The summer between my freshman year and sophomore year at KU, I did a "summer abroad" experience in Guadalajara, Mexico, organized and sponsored by the Spanish department at the university. As I recall, I paid for it myself! Amazing that it was that affordable. The finances came from some weekend and Christmas vacation waitressing at a Chinese restaurant, and also from working in the cafeteria dormitory at Corbin several mornings a week, serving breakfast. I thought that was an easy way to make money; all I lost out on was a little snoozing late in the mornings. I was excited by all the tips I made at the Chinese restaurant (back in Overland Park) during every major break during the year. Didn't realize til many years later that I was supposed to declare those tips . . .oops . . . um . . never mind. OK.Anyway, I was able to pay for tuition, bus transportation and room and board in Guadalajara with money saved all year. (My father kindly supported me at KU so I did not have to worry about the basics during the year). OK, well, to get to Guadalajara, I took a Greyhound bus to the border of Mexico, where I was met by my Mexican beau. He took me to the home of some cousins to stay for a week or so before going on to Guadalajara. He accompanied me on my bus ride down there, which was an overnight bus from Monterrey.
First Home in Guadalajara: Room and Board
I arrived at the home of some older ladies who took in room & board students. I shared a room with an American girl (KU student whom I hadn't known before) at this house for one month. It was pleasant enough. I remember the big garden out one of their windows. They had created a cascading garden on a rocky wall . . and that was the view from their living room. I learned to take the bus to the campus where my KU classes were. Went to a church led by missionaries on Sunday evenings. Went to Tlaquepaque and the main plaza of Guadalajara pretty often . . . sometimes alone and sometimes with other KU students. My very favorite place that I visited was Lake Chapala. I still fantasize about living there in my old age. Who knows, could happen.
Second Home: Ofelia's House
Meanwhile, at the church I was going to, I made friends with a Mexican young lady named Ofelia. She invited me to live in her house. At the end of the month, my roommate was going to move out, and the old ladies I was living with were going to raise the rent on me, being just one person. Instead, I moved to Ofelia's house for the second month. I think I must have photos of some of these things, but not very many. I don't think I took pictures of the houses that I lived in, for some strange reason. To illustrate this blog entry, I will have to borrow some photo of Guadalajara from the Internet.
When Summer Was Over
Will go find such a photo now! And hope to expand on this entry pretty soon. At the end of the summer, my Mexican beau once again came to escort me back to Monterrey, where I was met by my parents who drove down with my little sister for a brief vacation! They all visited Galeana, the little mountain village that he was from, and where the mission was that received some financial support from my parents' church in Kansas City. After that, they and I returned home by a long route: through Chihuahua (where we saw the home of Pancho Villa's widow -- and she was there! Still alive!) and New Mexico (where we visited an aunt of mine -- sister of my father.) Then home. And pretty soon, it would be time to go back to KU, where I was planning to live in the "Rib." In my next entry, I will explain what the Rib was.
(I borrowed that photo from somewhere on the Internet. Here is the URL: http://www.destination360.com/north-america/mexico/images/s/mexico-guadalajara-s.jpg. I did see this cathedral in Guadalajara many times that summer.)
