Up and Coming Tecomán?
(Originally posted February 2017) The long weekend is a must for getting out of the busy city: dust, traffic, construction and general responsibilities in exchange for relaxing, reading and the sea breeze. In lieu of the typical beaches of Vallarta or Sayulita, we went to Tecomán, Colima. Our options were limited, probably due to the…
Thailand
(Originally posted October 2016) Day 26 – Mekong River, Laos to Chiang Khong, Thailand We awoke to the sounds of our group talking and packing up, even though we were in different buildings. By 5:00am with headlamps on, we were returning down to the sandy shore to another day on the long boat. Even…
Laos
(Originally posted October 2016) Day 20 – Hanoi, Vietnam to Vientiane, Laos After the late night, I slept until 9:00 before wandering down for the last of the hotel breakfast. We did some last minute shopping around Hanoi at the Dong Xuan market. We packed the last few Vietnamese souvenirs into our rucksacks and…
Vietnam
Day 8 – Sihanoukville, Cambodia to Can Tho, Vietnam Early morning wake up to load the bus and drive towards the Vietnam border. This border crossing was much calmer. Our arrival possibly tripled the number of people in the vicinity, a few long haul truckers and immigration authorities from each side. Leaving Cambodia, Joey…
Thailand into Cambodia
(Originally posted October 2016) Day 0 – Chicago, United States to Bangkok, Thailand My lovely folks dropped me off at the O’Hare airport. Ironically the departing gate next to mine was destined for Guadalajara. The first flight from Chicago to Shanghai was the longest leg, fourteen hours. I felt a little restless but enjoyed…
Closing Out the School Year
(Originally posted June 2016) What an interesting ride this school year has been! This week, I complete my first year of teaching at the American School Foundation of Guadalajara. Yes, I survived all the changes from my previous post and I’ll be returning for another year in August. At ASFG, the fourth grade…
FM4 Paso Libre
(Originally posted June 2016) Since February, I’ve been volunteering with a grassroots project that supports migrants coming through Guadalajara, called FM4 Paso libre, officially known as Dignidad y justicia en el camino, A.C. The organization provides humanitarian aid, along with legal and psychological accompaniment, to ensure the human rights of migrants. The journey migrants…
Teacher’s Appreciation Day in Mexico
(Originally posted May 2016) Mexico celebrates big for its Teacher’s Appreciation Day. From school wide to classroom celebrations and even a day off of school, it made for a fun week! On Wednesday, in lieu of our regularly scheduled after school meeting, we had a catered luncheon with the whole staff. Everyone gathered in…
Spring Break
(Originally posted April 2016) Spring Break came early in Guadalajara! The girls from Minnesota came to visit the week before the break officially began. On Sunday, I met Nicole, Jess, Danielle, Olivia and Amanda at the airport. After settling them into their AirBnb, right outside the Templo Expiatorio, we walked down to Avenida Chapultepec to…
Night Race in Guanajuato
(Originally posted February 2016) This weekend I traveled to beautiful, historic Guanajuato in the state of León. The owner of my gym, Gaby, organizes groups of runners from Guadalajara to travel to races around the country. Mandy, myself and seventeen other runners arrived Saturday morning, settled into town, ran the night race, and explored the…