By Laura K., Guest Blogger who wants to learn Spanish in Guanajuato, Mexico

Hola. It has now been one week since I arrived in Guanajuato. I feel much more at home now as I am in a routine. Every day I wake up at 745am and eat breakfast at 830 with my house mom and my roommate from Japan. We eat a plate of fruit covered in yogurt, usually melon, papaya and mango. I never liked papaya before, but now I love it! It’s supposed to be very healthy for your stomach too. We also eat toast with jelly. One thing I found is that peanut butter is incredibly expensive here compared to the US, but it’s one of those things that makes you feel more at home.

I also feel more at home now because I have girl friends from school and no longer have to go places alone all the time. Today we took a city bus an hour outside of town to the world’s second largest Jesus statue, Christo Ray. It was a good experience and there was a very nice view of the surrounding mountains.  The photo above is of the church in San Miguel de Allende, La Parroquia de San Miguel Archangel, at night. There was a wedding going on and I was was lucky enough to be outside as a bride and groom were saying goodnight. A mariachi band was playing beautiful traditional music as they made their exit. Mexico is a place where religion is omnipresent, which is much different than where I live in Denver. I am excited for tomorrow as new students arrive every Monday. I can’t believe how fast this week has gone.

Some things i have noted about life in Mexico either funny, frustrating, enamoring, or otherwise are: “machismo” in the men takes a bit to get used to, and it’s best to completely ignore. It is especially hard to camouflage when you have blond hair and blue eyes. There are “Perros de la calle”, stray dogs, everywhere! They are generally friendly but I wouldn’t pet them!  Things run on a slower time schedule, or none at all. Things will happen when they happen, it’s best to slow down and enjoy life. A ham sandwich with mayonnaise for breakfast is totally normal, and it is always a good idea to have small change if you are in public and need to use a bathroom, toilet paper’s not free!  I am having a great time and look forward to going to the mummy museum this week. Hasta luego!

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Guest blogger Laura K. describes her experiences starting a new life path with Mexico study abroad

Hola, Me llamo Laura.

I have made the decision to undergo a career change, and thought when better to pack up and head to Mexico to learn Spanish! I am hoping that when I return to Colorado, I will be able to use my new language skills in my next job. I chose Guanajuato, Mexico because I had heard from my family as well as a friend who did a study abroad through the University de Guanajuato that this was a great town filled with educated people, beautiful buildings, and was safe for a woman traveling alone. This next month will be a growing experience in many ways, sure to be filled with cultural experiences, difficulties expressing myself, time to think about what I want to do with my life, and new friends.

I arrived in Guanajuato, Mexico where I met up with my dad who is retired and traveling with his friends. We spent a day in Guanajuato (GTO) in order to find my school and the location of my host family. I was pleased to see that my family lives about a three minute walk from the school and that the neighborhood is friendly and well taken care of! Shortly after, I left with him to San Miguel de Allende, which is another town near the mountains about an hour away. It is known for its weather and art, and many expatriates now call this town home. Unfortunately, the perfect weather has yet to show its face! It rained for four days straight! We were still able to see the town, albeit soaking wet, and I was impressed. There is a magnificent market where people sell many items, from blankets to jewelry to chicken feet. I ate a chile relleno in the market at a little stall, so happy to be here where spicy salsa is everywhere!

I returned to GTO on the day before classes started and met my host family and another student from Japan that also lives with them. We each have our our little apartment-style rooms in their backyard with our own bathrooms, que suerte! I tried to embrace my family with an open mind, and go along with their customs and traditions. A couple things I have found that are different than home are that they eat their biggest meal at three in the afternoon which consists of multiple items, and that a handshake is not the proper way to greet someone (one kiss on the cheek).  It has been easier than I thought to accomodate to their family. They have a Beagle and a cat which makes me feel at home!

I was beginning to feel alone, and I couldn't express myself how I wanted to, but thankfully starting school has led to friends, better Spanish, and a couple chances to speak English (I know, I know, I´m supposed to be learning Spanish!).

I have class from 9am to 1pm this week and a couple times a week there are free classes in the afternoons to learn to salsa dance, cook typical Mexican food, or mingle with the other students. It was hard the first couple of days, I started to second guess why in the world I had boarded a plane by myself to live in a country where I knew no one and was not confident in my language skills, but I am happy to say I am slowly gaining confidence and know this will be an immense opportunity for personal growth and change.

