My Last Day in Guadalajara

Wow!! As this is kind of a special day, I am going to make a slight detour from my travel stories and to contemplate my last day in Mexico.  Steve and I are sitting up on the terrace outside our room at Helga's, checking emails and writing last minute good byes.  Our bags are almost packed, just those few last minute things to shove in.  For me it is a very strange feeling, and I can't believe that six months has past. 

This morning we wandered down to our favorite coffee shop (Cioccolato) for a last coffee and to say good by the young couple that have served us regularly.   Over the past 6 months I have spent considerable time, sipping coffee here, reading my research papers, taking spanish conversation classes (very close to the spanish school), writing reports, answering emails and chatting with friends.  Cioccalato also became one of Steve's favorite places and it was here that he would sometimes pass the time while I was attending classes. 

As I write Helga and Feli are very busy downstairs, in the kitchen preparing our final lunch with them.  I am really going to miss them.  I wonder what Mexican delights they are preparing.  We will be summoned at around 2.00pm when it is already, and will eat our way through three courses, with wine or beer and finish off with coffee and Helga's famous german marzipan.  I have been very fortunate to have been able to stay here, it certainly made my settling into and stay in Guadalajara much easier than it could have been.

On reflection the first 4-5 months was a very intense experience and most of the time was fully focused on getting through the work I had to do.  Besides the research project and papers for my degree at UTS, I had 6 hours of Uni on thursdays, which involved reading and summaries of articles (in spanish) every week. Also for most of this time I was attending spanish classes for four hours a day (also with homework, exams and presentations).  I do recall a couple of times when I felt I just wasn't going to get through it all.  I guess the trick is to not look at the big picture and just take it all little by little.

I think one of the most amazing parts of my time here was the opportunity to visit the small villages in the south of Jalisco with the people from CAMPO.  I was lucky enough to visit this area three times, and these visits provided me with most of the data for my masters research project.  It was these visits that helped me understand a lot more about the people of mexico, and to see another side of the lives of the rural mexican people.  Something that you do not experience if you are just staying in the cities.

The second big highlight of my time here was when I had finally finished all the research writing, exams and spanish presentations and I was able to travel with my husband to see and experience other parts of Mexico. If you have been following my blog, you will have read some of these stories.  (there are more to come).

All in all, it has been an amazing learning process and experience, but now though I am a little sad to leave, I have to admit that at the moment, I am ready to be back home and to catch up with family and friends.   Hopefully, in the future I will be able to return and be able to visit some of the other places in Mexico that I didn't have time for on this trip.