I am busy getting my Christmas shopping done and starting to prepare myself for the next round of international travel!