So, surprise! My Fulbright site and project changed; due to violent political protests in Oaxaca, the US Embassy has placed a travel ban to the state. I hope that the situation will calm down so that I can still do some work later in the year with Niño a Niño, my previous community partner, in Oaxaca. 

 

For now, my home will be Mérida, a city in the Yucatán peninsula. There, I will be working with Proyecto Itzaes, an organization working with the local Mayan villages on literacy and traditional ecological knowledge. I am hoping to tie in the organization's needs with my interest in community health.

 

While the change of site/project is certainly disruptive, I am also excited to learn more about Mérida and Proyecto Itzaes in the months to come. The place has already captured my heart with its incredible kind people and natural landscapes. All the large parks have wifi, how cool is that? And there are tons of parks interspersing greenery throughout the city.

 

The photos on my home page are real photos I took in Oaxaca from last summer. Below are some random stock photos. I'll get some real photos in Mérida soon. I'm so excited that I am already starting my blog about my time México when really I am still at Houston airport  :P 

 

Abrazos, 

Vyoleta