My Typical Day

In case any of you are wondering, this is what my typical day has looked like in Antigua:

6:10 Wake up, step outside room, which is literally outside since rooms of house are built around a garden terrace. Take shower. Shower is concrete stall with some tall on the walls, water pressure is suprisingly equal to gravity, and water is warmed through an electrified metal plate a few inches above your head.

6:45 Breakfast with the host fam. Usually eggs, rice, bread, indigenous vegetables. Watch Teletubbies dubbed in Spanish (they are annoying in any language). Make small talk.

7:00 Study and review Spanish for the day´s lesson.

7:45 Walk to school. Very busy on the streets in the morning!

7:50 Ride to school in delapidated van that unfortunately dumps the exhaust into the interior of the van. Use experience as a way to bond with other students.

8:00 Start lesson. Correct yesterday´s homework, learn new grammer.

10:30 Break! Walk to market, buy fruit, tortillas con queso, pancaques, sandwich, or candy. Chat with fellow students, drink coffee.

11:00 More Spanish. But only review because your mind can only learn so much new Spanish each day.

1:00 Class is done!

1:15 Lunch at host family´s.

Afternoon: Engage in a variety of activities, possibly excursions organizd by school, check email, take a nap, read, study Spanish, walk around, or, my favorite, get to know all of Antigua´s charming cafes (delicious Guatemalen coffee and chocolate!). Avoid torrents of rain that come down in the afternoon!

6:45 Dinner. Watch la noticias (news) or Los Simpsons over yummy Guatemalen food. Try to use in conversation what you learned that day.

8:00 Study, or go out with friends from school to pub.

10:00 Bedtime!


Not too shabby, considering all of this is done against the back drop of volcanos, green mountains, brightly painted colonial buildings, cobblestone roads and wonderful people!