Don’t be discouraged if you think you are not learning the language fast enough. It takes time and persistence. Study a little before you go to Mexico, or whatever country you want to learn about. Have fun and don’t worry about making mistakes. They will love you!
My classes started at 9am, so I could get up around 7:30 or 8am. I had the classes in the home where I was staying so their was no need to commute. Although, I have been on other trips and most commutes are no more than 10-20 minutes by bus or walking.
Classes were Monday through Friday. I had three hours a day but you can have maybe 6 hours a day if you are just starting. I have been studying Spanish for almost 10 years so I spent more time visiting different parts of the city during the afternoons and weekends.
My biggest fear was the possibility of running into trouble like having things stolen or being assaulted. The first time I traveled was to Bogota, Colombia to visit a family about 10 years ago.
Everyone was saying how dangerous Colombia was. But I wanted to go because I had heard so many good things about Colombia. Once I was with the family, they knew where to go and where it was safe, so there were no problems.
We went everywhere, into the mountains, small villages just outside the city and many historical places in Bogota too. When we tell the Colombians how dangerous we think Colombia is, they remind us of all the news they hear about that bad things that happen in the United States. And it's true, the United States has many problems around guns and violence, all you have to do is watch the local nightly news.
When I was visiting a family in Bogota, we went on a trip into the mountains. The day started with lunch at a villa that was very beautiful with old buildings and stone fireplaces. It was owned by a man who taught English to visiting dignitaries from foreign countries.
After lunch, we drove to a lake higher in the mountains where we took a boat ride and then had an early dinner. We watched the sunset over the lake, what a beautiful sight. My friend wanted her father to drive down to the lake side where there was a bonfire.
Unfortunately, the track down to the lake was muddy and rutted. The car got stuck and we had to get help. After about an hour, a tractor and police car came to pull us out. Much to the surprise (big smile) of the policeman, a United States citizen was being given a tour of the lake by a family from Bogota. Once we all got back safely home, we all had a good laugh.
