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Well, the Gringas just left. We had 5 students here from the University of Scranton here for 3 weeks. They just left. It was interesting to have them here. For the first, time I really felt proud of my spanish. I was communicating and translating for them. After all those spring break trips where people have done that for me, I finally was able to do it. That was a great feeling and it inspired me to only try to make my spanish better. I need to get back to working on my books. I also just need time. I also need to just practice talking to people. This can include talking to people I was afraid to talk to before.

I am at an interesting place in my year right now. I just had my 5 month anniverary of being here in Mexico City. Ive had about 2 months by myself without any other English Speakers. And in about 1 month I am going to have that again. Then, a month later I will be getting 2 new volunteers. I will have to be their leader basically and train them in what to do here. I guess I kind of feel ready for that... but who would have thought. I am in a pretty good position with my language as well. I know enough spanish to communicate with people. However, there are very few people who know any english that would actually want to communicate with me in Spanish. Meaning that I can communicate with those who dont know English but not at an extremely significant level. This is when i can definitely get better though and I am really looking forward to that.

I went home for about a week and half during the 3 weeks the Gringas were here. It was really awesome to be home and of course it went by too fast. I had a little freak out in the Houston airport because I was surrounded by so many Americans speaking English. I automatically could relate and I automatically had a connection with them!! It freaked me out in a good and bad way. I dont really understand it. Another thing I loved seeing at home was wide open spaces. I drove home with adam from the Charlotte airport and the roads were beautiful to me. So many trees and wide open spaces. I know most people think of Myrtle Beach as some kind of wasteland, but to me its my home. I felt so good seeing it. It was great being with my family as well and of course my 3 little nephews. The day before I came back, I was really tense and scared. I dont know if those words are right, but I had to really control myself to not give into the feeling of not wanting to go back. I know what I am doing here is invaluable experience for me and its what Ive wanted for a while. However, there is something different about it. When I went back to JVC after Christmas, I wanted to go back. I was glad to be home, but I had a life there and I wanted to continue. Its going to take some thinking to figure out what exactly is the reason for the difference in my feelings. Is it the lack of independance. The lack of friends that I can really relate to. Is it being in a new culture. Why is it that I have to tell myself, it is for the best to go back.

School will get out here in about a week, I think. The Mexican public school system is a little weird. We are going to have a big Quincenera and 1st Communions party in about 2 weeks. Then we are going to take the girls on a vacation for a week. Then a lot of the girls will leave for more than a month. So I think I am in for an interesting time. It wont be a total summer break because I will still be doing stuff working, but it wont be exactly the same as before. Hopefully, this change will reinvigorate me and I will be ready to start back with the new volunteers and the new school year.