Editor’s note: This is Part 6 in a continuing series by Amy Conroy. To read the other parts, go here. Although this is the last one from San Miguel de Allende, Amy has promised one more post a few weeks after they’re back home in Los Angeles to share their impressions on their immersion adventure. We hope you’ve enjoyed living vicariously through Amy and her kids as much as we have!

This will be short and sweet as I am sad to leave, but we get on our flight tonight and admittedly, we’re excited about going home too. A beautiful nameplate on the side of a house that encapsulates my feelings about San Miguel…

True, we’re all thrilled by the prospect of living under one roof.  My boys have already planned sleepovers with their best friends and we plan to celebrate our homecoming California style ~ on the beach!

But I will bring back mezcal to share along with my plans to return for 6 months in January! It was just too amazing to walk away from. And after you’ve had one of the best meals of your life at a particular restaurant – wouldn’t you go back? And order the same thing? On my honeymoon, I ordered tuna tartare at every meal.

Again, it’s the kids that are the clincher. Their Spanish grew and improved so rapidly that they were astonished, and a bit disgusted, when they needed to translate for me the other day. The schools were lovely – I have nothing but admiration for these teachers and administrators.  The kids brim with flourishment – and how could I not want a second cup of that?

So, hasta pronto to Canada de la Virgen…

Hasta la proximo vez al D.F., Mexico City, Tenochtitlan…

The Jardin and Parroquia…

Parque Juarez…

Our beautiful home we’ve shared while here…

The fountains…

History…

La Gruta & hot springs…

Helados, nieves, elote y guacamole…

Thank you to all of our friends who introduced us to the magic here… who brought the warmth of friendship to the new and exciting, and kept it all personal in the exotic and different.

I am grateful to our friends at home for their support of our endeavor, and offer a mil gracias to my husband for all of his miles logged and time spent in LAX customs. Thank you, SpanglishBaby, for indulging my tales and for all of your encouragement.

We are leaving, but we’ll be back. I will be nervous to return I’m sure… because it’s not that I don’t see all the bugs, or smell the uncomfortable stench, or read the papers. This is a country built on passion and not for the faint of heart (i.e. blood and gore are regular aspects of all religious, political, and social life), yet still I am not dissuaded. And still, I am not yet satiated. It’s an Achilles heel…

~ random leftovers from the last 4 months ~

Favorite quotes:

“Why does Daddy speak like an English person?” – Calvin (5) to me, when Daddy pointed out “basura”… uh, bcuz he is American?

“¿Cómo estás, ojo de pescado?” – 5 to 7 year old jokesters after learning about plantars wart

“¡No le toca!” – Cecilia’s first Spanish phrase, that she repeated over & over & over

“If you’re not nice, nobody will want to sleep with you” – me to 3 kids, because we all slept in one bed for the first month.  Prophetic, no?

“What is his name? Cowboy?” – new preschool mini-friend asking me Calvin’s name (unusual in Spanish)

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.”  – Mark Twain

Spanish words that, when confused, can be either a) amusing or b) alarming:

  • embarazada vs. vergüenza (pregnant vs. embarrassed)
  • borracho vs. berrinche (drunk vs. tantrum)
  • chulo vs. chula (pimp vs. cute)

Other things we’re bringing back (aside from Spanish):

  • new name for a fish: ‘ojo de pescado’
  • stronger stomach
  • sparkly 10 lb geode found on canyon floor
  • baby/individual sized Tajin’s
  • ‘Wizard’ costume designed by Jack and hand-sewn
  • several pair of cowboy boots
  • new appreciation for plumbing and electricity
  • laissez-faire attitude toward fireworks
  • princess love by Cecilia; my acceptance of said state
  • naranjada mineral!!!
  • the mexi-dog we’ve always wanted, named “Hola Ricky Fuente”, who followed my kids home one day :)   http://www.saveamexicanmutt.org/

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