The Places I've Been....

People keep telling me that I should set up a blog and talk about all the adventures I go on.. to me I feel like it isn't really anything special that I do, that everyone has the same opportunities, but.. I guess my life really is EPIC. I love going on adventures and becoming a part of the culture I am visiting. I have so many hilarious stories from the places I have been

and hope to go.. I guess this is a good way toshare those...

After graduating high school in a tiny town in Arizona I decided I had to get out. I took a semester off of college and went to Mexico to teach English. I lived in a small city about 3 hours south of Mexico city. Tehuacan was one of the highlights of my life!! I loved that city and those niños! Before getting to Tehuacan we went on a backpacking trip around Southern Mexico. After arriving at the Mexico City airport we were pushed onto a 21 hour bus ride not knowing each other at all. This bus was hilarious in it's ghetto-ness...it was great.. sitting next to the baño telling the people to tira con fuerza (pull hard) was quite the experience.. going to the bathroom on a bus is one experience that haha you can do once and be satisfied for the rest of your life.. let's just say the bumping is not so pleasant..We traveled downto Merida where we stayed in my very first hostel.. there were 42 beds in one room, it was sweaty hot, and I was loving every minute of it! You could reach over and touch the other bed while still laying in your own bed!

My very favorite place we traveled to was Palenque. We slept in a hammock hostel outside in the middle of the jungle. There was a Jack Sparrow look alike

in the camp next door and you could hear the monkeys screaming all through the night. It was breath taking for suresies.

Tehuacan was amazing too! Top ten favorite memories:

1. Tamale tamale calantito atole! - The streets are so loud.. men on bikes drive around sing-song yelling this out at all hours. There are also dogs, gas trucks that play music, street musicians (one time one grabbed me and made me dance with him..hilariouso..), and all sorts of others that are trying to get your attention--it's great!
2. Zenif, a 4 year old student, saying "you craszee teacha infinity craszee!" All of the students giving us hugs and chanting "Alexis is my favorite!" as they walk down the hallway
3. Tortas!, Tacos al Pastor!, helado!, huaraches!, entomatadas!, etc.. the food is GREAT
4. Going to Chilac for the Day of the Dead festivities. We went to see the graveyards and the altars... speaking of altars..the time my host family had an altar and the tequila shot got a little too close to the candle.. and BLEW UP! I got home from school to the house all full of smoke! They probably thought I did it!
5. Guera Guera Guera! You cannot walk anywhere without hearing this chant from all the creepster men.. it means white girl haha (or jaja in honor of mx you also hear: Que onda senorita! A dios! Que linda!
6. Los combis. The public transit system.. aka a converted vw bus that they jam pack at least 40 people into every time. It is intense! touching people on all sides! La parada por fa! or Bajan! means let me off!
7. The time we cracked Ramon's head open... We were at a student's bday party and they had a giant inflatable slide there that they had rented just for the American teachers (apparently they heard we loved those things).. the problem was we were all wearing dresses. To Ramon's madre though this was no problem. She went and brought us some of he prized work out stretchy pants to wear.. so geared up in dressed with pants sticking out with start the long rope climb to the top of this slide.. the kids have raced to the top and are waiting.. the issue is that the slide is not all the way blown up.. by the time all of us fat americans get to the top the slide starts to collapse.. now we have 4 teachers and 3 students rolling in a huge ball down this slide and OFF onto the cement.. ya that's right, we went right off the edge fell prob 7 feet to the cement, smashing poor Fernando in the process.. He was excited that we had matching scratches on our arms.. but Ramon always the whiny one.. cracked his skull..no bleeding, just internal..oops.. guess we aren't invited anymore!
8. My host dad having an affair and my host mom thinking I was a threat.. eww *shudder* and moving to a new amazing host family!
9. Eating cow tongue, cheek, and who knows what other parts of the cow... plus octopus, and pig head.
10. Running barefoot down the main street (scandalous) yelling Viva Mexico!! While on a scavenger hunt doing all the things that reminded us of mexico!

And much much more!