Tuesday, February 28, 2012
All My Bags Are Packed, I'm Ready To Go...
Sunday, February 19, 2012
My Mexican Family :)
I got my family assignment - I will be staying with the Principal of the Oasis Language School and Surf Center and her family. Her name is Soledad, and she and her husband have two daughters who are 11 months, and five years, and a son who is 17. In addition to my rounds in the local clinics, I will be taking some Spanish lessons at her school. She sent me a 'welcome to puerto' doc with this photo on the cover. Love it. :)
She lives right in the center of town, walking distance from everywhere I'll need to go (the hospital, the beaches, meetings, the school, cafes, restaurants, etc). Here is a little map of Puerto. Their house is in the center on 1A Norte. We will speak only Spanish at home, and I will join them for their daily meals.
BTW, the program I am going with is through Children and Family Health International. http://cfhi.org/web/index.php/ They are a non-profit that specializes in global health education. The Puerto program required an intermediate level of Spanish as well as some medical training, but there are many other programs with all different levels of qualifications.
After arriving in Huatulco, Andy and I will take a cab ride two hours to Puerto, where we will stay in a little bed and breakfast for three nights, at which point I'll move in with my family and he will return home, hopefully to come back for a visit in a few weeks time. We already decided that surf lessons are a must upon our arrival. Um, are we there yet??!
BTW, the program I am going with is through Children and Family Health International. http://cfhi.org/web/index.php/ They are a non-profit that specializes in global health education. The Puerto program required an intermediate level of Spanish as well as some medical training, but there are many other programs with all different levels of qualifications.
After arriving in Huatulco, Andy and I will take a cab ride two hours to Puerto, where we will stay in a little bed and breakfast for three nights, at which point I'll move in with my family and he will return home, hopefully to come back for a visit in a few weeks time. We already decided that surf lessons are a must upon our arrival. Um, are we there yet??!
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Pre-Trip Preparations
To my friends and family,
I'm starting this blog for anyone interested in joining me on my experience in Mexico. I expect it will be at turns fun, exciting, inspiring, lonely, challenging, and life-changing. I will be living with a family in Puerto Escondido for 2.5 months, working in a rotation between local health clinics, some remote, in tropical disease education / diabetes, followed by a rotation in women's health and reproduction in a brand-new hospital in Puerto Escondido built in 2009.
From what I understand Puerto Escondido is a fishing town that, in the last 40 years, has become a sort of 'under the radar', low-key surfing destination, the culture of which has been less corrupted by tourism than some other coastal towns, like Puerto Vallarta and Acapulco...more on Puerto when I get there. :)
The goals of my program are to enrich my Spanish while bringing some sunshine to the local patients and residents, while exploring and integrating with the Latin culture, the local beauty and landscape, and the people. I want to get outside of my comfort zone, build self-trust, overcome my fears, achieve a dream, spread my wings, spend some quality one-on-one time with myself, and have a hand in creating my reality, while enjoying sobriety and staying connected to you guys, my friends and family.
As I write this from my dining room in Denver, CO, it's a balmy 28 degrees with the recent heavy snow finally melting (photo attached). Currently in Puerto the forecast is 84 and sunny for days on end. I'm starting to gather everything I will need to leave on March 1. Andy is going to join me for the first few days to get me settled, which is amazing.
Please consider this an open invitation to come visit if you would like to share in some Mexican sunshine!
Con Amor,
Stefanie
I'm starting this blog for anyone interested in joining me on my experience in Mexico. I expect it will be at turns fun, exciting, inspiring, lonely, challenging, and life-changing. I will be living with a family in Puerto Escondido for 2.5 months, working in a rotation between local health clinics, some remote, in tropical disease education / diabetes, followed by a rotation in women's health and reproduction in a brand-new hospital in Puerto Escondido built in 2009.
From what I understand Puerto Escondido is a fishing town that, in the last 40 years, has become a sort of 'under the radar', low-key surfing destination, the culture of which has been less corrupted by tourism than some other coastal towns, like Puerto Vallarta and Acapulco...more on Puerto when I get there. :)
The goals of my program are to enrich my Spanish while bringing some sunshine to the local patients and residents, while exploring and integrating with the Latin culture, the local beauty and landscape, and the people. I want to get outside of my comfort zone, build self-trust, overcome my fears, achieve a dream, spread my wings, spend some quality one-on-one time with myself, and have a hand in creating my reality, while enjoying sobriety and staying connected to you guys, my friends and family.
As I write this from my dining room in Denver, CO, it's a balmy 28 degrees with the recent heavy snow finally melting (photo attached). Currently in Puerto the forecast is 84 and sunny for days on end. I'm starting to gather everything I will need to leave on March 1. Andy is going to join me for the first few days to get me settled, which is amazing.
Please consider this an open invitation to come visit if you would like to share in some Mexican sunshine!
Con Amor,
Stefanie
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