When it Rains, it POURS...

A random thunderstorm decided to strike GDL and Zapopan early this evening. This storm brought me back to when I first arrived in GDL to rainy season in July. Almost every evening around 7 p.m., one would be able to see the flashes of light across the sky. About thirty minutes later, the storm would hit. Correction, the storm began to POUR down huge raindrops. For some reason, the irrigation system and construction of streets were built funky where all the streets end up looking somewhat like rivers. All of the drains would be blocked up, and the rain pours down so fast that it is almost impossible for the rain to clear the streets as fast as it comes down. Streets flooded, cars stuck, and stranded pedestrians would be the typical sight along the drenched streets of Zapopan throughout the night. By morning, the storm normally would have cleared and the streets would be practically dry with just a look of morning dew or fog.

Oddly enough, the exact same thing is occurring as I type. I began to see flashes of light about an hour ago. I always have to wonder to myself whether this flash is a spotlight or an incoming storm. Rarely does any sound accompany the light until about five minutes before it hits. Then, BAM!!! Right now it sounds like there is a waterfall flowing into my apartment swimming pool. About every twenty or thirty seconds the lightning rumbles and there is a flash across the sky. Also, the louder the rumble or gargle of thunder, the harder the rain is about to hit. I can't believe I'm actually going to say this BUT I'm going to miss the rain in GDL. It's actually quite amazing -- when you're not in it.

Spotted Mosquitoes

After turning the final corner, I stood dead in my tracks. Looking into an open outdoor space of about 100 people coughing, wearing masks, bloodshot eyes and crying babies, I felt like I was in a movie. I had no idea how much of an issue the flu and Dengue were in Guadalajara. I was suddenly thankful of the horrid mask I too had to wear. Who knew what all of these people were sick with standing around me. All I knew was I wanted to get in the office, get my medicine, and get out FAST.

Rewind...
Wednesday morning: I woke up to a weird ache on my lower back. After close examination in the mirror and with the help of two friends, we decided it was either a rash or a bite. The rash was raised, swollen and red, yet I had absolutely no idea where it came from. It was so big and painful there was no way I could simply forget bumping into something, being burned by a candle, or drunkenly injuring myself without knowing. All options were out of the question. This odd rash simply "appeared." I let it be and boggled my brain the next two days about where it could have possibly come from...

Thursday: I began to develop a cough and my muscles began to feel sore. I didn't think this was too out of the ordinary due to my weak immune system and the fact of about 50% of my class being sick with something.

Friday: Went to school utterly exhausted. I thought this was because I went out three nights in a row with friends. Although, I did not drink too much any of the nights so maybe it was just exhaustion. I began to think... Wow, turning 26 does feel a lot different. My poor body can't take it anymore. On the walk home from school, I explained to Gabi how every muscle in my body ached. How my eyes seemed like they were burning and had an ache all on its own. I got home at 11:30 a.m. and slept until 4:30 p.m. After waking up to eat something and find out what my friends were doing, I crawled back into bed around 7 p.m. and did not wake up until the next morning at about 9:30 a.m.!!

Saturday: Sick, sick, and more sick. I decided I should probably go to the doctor to get checked out for Dengue Fever (a fever people get from mosquitoes carrying the illness which causes aches, burning eyes, exhaustion, lack of hunger, etc.). My good ol roommie accompanied me to the emergency room where they proceeded to do a blood test and cotton swab swipe of my nose. We were informed to come back in at least 2 hours for the lab results. Of course on the way home, the hospital called and said they needed another test since the cotton swab test had too much mucus on it! So, three rounds and back at the hospital, I waived my doctor down, who looked at me and said, "I have bad news... come here."

WHOA WHOA WHOA!! First off, you do not tell a sick patient, "I have bad news." Do you know how many crazy things went through my head? I thought they were going to say I have cancer or something!

Diagnostics showed I apparently have Dengue Fever and the Flu. Right now there are six types of different flus floating around in the Zapopan area alone. The nasty rash I noticed Wednesday morning, however, was the mosquito bite of a Dengue Fever carrier. So of course, I of all people get two different types of illnesses, both attributed with fevers, at the same time!

