Mexico

1^st: Yes… I’m fine. No… Mexico is not as nearly dangerous as the media makes it sound. There is a massive difference (and distance) in the culture, ideals and way of life in the southern states of the country as compared to the north, where certain border cities like the suddenly-infamous, Juarez, continue to cast a decidedly murky shadow over this cool-ass country.

2^nd: Thanks for all the repeated emails asking if I’m okay and for an urgent update. Makes me feel loved.

3^rd: The job is tight. Teaching university students 4 hours a day, 4 days a week clearly has its perks. And I’m not just talking about the sheer amount of hot girls in my class or roaming the campus!

4^th: There are 17 English professors at the school and everyone is enjoyable, fun and easy to work with. No shit. We work together, party together, eat together and travel together. It’s a good time.

5^th: This is REAL Mexican food. Fresh tacos with homemade corn tortillas, enchiladas with verde sauce, chicken with Oaxaca’s (pronounced wa-ha-ka) famous mole sauce. Every other Saturday morning my landlord and her daughter teach me a new Mexican dish. We visit the market, we prep, we cook and then we eat. It’s an unbeatable way to start off the weekend.

6^th Speaking of weekends… My town is nice. Nestled at a high altitude between sprawling mountain ranges, it has a true Mexican vibe, plus an awesome market. Yet, it’s small with limited resources for entertainment. So on the weekends, we typically venture to one of three places:

· Oaxaca city: There really isn’t an adjective that I can think of to properly describe this historic and Spanish-influenced city. Filled with beautiful churches, cobblestone streets, vibrant colors, interesting history, sweet architecture, insane food, mind-boggling markets, wild clubs/bars and chill cafes, Oaxaca has sincerly become one of my top three favorite cities in the world.

· San Jose Pacifico: A beautiful mountain town high in the clouds and high on mushrooms. Lendgendary for its hulicenegenics, this small town emits a sleepy, almost surreal vibe. Mick Jagger, Bob Dylan and Keith Richards, among others, have dropped by to sample the product.

· The coast: Lined with sick beaches, this is obviously where I prefer to spend my time. As cool as any coastline I’ve been fortunate enough to visit (and this list includes all of Florida, California, Puerto Rico, plus 10 islands in the Caribbean, along with parts of Thailand, Philippines and Hawaii).

So, yeah… life’s good.

And if you don’t know yet, I wont be home for the holidays. Staying here, hitting the beach, then traveling south the Chiapas.

I will try to update again soon. Peace.