Traveling can be so much fun…that is one you have checked in your luggage, placed all your little liquid containers in the quart size bag for the security checkpoint, taken off your shoes and placed them in those handy plastic bins and have stood in the cylindrical tube where you are scanned (it feels very futuristic). Then afterwards you have to collect all your items and put back on your shoes you are on your way! I am so very excited to be traveling to Guatemala to begin my Engaged Learning project and standing for 30 minutes in the security checkpoint line could not even damper my excitement.

I am currently in the waiting area and can see that to my left passengers for London are boarding their plane while to my right passengers are leaving for Sao Paulo. I think that the waiting is the hardest part. As I think back there was so much to do before I could even think of leaving the country. Once classes were over I was preparing my interview scheme, getting my approval from the international review board, speaking with my mentor, reading literature over the country of Guatemala and its people and then before I knew it I was off to Taos, New Mexico.

I decided that I had wanted to take summer classes and experience the atmosphere of Taos because I had heard so many good things about it. Now that I have seen the beauty of Taos, I highly recommend to anyone that is considering studying at the SMU in Taos campus to go because it is absolutely amazing! So in the month of June I had the opportunity to study the parasites of the New Mexico area for my parasitology class. I will not explain all the parasites that can be found and encountered on a day-to-day basis because trust me you will learn to fear touching absolutely everything. After returning back from Taos I was in town for a few days and now here I am waiting to board my plane.

It is said patience is a virtue, but honestly sitting here in the waiting area I am working really hard on accomplishing the patience part. Oh wait, I hear that it is time to begin boarding! Writing this blog actually did make the time go by faster. I must turn off my computer now and say good-bye Dallas! Goodbye the United States and Hello Guatemala!