My Inner Muse

Today I was picked up at the airport by Luis, a very cool undergrad who works for the Alliant faculty. I was then escorted to my host family - Isabel (a dentist) and her sister (Leticia), both in their 50s, and Isabel's son who is 21 and attending college. There are four students in total living here and my roommate is an MFT from Vista, CA. The sisters are very sweet and made us a delicious dinner and we walked around town. First impressions of life here - the smog is not as bad as I was anticipating. However, my roommate is having a hard time with the smog making her eyes water constantly. Fortunately, I haven't been affected (yet). Also, the LGBTQ community is alive and well in the Zona Rosa, where the Alliant campus is located. I saw so many couples out walking the streets and PDA was on display everywhere. I did see quite a few homeless people and those that looked mentally ill on the streets. As with any big city, this seems to be a prevailing problem here.

I've been asked by my professor to keep a journal of my entire MX City adventure, so what better place than here to post my thoughts and experiences. I fly out tomorrow. I am all packed and spending the day doing final preparations and errands. My parents are sending me off with a delicious Indian dinner tonight... of course. #spoiled I am anxious and excited about living with three other students and a host family. I haven't ever done a home stay. Even when I lived in Italy and Japan, I had an apt. of my own, so this will be a totally new experience. I am also a bit stressed with all the readings and papers that are required for this Latam Family Therapy certification. 3 classes over a semester is one thing but we are essentially cramming in 9 units in 4 weeks with the last week for travel and fun. I have two papers due Sunday (tomorrow) and Monday (the first day of class). My meditation app is gonna come in handy so I can stay calm and sane. #om I am not as anxious ab

We took the ferry from Korcula to Dubrovnik -- what a treat, the whole Dalmatian coastline is incredibly beautiful. After coming from Hvar and Korcula islands I was not prepared for how huge the harbor at Dubrovnik was. There were 3 enormous cruise ships in the harbor. I felt a twinge of disappointment but we had gotten used to relaxing island living and I wasn't so keen to see a major city. But we were pleasantly surprised at how amazing the Old Walled City is - so well preserved, gorgeous, and I felt transported to medieval times. A few things that stand out to me about Croatia (and Dalmatia specifically)-- it that it's better preserved and much cleaner than Italy, the food and scenery are exquisite, the people are extremely hospitable and very used to tourism, the climate is wonderful on the islands but already very hot in early June on the mainland. Also, did I mention the steps? Croatia is extremely hilly. There are an enormous amount of steps to climb each and every

We spent three amazing days in Korcula, the birthplace of Marco Polo, and one of the most beautiful islands in Croatia's Dalmatian province. We were lucky enough to find lodging right in the Old Town (Stari Grad) in a 14th century stone house that was newly remodeled. I can't decide what was the best part, the island breeze, the views, the food, the beaches... it was all magical and we have already decided to return in two years. Photo album Arrival in Korcula (video) Sunset in Korcula (video) Day at the beach (video)

In December 2011, my parents, brother and I stepped into our past in the Dominican Republic. Over 20 years before I had spent my junior and senior years of high school there at the Carol Morgan School -- for the wealthy Dominicans and children of international diplomats. It was there that I attended my first prom, acted in my first musical, became an avid jazz/modern dancer and experienced total cultural immersion.What an incredible experience and one that I would never have imagined if I'd stayed in the white, Republican suburb of Irvine, CA! I took my parents there to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary and my brother's 45th birthday. We had an amazing time visiting our old apartment, meeting up with our Dominican friends, walking down the Malecon on a Saturday night listening to the merengue beat, and hanging out at the casinos. D.R. had changed a bit since we were last there. The people had grown more prosperous as the tourist trade had bloomed, but the people re