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 Vallarta Living | December 2005 
Viviendo en Mexico (Living in Mexico)
 Korah Winn - PVNN
When I was in high school, I remember reading stories in the Daily Gazette about a teacher who lived and worked in Japan. She wrote all kinds of interesting tales about the things that she was doing there and everything she was learning. I do not even remember what the woman's name was but her stories stuck with me and she was an inspiration to me.
I was born and grew up in the Sauk Valley area and I am grateful for my roots, but I knew for a long time that I wanted to experience situations that I would never find next to a cornfield. Because of that, I am moving to Mexico to learn Spanish. I wanted to live in another culture and experience what it is like to have to go someplace where I know no one, do not know the city and even do not know the language. I might be asking myself if I made the right choice in a couple of weeks, but it is set in stone now. I am anticipating that it is going to be incredibly hard but also amazing.
The way I see it, so many people move from Mexico to the United States and they have to jump into learning a new language, culture and customs. I want to have empathy for what they go through. I have friends who moved from Mexico to the Sauk Valley area and I respect how they have handled the changes they have experienced.
So, it is my turn. I wish you could see the smile on my face. I have already started my trip. I bought a train ticket and rode on Amtrak out to California. It was part of the experience for me. I had never seen New Mexico or Colorado, so I thought the train would be a great way to see them as I was on my way to a new life in a new country. While I was riding on the train, I saw a beautiful rainbow for a couple of minutes while passing through New Mexico.
I thought it was a fitting way to start my travels. I leave from San Diego, California and fly to Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico. I will be in Puerto Vallarta through December. I plan on coming home for Christmas but then I will move down to Guadalajara in January and study at La Universidad de Guadalajara. I am going to take classes while in Mexico and do my best to learn to speak Spanish. I plan on incorporating new Spanish words I learn into my stories so that reading my column will help you also pick up a little Spanish along the way.
If you want to wish me good luck then tell me, "Buena suerte." I have an incredible opportunity to learn some new things and I am going to do my best to share them with you. I was inspired to reach for my dreams of traveling and living life fully by the tales of one teacher living in Japan. I would love to be like her and pass on the inspiration to someone else though stories of my own.
The next couple of months are going to be very little like anything I have had to deal with in the past. I hope you enjoy experiencing them with me. No matter what, we will hopefully learn a little Spanish. Wait, I take that back. You will hopefully learn a little bit of Spanish and I will hopefully learn a whole lot. Oh, and by the way... buena suerte [good luck].
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