Why ACU faculty should be fighting to teach at CasaACU

I've thought about writing this blog for ages, but almost decided not to. I'm not sure I want to talk anyone else into going, so the Study Abroad office will be begging me to come back all the time. Or this could be considered why I love being a Study Abroad Prof, esp. in Montevideo.

1. The Students - If you don't enjoy spending lots of time with college students, study abroad might not be for you. I love hanging out with students, in general, so this has been a fantastic semester. At home, I spend a lot of time with my students in my office, lab, and home and love talking with them, but living in a house with them gives a great opportunity to develop really deep relationships with the students.

Most of my favorite moments of the semester involve spending time with students. Whether it is sitting on the kitchen counter laughing hysterically as all the females unconsciously start to surround the chocolate bars, having a devo in the Andes, or having conversations about what they plan to do with their lives, it is an incredible experience. I love all the interaction that most of the time I just think of as being fun, but to have so many opportunities to shape young adults lives is amazing.

2. El Chana Church of Christ - CasaACU shares a building with a Church of Christ. They are super nice and welcoming. The first few weeks it was kind of tough, because I understood so little, but as the semester has gone on I have understood more and really made some good friends. We spend a lot of time teasing each other, which is impressive since we are working in two languages. (Several of them keep encouraging me to find a husband here. They worry about my single state. Hahaha!) If you come here, I encourage you to keep going to El Chana until you get to know all the great folks, like Oscar, Evelyn, Nestor, Aldebar, Pablo, Sylvia, Mariam, Ximena, Eduardo, and all the others. They are amazing. I'm going to miss them!

3. Raquel and Mariella - Oh my goodness these are wonderful women. They take such good care of us. Oh - and they cook for us twice a day. Yeah... ACU provides 10 meals a week by really, really good cooks. AND they give you a per diem for food for dinner and weekends... so you certainly save on food. I can't effectively describe how good the food is here. People kept trying to tell me, but it didn't mean much to me until I started eating their food twice a day!

They go above and beyond. We have a student this semester who has a lot of food allergies. They always make sure there is something especially for her including dessert. Raquel has spent the semester researching new recipes that she could fix for the student.

They are also super patient with our Spanish. When a student was struggling Spanish, Raquel told her that she'd help her with her work.

4. Laundry - Don't you hate having to wash, dry, and fold your laundry? Me too. Well here, rather than doing it myself, I take to a laundry place around the corner that washes, dries, folds, and returns fantastic smelling clothes, for depending on the exchange rate $2.50-3.00 a load. Totally worth it and you don't have to buy laundry detergent!

5. Um... And Hello... You Get to Go to Another Country! Now personally I LOVE to travel and am always take every opportunity because I never know when I'll get to go again. I didn't really know what to expect out of South America. But the Southern Cone anyway, is very European. Even though what everyone had told me this I didn't truly believe it. Too many movie images of scary South America and too many stories of Columbian drug lords had infiltrated to deep in my brain. But I have totally fallen in love with Uruguay. I have visited England and the city of Oxford... but I like Uruguay better.

6. The Uruguayans I love the people here. They have been so kind and patient. I've turned everyone and anyone into Spanish tutors from my actual tutor, to the folks at church, to the guy behind the deli counter, to my aerobics instructors. The Uruguayans are so fun and friendly that I just wish I spoke more Spanish so that I could deeper conversations than the basics of where we are from, our families, etc. I'll no more when I come back!

7. Gimnasio Urbana OK... this may apply more to women faculty or wives... but if you come here and don't go to this gym you are missing out on an hour or two of fun a day that makes up for all the food that Raquel and Mariella fix for you. (Raquel told us the other day that she and Fabricio work together. She makes women fat so that they go to Fabricio!) Seriously, Fabricio and Dario make up one of my favorite parts of everyday. Dario has even taken it on himself to help me with the words in aerobics that we don't actually understand.

8. Montevideo Montevideo is full of beautiful parks. I often take some work and go sit under a palm tree (yes palm tree) and watch people and work. Its fantastic.

9. No car I thought I might miss my car. But every thing is in walking distance or buses and taxis are cheap. And I love not having to remember pesky things like gas and oil.

10. Giving up some day to day responsibilities and stresses Ok... I've basically said this in some of the reasons stated above, but I feel like I have so much less to worry about here. I'm not responsible for the light bulbs, plumbing, a car, my laundry, or even most of my cooking. Its like going back to being a kid. Its FANTASTIC.

OK... I'm sure I could keep coming up with reasons... But I'll stop for now. Seriously though... One of the really cool things about getting to teach at a university is the opportunities to go abroad. I know that others have a family where I don't which makes it harder to get away. (Note to my family... I don't mean I don't have a family... I'm just not immediately responsible to or for you. I still love you and haven't forgotten you exist!) But please don't miss this opportunity because its in South America and you aren't sure if its safe. I've felt safer here than in scary neighborhoods in big cities in the US.

IF YOU CAN, TEACH AT STUDY ABROAD ESPECIALLY AT CASA ACU!