Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end

So incredibly my journey here in Oaxaca is finally approaching the end. We finished our presentations earlier today, and I was able to overcome my nerves about it with an ample supply of caffeine and wound up doing pretty well. All that's left now is our fiesta over at Oliver's house later tonight and to pack everything up. It seems fitting though that I do what I do best and rank the best moments of the trip. So here goes

5. The second trip to San Felipe: We spent about 6 to 7 hours with nothing but a few sandwiches and backpacks and got to see an absolutely beautiful forest and river. There's going to be a lot of pictures of the trip on facebook in a few days including the absolutely gorgeous 20 foot waterfall and the tree that Alejandro climbed up on by it.

4. The first day we met Margarita and Hector: This was one of the things I was most concerned about. Not knowing what to expect from our homestays. After about five minutes it was clear we couldn't have gotten a better more loving family here. We've gotten incredibly close over all this time and were all really sad to say goodbye tomorrow.

3. That whole learning about Mexico thing: Surprised to see this on here? I really loved learning about all kinds of different facets of Mexican culture, society and history. I never thought about learning anything about agriculture, land reform, sustainable living, property rights or weaving until I got here but it's been incredible to see all these different things fit together and play a key role in communities. It's really humbling to see how little your perspective really is once you see a completely different lifestyle. Also getting to speak Spanish a lot was great and I'm hoping to do some tutoring next semester with it.

2. My parents arrival: I wasn't sure how they would like the city, and whether or not we'd have time to do a whole lot but we were able to have a great time, eat some great food, and I got to have a great time catching up and showing them all over town and swim at their amazing hotel.

1. The epic Jalapa-Juchitan-Mazunte trip: Can anything really top that? I probably spent 2 hours writing those blog posts and it was truly one of the most surreal unforgettable trips I've ever been on. It just had a bit of everything action, drama, beautiful beaches, awkward moments, educational value, just the shared experience of suffering and enjoying the highs and lows of a 5 day trip. It also really showed me how far I've come as a man and how I can deal with bad situations without always having people look over my shoulder. What more could you ask for?

Overall I really have nothing bad to say about the entire experience and would do it again in a second. The people are so welcoming and friendly, and theres just so much you can do and see to enjoy yourself. The food is completely different from the Mexican food you'll usually find and I even managed to get myself to like the chapulines(fried grasshoppers) by the end of the trip. The three things that I'll remember most from the trip is first the friendships I've made with the other students, teachers, my host family, and the people of the city. Second, the stories and memories I've made that I feel like I will someday tell my kids and grandkids about(although I may have to edit certain parts). And last the challenge of a program that really makes you examine everything you've believed in and what you can learn from completely different lifestyles and cultures.

That's it I swear you won't have to read anymore until I try and publish this in book, short story, or movie form in a few years. Til then thanks so much to everyone who followed this adventure; to my family and friends who shared my adventures on skype and facebook. I can't wait to see you all in a few days or weeks. As always Nos Vemos