4 days

I can think of more reasons for why I want to stay in Mexico than ones for coming home. It's going to be a really hard week. My life here has opened up so many more possibilities for my future, and that's why I originally came here, but all I can think about is having to leave my new family and my new town. I've grown so accustomed to speaking spanish with everyone, every day, that I worry I won't remember to speak english when I open my mouth now. I am really going to miss the walks to the centro, the shops with quirky gifts to buy, the gelato shop on 5 de mayo street, the homemade comida every day, the fresh fruit that I've never even heard of before, and so much more. This past weekend we went on a trip to the Sierra Gorda, a gorgeous, lush forest region of the state of Queretaro, and it really made me want to stay here even more. The first day we went on a hike to a waterfall which we were able to swim in, and it was absolutely gorgeous. The hike was almost comparable to forests of Oregon, but full of tropical vegetation and a climate that Oregon can't compare to. The water was cold, but with the humidity it was just perfect, and standing right under a giant waterfall was something I've never done before, and it was memorable to say the least. We stayed in a beautiful hotel in a tiny town called Jalpan, which like all other Mexican towns, had a pretty little centro where fun activities were taking place like always. That particular night was a night for young adolescent aged kids to show off their talent, basically like a town-wide talent show, and some of those kids could sing! I was amazed, and also slightly upset over returning home while I listened to a boy singing a sad song with his acoustic guitar while I sipped hot chocolate at an outside cafe table. The next day we went to a strange phenomenon of a river, it is two rivers, one cold and one very warm, which meet to form one larger river at a fork, and it's very strange to walk from a warm stream to a cold stream within 30 seconds of each other. The part that joins together was also peculiar, standing in one spot I could feel a mixture of the two waters, and every so often it would switch between being more cold and more warm. The water there was a beautiful clear, blue green color which was comparable to Hawaii's oceans. We also spent a good majority of time swimming and playing in the hotel pool, which was memorable. After our silly pool races I think we all really got to know each other and our resident director, Dawn, a whole lot better. This week of school so far has been awfully brutal, essays, tests, presentations and more, but I don't think anything could make me want to leave. If I could have my closest family and friends here I wouldn't need to ever leave. If only it were that simple. But alas, I will be back to the U.S. Saturday night, and back into my old life. I'm sure once I get there I'll be more excited to be home, but right now all I can worry about is the nostalgia I'll feel for my new home once I'm back to my old one.