here i am....

well, much to my relief and panic all in the same breathe, i am here! my flights were perfect except for: 1. i wore my brown boots instead of black! 2. the airport in burlington confiscated my present for my family, because i forgot it was liquid and exceeded the alloted amount!!!!aarrgghh..

upon arriving at the airport here, i could not find my driver, but a nice police man assisted me, getting my phone working, and letting me use his at first. my home is a fine middle class home, just not easily located to the school. auto bus is not a direct route, and i am told i will need either 3 buses or to walk a distance...tomorrow, my teacher is going to walk me there, on our break. even still...it feels a little daunting. i took a taxi this morning and will take a taxi this afternoon.

my teacher is darling...maria laura. as i expected there are no other students in my level so, i am solo. there are those above me and below me....always, i walk alone! because of this, my classes are shorter and i am not going to begin dancing until wednesday, so that leaves me with a long stretch of time before anything else happens to me. i like to be busy. i want-need more things or people to know.

after this, i will take a taxi back to my house and do my !homework!, make some calls...i am going to see if tomorrow afternoon i can either meet a friend or meet with the walking tour people.

the owner of the school would like to do business with me in the future. i think (and thought) there were more activities for the students after hours. i am going to see if i can arrange some of this....the others seem to know each already. but, he would like to maybe work together with some groups.

i am always shocked by me....i can travel here on my own. i can make things happen, but yet i am so afraid to be alone. how can this be? how can i be such a combination of strong and weak at the same time. i can walk into places and talk with people and yet, have a very strong shy side to me in that very same moment. must figure this out and change it.

also, i like to get around and see things but i also like comfort and nice things. now i see where my daughter gets her interest in regular activities, to know her favorite places. to visit the same places, to eat at the same places. come to find out, she is much like me....hhhhhhmmmmm.

my spanish classes are next to the university here, which is the first university in the americas! and it is still working. quite impressive. my thoughts about the city....it really seems quieter but here, by the school the sidewalks are a mess...if you can even call them that. i can´t understand how more people don´t fall. and what about the old getting around?

i apologize now for any typing boo-boos, as all of the computers i will use will have different ways in which they function.

my little house seems so far away. it feels as if i left it years ago.....and yet, i have so many days ahead, before my family gets here. here is to growth. here is to stepping out of my comfort zone. here´s to me!!!!

kisses to you all!

a