Guadalajara

Well today i was suppose to board a plane to Guadalajara, Mexico. I have been planning for the longest time on doing a study abroad program through BYU this spring semester. I was suppose to go to Guadalajara, Mexico and learn Spanish. There I was to live with a host family with my friend Cheyenne and we would attend the Universidad de Autonoma in the mornings where I would be taking 8 credits of spanish class. Then go back to my house and eat lunch with my host family. After lunch I was suppose to go do service. The service Cheyenne and I were assigned to was to work with kindergarten and 1st graders. We were suppose to play with them and do activities with them. Then back home for dinner and then party it up at night. On the weekends the group (about 30 girls 2 guys and my 2 directors) would go on little trips together to different places in Mexico.

Here is Cheyenne and I in Salt Lake. We had to take a prep class for the study abroad and one of our assignments was to take public transportation up to Salt Lake and visit a Cathedral there. I'm sad we wont get to be roommates in Mexico!

Guadalajara is right there in the middle. 

 I was so looking forward to this. Last tuesday, however, the director sent an email out saying that because of the Swine Flu our study abroad got canceled. At that point in time the effects of the Swine Flu and how it spreads were still unsure. BYU of course wants to keep us as safe as possible so now I don't get to go. What is funny is that there are cases of the Swine Flu in Park City, 20 min. from my house in Heber right now. But no cases anywhere near Guadalajara. But still I think it is worse in Mexico-plus I would much rather get sick here than in Mexico.  

Here are some pictures our director sent, before it was canceled, to give us an idea of how it looks there and get us excited to go.... sad I won't get to see these places in person.

I am sad that I'm missing out on this great experience. I would have learned so much more about the culture over there. They say a lot of Mexico's culture actually originated in Guadalajara, for example the Mariachi bands started there. I would have really enjoyed learning from my host family about culture and values and cooking! And of course I would have gotten so much better at the Spanish language. But it's all good, everything happens for a reason. I actually have new summer plans that will also be a great experience for me. One door closes and another one opens. And maybe one day I can travel to Mexico or South America and try this again!