Guanajuato is city I believe I will greatly miss when this is all over.

Hasta Luego!

Laura

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Meet Pedro Martin Rodriguez Valladares, Head of Studies at AmeriSpan's Guanajuato Spanish school

What is your background?
I live in Guanajuato, I am 42 years old, and I have a degree in Academic Psychology.

Do you travel abroad often?
At least twice a year.

Have you studied abroad?
Yes, I went to university abroad.

Which languages do you speak or have you studied?
English and a bit of German.

How and why did you get into the Study Abroad market?
I was an instructor of Spanish for over twenty years. Eventually, I taught at a Community College in the state of Oregon through an Intercambio ("Interchange") program. And here I am!

 

When did you start/join your organization?
In 2003.

What is your job or function at the organization?
I am the Head of Studies.

What do you enjoy the most about your job? 
Working to organize courses and supporting instructors inside and outside of the classroom. And of course, meeting people from around the world!

Was a person, group of people or organization that were instrumental in your success?
All of our instructors and host families. Without them, our programs wouldn't be nearly as successful.

Tell us one of your biggest challenges in starting your organization.
Everything is challenging when you strive to create the best cultural and academic environment possible!

How did you and AmeriSpan begin working together? 
AmeriSpan and Don Quijote are partners.

Can you tell us about your schools philosophy, specialty and/or why you think it is special?
Everyone at Don Quijote is committed to our students living the language in this city and, of course, our school. We encourage our students to not just learn the language but to appreciate the culture as well.

Find out more about our Guanajuato Spanish school

Where you decide to study depends on what you like to do and how you want to study. Beach lovers will fall in love with both Playa del Carmen and Puerto Vallarta, while culture buffs may prefer the colonial town of Oaxaca or the beauty of Guanajuato.

We are confident that you will realize that AmeriSpan offers the best options in Mexico but if you aren't sure why not compare our programs with two of the largest Spanish school chains:

Don Quijote: learn Spanish in Mexico

ENFOREX: learn Spanish in Mexico

Meet Pedro Rodríguez Valladares, Head of Studies at AmeriSpan's Guanajuato Spanish school

What is your background?

I am 42 years old, and I have a degree in Human Communication and my MA in Psychoanalytic Theory. I live on the outskirts of Guanajuato in a truly peaceful area. My family has a Pug dog named "Fito ".

Do you travel abroad often?
Until last year, with some frequency, but during 2011, tours are waiting.

Have you studied abroad?
Yes, some English language courses in the United States, in the city of Portland, Oregon. I lived with an amazing family that is still considered that: My family in the U.S.. An excellent experience.

Which languages do you speak or have studied?
I speak Spanish, English and studied a little German and Portuguese but do not remember much of these languages.

How and why did you get into the Study Abroad market?
When I was 17 years old, someone invited me to take a training course for teachers of Spanish as a second language. I went, I liked it, I started combining Spanish instruction classes with my education and it's amazing that since I was 17 I've been working with all of these incredible language teaching groups.

When did you start/join your organization?
On March 3, 2003.

What is your job or function at the organization?
I am the Head of Studies and also a teacher.

What do you enjoy the most about your job?
To have the possibility to teach my classes and thus meet interesting people from all over the world.

Was a person, group of people or organization instrumental in your success?
Each teacher, each person in the administration office, every family, without exception, have helped to get things done right in our school.

Tell us one of your biggest challenges in starting your organization.
The biggest challenge was to amalgamate the different capacities of our teachers to have a new perspective- to leave teaching and the traditional teaching method for a more active, more practical and useful approach for the student. It was an interesting challenge but ultimately not as complicated, as the teachers have adapted very well to the new teaching methodology.

Can you tell us about your school’s philosophy, specialty and/or why you think it is special?
We at dQ Mexico have the good fortune of having a team of the best teachers. Each of our teachers is committed to the maximum for our students to learn what is taught in class. At the same time, they have many years of experience in front of the group and maintain the position that they not only teach but learn in each class every day. That gives freshness to our business. 

Anything else?
A simple comment for students: When you arrive to Guanajuato, you will discover the first door of the Mexican culture. Guanajuato is a small town full of magical things to discover. Every street and every house is full of color, every person who walks is a good example of what is Guanajuato: A place where time stopped and one can enjoy culture in every corner. If you come to Guanajuato, be prepared to meet the traditional and warm Mexico that greets you at all time.

See more information on AmeriSpan's Guanajuato Spanish school