Camping in El Faro, Michoacan
The Drive For the three day weekend, seven friends and four dogs loaded up for a drive to the beach. Based on Emily’s recommendation, we camped at El Faro de Bucerias in the state of Michoacan. The drive was almost five hours from Guadalajara. First we drove through Colima and then into Michoacan. Here we…
Relaxing in Puerto Escondido
Getting to Puerto Escondido After three busy days in Oaxaca City, Stacie, Amanda and I took an overnight bus through the mountains to the beach town of Puerto Escondido. I’ve heard the ride can be curvy and windy like a rollercoaster, so I took a sleeping pill and was out for the ride. We woke…
A Day Trip Out of Oaxaca City
While in Oaxaca City, Stacie, Amanda and I took a day trip to some impressive sites outside of the city. We visited the Tule Tree, the Zapotec rug weavers of the Teotitlan Valley, Mitla archaeological site, Hierve el Agua petrified waterfall and El Rey de Mezcal distillery. Tule Tree Our first stop of the morning…
Three Days in Oaxaca City
Getting into Oaxaca City Over the Thanksgiving holiday from school, I visited Oaxaca with two fellow teachers and friends, Stacie and Amanda. We started with a few days in Oaxaca City followed by a few more relaxing days at the beach in Puerto Escondido. From Guadalajara, we took a direct flight to Oaxaca City on…
International Women’s Day in Guadalajara
On Friday, March 8th, International Women’s Day, the students hustled into the classroom. The girls were sharing hugs and love for the day . The boys were in pretend outrage that the girls get a special day and they don’t. We talked. I explained the advances women have made in becoming more equal members of…
Gringa at a Mexican Wedding
Let’s preface this post with the fact that I’m not known for getting gussied up very often. You can usually find me in leggings, a T-shirt and flip flops. That said, here’s my first experience at a wedding in Mexico. I’ve been to my fair share of weddings across the Midwest, from outdoor ceremonies at…
Nonstop Mexico City
I’ve traveled to Mexico City before, a few times over the last decade. So I had already visited some of the big travel musts, like the Anthropology Museum and the Pyramids of Teotihuacan. I’ve been living in Guadalajara for more than three years now and I didn’t have to time until this Thanksgiving break to…
Migrant Caravan
In the recent weeks, the migrant caravans from the Central America, through Mexico, to the United States border, have received significant media attention. The exodus from Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador isn’t new, but traveling in groups this large is a more recent phenomenon. The migrants are fleeing extreme poverty and violence in their home…
Mexico Road: Brothers at the FM4
Originally posted for Teachers Latin America The doorbell buzzes a bzzz-bzzzt as I move to open the small window in the large black door. I look through a window stenciled with the logo of the FM4 Paso Libre. We are here at a shelter for migrants and refugees in Guadalajara. The young man on…
Chacala Beach Weekend
May 2018 While living in Mexico, I’ve been so fortunate to be surrounded by a group of strong and supportive women. Whether we are sitting around the plastic tables of Res publica for our favorite steak dinner or on the sandy beaches of the Pacific, these friends fill my heart and soul. This weekend, the…