Reflecting On My Journey Until Now 1: Mexico Summer 2012

With part of our summer plans involving a trip to Mexico, I cannot help but recall my last time there.  I dug out my old canon digital camera and scrolled through the photos for a trip down memory lane. 

In 2012 I was 22 and had just graduated from Kutztown University with a BA in English and Professional Writing and a minor in biology.  I was considering my career prospects with that degree and they were bleak.  I contemplated getting certified to teach English as a foreign language, which I found out about through a friend at the time who got a TEFL job in Germany fresh out of uni.  She didn't even have an english degree.  So I figured that I, with an actual degree in the subject, could try it out. So, I found a program to get certified that would have me taking a month-long course in Chiapa de Corzo Mexico where I lived with a host family and take classes.

Before buckling down and hitting the books I decided to start the trip with a visit to Cancun.  I spent a couple of days there relaxing on the beach.

Here are photos from the Cancun.

After my mini-vacation was over I flew to Tuxtla Gutierrez and got a ride to Chiapa de Corzo to meet my instructor and host family.

I took a couple of photos from the plane.

My classes were rigorous but only ran from 8am till noon and consisted of theory, methods, and practice.  In the afternoons I prepared lessons which I taught the next day.  I got into the routine of taking eating lunch at a local shop, then taking a siesta, then spending a few hours planning my lessons before taking and evening walk.  I prepared my own simple meals most of the time but my host family cooked a couple of delicious meals for me.   My host family would also occasionally celebrate saints days and invite me to join them.  I met and befriended some relatives of my host family, whom I still am connected with on facebook to this day.  

Here are the photos from my regular walks around town.

I had one classmate who's name I cannot remember.  We both found the course challenging, and only I passed the program.  

On weekends I visited other places of cultural and/or ecological significance.  Destinations included the Ruins of Palenque, Mizol-Ha and Agua Azul water falls, Sumidero Canyon, and San Cristobal de las Casas.  

Here are my photos from Palenque.

Here are my photos from Cascadas de Mizol-Ha and Agua Azul.

Here are my photos from Sumidero Canyon.  

Unfortunately, I must not have taken any photos while in San Cristobal de Las Casas.

Overall, while the experience of getting the certification was far more challenging than I had expected, it was a rewarding experience that I remember fondly.  I may not have gotten a job teaching English as a foreign language, but I believe the certification certainly gives me an edge as a biology teacher in an international setting. 

This will be the first in a series of non-chronological reflective posts about my experiences touring, studying, living, and working abroad.  These experiences have shaped me as a person both personally and professionally.  So they are worth sharing.  Later posts in this series will be about about Costa Rica, Israel, and Sweden.