Mariposas!

I don’t have too many exciting things to report this week… except that I saw one of the coolest things of my life!

Last weekend we visited a butterfly sanctuary in Valle de Bravo, Michoacan, about three hours from the city. Millions upon millions of butterflies take a rest for a couple months every year here on their way south from Canada- it’s absolutely amazing.

It was pretty cool because it looked and felt just like we were in

Colorado. So pretty!

Those aren't dried leaves... they're butterflies!

This little butterfly was my new best friend. It hung out in my hair
for a good five minutes before it flew away!

Our guides apologized because apparently this year, due to the unseasonable cold and rain, many of the butterflies had died. Apparently normally you can’t even see the sky there are so many mariposas!

While we were there, we checked out the town of Valle de Bravo nearby. Super cute with a pretty lake in the middle!

A beautiful church, decorated for a wedding

It was so nice to be next to some water for the first time in a while!

Besides that, there’s not a whole lot going on… Just been continuing to explore the city and meet new people. Today some of my friends are playing in a soccer tournament at school so I’ll have to get out my pom-poms…

I’m pretty sure I could get used to this life… Hanging out, seeing cool things, making new friends, eating delicious food… and occasionally doing some homework too. I can’t complain!

The much anticipated birthday edition!

Watch out world, I’m 21!! Whoo!

Of course, it doesn’t really make too much of a difference in my life until I get back to the U.S. seeing as the legal age of consumption in Mexico is 18 (and yes, the do card at some places, contrary to popular belief). So I guess I should say “Watch out world... In June!”

But anyways, my birthday weekend was, in a word, awesome. And, amazingly enough, pretty G-rated.

My parents sent me beautiful flowers!!

And some friends from my International Relations class baked me a cake!

And maybe the best present of all, Ms. Nina Smith, the most amazing friend ever made, came to visit me! Her super cool roommate Emily came too. We played tourist most of the weekend, heading to the historic Center, Coyoacan (my favorite place in existence), taking some Salsa lessons and visiting Chapultepec Forest, one of the largest urban parks in the world (and four blocks from my house!)

The three of us at the National Cathedral

Nina and I at the monument to the Niños Heroes

Perhaps the highlight of the weekend came when we went to Chapultepec on Sunday. Nina, Emily, and I obviously stand out a bit in Mexico City as three blond girls (especially with Nina, or Yao Ming as a girl in Coyoacan called her, standing at about six feet). So of course, while strolling through the park, a clown took notice… and decided I just had to be in his show. And somehow I was convinced. Nina and Emily so kindly took plenty of photos… and a video…

Other than the weekend fun, life is pretty chill around here. I have a test tomorrow which I really should be studying for… but hey. You only live in Mexico City once! (Actually, I guess you never know… I do rather like it here)

Ayy, food and weekends. What else do you need?

So, I’ve developed a new obsession… pan dulce. Holy goodness, this stuff is good. You go to a paneria and inside there are about ten million different types of delicious baked heaven. You walk around with a little pan and pick your favorites: empanadas, cookies, muffins, biscuits… some flaky, some crispy, some crunchy… some stuffed with fruit, others with nuts, others chocolate or sugar. And best of all, it’s sooooo cheap. Yummmmm… best invention ever!

But amongst my quest to find the best paneria in the city, I’ve been doing some other fun stuff to. And not all of it involves food…


Last weekend, a couple friends headed a little north for a short trip over our long weekend. We spent a day and night in the city of Querétaro and then the next day and night in the city of Guanajuato. Both have really interesting colonial architecture, tons of beautiful churches and plazas and pretty streets to walk. It was also just really nice to get out of the city for a little bit.

A plaque on a church in Querétaro: “In memory of the heroic missionaries

that during two long centuries left this convent to bring civilization to the vast

regions of America.” Wow…

And then again, another monument to indigenous culture outside

of a church. The contradictions don’t stop...

The pretty (narrow) streets of Querétaro

A BAND! On the street! The tambourine player did this really

cool swirly dance thing.

Guanajuato is sooo colorful- literally. Check out the houses.

Murals, murals, everywhere!

And hills too… sheesh.

Basilica de Guanajuato.

City view from the top of a crazy hill. We got caught in the rain on the top of said

hill… you can see the clouds in the distance.

It was definitely a good time, but tiring too. Now it’s back to classes! Whooo…


It’s raining here, so that’s fun. I suppose I should buy an umbrella soon since I’ve been making my twenty minute walk to and from school without one…


(p.s. 10 days until my birthday!)