Monterrey Temple Trip and Mexican Birthday Party/ Waterfall Adventure

Saturday was one of the best days I´ve had since I got here! I had the opportunity to go to the Monterrey Temple! It is so pretty and it was so good. It is small and each person gets to do way more ordinances. The people here are so friendly. Im thankful I have the temple and church even though Im here in mexico. The church is true! It was a very rainy morningHere is the temple! I went with this guy Adrian from my ward.Afterwards the weather cleared up and I went to the funnest Mexican bithday party! It was at a quinta- with a pavillion, swimming pool, park, swingset, tennis courts, horses, river, waterfalls, so much fun! The theme was Hawaiian and decorated so cute. It was Majo´s birthday and I met all their group of friends and LOVE them! Oscar, Barbara, Me and Alex
The beautiful waterfalls!
We hiked up the river and went on a trail. It was so beautiful and a fun adventure!

I love Mexico!

The Melting Pot

Me, Orlando, Mehtap, and Norman

These are my roommates!! Well 4 of the 6 of us. Boys live upstairs, girls live downstairs. Orlando, Magda, and Roberto are Mexican. Norman is German and Mehtap is Turkish and Im from the USA! Us 4 like to cook dinner together and hang out. Its so funny trying to speak each others languages (well me and Orlando trying to speak german, and mehtap, norman and i trying to speak spanish, lol) I have learned lots about lifestyles, cultures, cooking, and a little about religion too. We went to Nanchos&Gangas one night to celebrate a little more for Orlando becoming legal haha. Happy 18th b-day! We danced the night away with lots of friends that came. We have fun!

Mexican Traditions and Birthday Parties

FELIZ CUMPLEAÑOS ORLANDO!

Wednesday was Orlando`s birthday so Norman and I made dinner. He invited lots of friends and we ate in our front yard. It was a good night.

Orlando, Norman, Miia, Me and the typical birthday sign above haha

some of Orlandos friends- all med students like him

We brought out a cake and after singing happy birhtday in spanish everyone chants ¨Mordir lo, mordir lo, morid lo¨ or something like that which means, bite it, bite it. The birthday person has to take a big bite into the cake, and of course his face got shoved in the cake! haha. This has happened at all the birthdays that I`ve been to here in Mexico. and its a hilarious tradition.

Everyday is someones birthday, obviously..., but it feels like we have a party every night. Thursday was Poncho Ponchos birthday party at this place called Nirvana and lots of friends were there and it was cool, pretty relaxing and fun.

Movie Theaters

On Tuesday night a group of us went to see X-Files: I want to Believe. It was sorta scary haha but i really liked it. The movie theaters here are SO cool!! It was a VIP theater and the seats were recliners and you could order food and they bring it to you on trays. It is $8 and so nice and comfortable!! It was so fun and we acted like we`d never been in a movie theater before.
Me, Charlette, Claire, Sofie, 2 other guys enjoying the recliner seats, food and lots of space

School: Classes, even rockclimbing!

You might be thinking Wow does this girl ever go to school? Haha and the answer is Yes. I started school on August 4th and have now been going for 3 weeks longer than everyone else that starts on Monday. Good luck everyone starting school. I´m sure you guys dont care the details but I am really bored... I really like my classes. I have 2 classes to learn spanish- communication and grammar and we have lots of stupid busy work for homework but I´v learned a lot and my opinion is- that flashcards are the best way to learn something. Well the second best way, because I consider just hanging out and speaking spanish with my new friends studying haha becasue I learn how to say things in Spanish. I have 2 classes in English- International Business and Consumer Analysis. Sometimes I feel as if Im wasting my time becasue in my Consumer Analysis class we watch youtube videos and talk about the most random things ever. It is to help us observe people and discuss what motivates people to do what they do. Its interesting. I like it. I just got done with my first little group project for international business- we had to write an article on conterfeiting in China. Who knew that China makes and sells products that have brand names on them but are fake. I had no idea. I really like being in classes with students from all over the world, it helps me realize that I definately need to read the newspaper and be more aware of what is going on.
Exercise is the number one best anti-depressant. So if any of you are feeling down or just want to be pumped EXERCISE!! I always want to but Im usually too lazy. This leads me into my next 2 classes- Salsa dance and RoCk cLiMbInG. It is so fun. I love dancing! I wish i had rythm haha but nevertheless I still enjoy it. Rock climbing is such a challenge and you feel great when you get to the top.
Also, Monday I went running and tuesday i went with pocho to batting cages. I need to do more exercises even though its so hot here. Right now it is raining and its so great!!

Stoplight Party! Pool Party! Party Party!

Its been good because since school has started we usually only party on the weekends So it is fun instead of every single night. On Friday I went with my friend Miia to a pool party and it was SO fun! We actually didnt even swim cuz everyone was just hanging out but i met tons of cool new people. A few boys i mostly hung out with acted like they dont know english So we talked in spanish all night and it was so good and i learned a lot and i wish i only spoke spanish everyday but a lot of people i know speak english and very little spanish (like the exchange students) so im trying to hang out with more mexicans and its so fun!! 

Norman, me, Orlando (they are both my roommates kinda- they live above us)

and Mike in the back ruining the pic, jk he´s awesome

Then we went to a stoplight party where you wear green if you are single and want a relationship, yellow if you are single and want to have fun, and red if you have a boyfriend or girlfriend. It was so fun but really really crowded.

Saturday we went to a bar and hung out, danced, talked a lot. I never knew I liked Sprite so much (its either that or coke and im not a huge fan of coke, so sprite it is)Mia, me and Monica

We were mexican this night and fit like 9 people into Ahreely and Alexandra´s jeep haha. we were crammed! but it was cheap. in the pic: Leav, miia, me, Norman

more pics from tampico

My friends are so great and we had a good time at the beach!! We are from all over and going to visit each other when we go on vacations later on in life! Me, Booth (cali), brandon (arkansa), a little peek of louis-phillip (belgium), jason (new york), tobi (germany), claire, charlette and sophie (all three from Belgium). We have a good time!
Me and Brandon sipping our fresh coconut on the beach

i love these girls!