Crazy about Guanjuato and CLA Program!!!

CLA offers such a cool experience that can be tailored to so many different types of students. My name is Esther and I arrived in Guanajuato in January and I have loved my CLA experience so far! Since my arrival I have had a great time, made a bunch of friends from Mexico and all over the world, and have gotten to travel a bunch!
When I first arrived, I was promptly picked up at the airport by Fabiola CLA’s amazing program director and my now, my friend. I am staying with a host family which has been great for my Spanish and for eating great meals three times a day. My host family has been so kind and taken me on vacations, and even to extended family celebrations. I have lots of freedom but always have lots of people to turn to for help if I need it.
There are a lot of different kinds of classes you can take in Guanajuato. Some classes are harder than others depending on what “school” the classes are in. But the teachers are typically very helpful and have had exchange students in their classes before. I was very thankful to be part of a program like CLA that helped my through the Add/Drop period at the beginning of the semester because the school’s offices can be a little slow and confusing, but CLA helped me through the whole process.
As far as the city goes, Guanajuato is beautiful! The city relatively small but is packed with things to do. There are a bunch of cool museums, winding streets, and a lots of unique restaurants and bars. The whole city center is very walkable which is what I love most. From my house I can walk to school, my friends’ houses, the market, the movies, the central plazas, cafes, restaurants, bars, all within 15 minutes! I also love that I feel like there are always little festivals, shows, and/or dance presentations going on every weekend!
It is really easy to travel in México. There are a bunch of “pueblos mágicos” close to Guanajuato and the “long distance” bus system is punctual and very comfortable. Although there are some place in Mexico CLA students are not allowed to travel to, so I found that it was important to ask about that before making any travel plans.
Fabiola has been so kind and helpful through the whole study abroad process. She organized our trip to Mexico City and asked me what I was most interested in before we went, we went to the famous Lucha Libre, Frida Kahlo’s house, went on boat rides, ate at yummy restaurants, and did a bunch of other cool things. Fabi really has always had my best interest in mind and has always given me advice on where to not travel and the safest ways to get where I want to go.
This program has been awesome for me! the perfect balance of freedom and security, fun and learning. I would definitely recommend it to anyone!