The first sign of Dengue is an odd rash on lower extremities (check). Next up are symptoms which include dry cough, headaches, pain in the eyes, exhaustion, lack of hunger, and body aches (check, check, check, check, check, and check). During my chat with the doctor, after joking around about being the "special patient" with not one but two flues, I let out a few coughs. All of the doctors gave my doctor "the look." She came back to me with a surgical mask in hand, looked me dead in the eyes and said, "I'm sorry. Please don't hate me, but you have to wear this for the next five days." ACK!! Of course I started crying (there was a lot of emotion going on during the day. I think it was from being exhausted, feverish and sick). After filling out a bunch of forms and getting some medicine, my doctor told me I would now have to go to another hospital to get some type of a transfusion/medicine. Who knows, a lot gets lost in translation.

My doctor escorted me outside and asked a valet guy to give me a hand so the taxi driver would not up the charge for being a foreigner. The gimmick ended up being him telling the driver I just had surgery and couldn't talk. This way he would never know I was from the States! The drive ended up being a lot of gestures, nods and shakes. Interesting...

The next hospital visit is a story all on it's own.

Quick Update

As you can imagine, things have been insane during my first two weeks in Mexico. Landing in Puerto Vallarta with my family, spending five days along the water, onward to Guadalajara (where we took part in an intensive language program for one week), seeing ALL the sites of GDL with my parents, and finally starting school at Autonoma ayer...

I will definitely be posting about all of my excursions (the jungle where Predator was filmed, a secluded island off the cost of PV, tequila tasting in Tequila, and much more) fairly soon. Unfortunately I have been slacking on electronic contact because the host family I´m currently living with is charging per person each month for Internet AND making us pay for our own toilet paper! So... I´m probably going to cave soon and pay the $100 pesos, but I still think I´m getting nickel and dimed by the senora. That being said, beginning today I am going to begin to wander around con mi companera to find a fully furnished, decently priced apartment near the university. The downfall of getting an apartment is that we´ll have to fend for ourselves and do all the cooking and cleaning. Living in the Zapopan area of Guadalajara is also further away from actual "city life", but since we have class EVERY MORNING at 8 a.m., it´s kind of a necessity to be close to campus. However, I think I´ll feel a lot more comfortable and independent if we actually find a place.

Wish me luck!!

Bon Voyage!

The time is finally here - Mexico. I'm currently sitting at SMF with my family waiting to board my flight to Puerto Vallarta. We will be in Puerto Vallarta sipping margaritas on the beach and tequila tasting for the next five days. Then, we are saying goodbye to my brother and jetting off to Guadalajara.

Known as "The City of Roses," home of the mariachi, located in the state of Jalisco, not too far from the town of Tequila (yes, they invented tequila), will be my home for the next six months.

On that note, I'd like to say, "Nos vemos" with a quick video primarily of my friend Mia dancing on Cinco de Mayo...

Viva Mexico!

Bustin' Moves

I apologize for completely slacking and not updating the blog often during the past couple of weeks. Filling out applications, going through a group interview in Spanish, and taking the ridiculous CSET with only a week and a half to study all in the month of March, you can imagine how crazy things have been lately.

Well, now everything is done. I am still waiting to receive the "official" word that I have been accepted into the program, but I have received the unofficial official word from a professor so I'm beginning to get ready for my trip studying and student teaching abroad in Guadalajara.

I have two months to get all of my papers organized, take two online prerequisite courses, become certified in adult and child CPR, take a Spanish refresher course, move out of my SF apartment, and fly down to Guadalajara by July 19! Phew. Still a ton to do and I know that I will be in Mexico before I even know it.

I am incredibly excited to have such an amazing opportunity and am looking forward to the trip/program immensely. I guess Down the Rabbit Hole will now focus on my crazy everyday life in Guadalajara come July. I am absolutely certain that I will come across silly, shocking, and life changing experiences while I am abroad.

Salud!