Discovering the Soul of Mexico in Palenque, Chiapas

Palenque is about 9 hours from the sunny coast of Quintana Roo, nestled in the jungle on the north eastern edge of the Mexican state of Chiapas. Mexico is a huge country, and the climate and culture varies drastically from place to place. You might think...more

My week in Merida, Mexico

It always starts innocently enough: A morning coffee, a stroll down to the beach to enjoy the a bit of sunshine, stop to chat with a friend, friend offers you a beer, you head to the store for a couple more beers to repay the favor, and suddenly, it's 4AM and you're slamming shots of mescal and savoring 6-peso tacos al pastor. This is the way of life...more

Day Trip to Akumal from Playa del Carmen, Mexico!

Playa del Carmen may be known as more of a party town than a cultural center, but there is actually a lot more to do here than just lay on the beach all day and party in the clubs all night. While I was studying spanish at International house, the staff...more

Interview with Rocio Delmote, Director of Spanish At International House, Playa del Carmen

In this interview, Rocio Delmote, director of Spanish at International House, Riviera Maya, Playa del Carmen, talks about why the IH Spanish language school, the teachers, and the city of Playa del Carmen are ideal for learning Spanish Abroad! After studying Spanish for a month at IH, with Rocio as my teacher, I can confirm that the staff is fully...more

A day in the life of a language school student in Playa del Carmen, Mexico

As Ice Cube once said, today was a good day.  So good, in fact, that I thought I would share some of the details with you, dear readers. Partially so that you can get an idea of what it's like to study Spanish in Playa del Carmen, and partially to make you jealous of my life here in paradise. Truth be told, the day started terribly.  It was the...more

Video Tour of My Spanish Language School & Student Interviews

  Last week, I shot some video of my Spanish Language School and interviews a couple of the other students about their experience at International House. International House in Playa del Carmen features a bright and sunny courtyard, a small cafe with home-style Mexican meals cooked and served by friendly staff, a nice computer room with free...more

Spanish Lessons and Dinner Parties

I’m just wrapping up my second week of Spanish lessons, and I have to say, it’s been a hard week for me! The first week was a bit of a refresher course for me (which was much needed, I assure you).  We covered a lot of things I had already learned in high school Spanish class, and I was introduced to some new words, and new verbs, but nothing...more

Learning Spanish Outside the Classroom

I’ve just completed my first week of intensive Spanish lessons at International House in Playa del Carmen, and I’ve already noticed a major improvement in my Spanish skills.  I’ve certainly learned a lot in the...more

Studying Spanish in Playa del Carmen, Mexico

After spending some time in Cancun, it was time to take the short journey southward to Playa del Carmen.  Locals usually shorten the name of this coastal city to simply Playa, which makes one thing clear from the start – this town is all...more

My escape to Mexico for the winter

  Many of you know that I've been plotting my escape from so-called-sunny California for quite some time. Winters always get me down, and the sunshine, cervezas, and senoritas south of the border are always calling my name. So I finally took the plunge, packed up my life, and hopped on a flight to Cancun.  Yes, amigos, Cancun, Mexico - where...more