Caminante No Hay Camino

My favorite quote comes from an Antonio Machado poem. (It's also sung by Joan Manuel Serrat) "Caminante no hay camino. Se hace camino al andar. Caminante no hay camino, sino estelas en el mar." Sort of translates as Traveler(or one who walks), there's no road. You make the road by walking. Traveler, there's no road, but rather a wake in the sea.

I've been away from this blog since January. People had said it was hard to post so they emailed me with comments, some of which I tried to post to the blog. Recently I got an email from a former TESOL participant that I want to share. Here it is:

In February, I went to Mexico for 2 and a half weeks, and fell in love with San Cristobal and all the city's colors. Three friends and I attended a language school there in Chiapas to revive our Spanish skills - I had reached an upper intermediate level but hadn't studied it for about five years. It came back quickly after being surrounded by it. The school arranged some amazing cultural outings for us - we visited two neighboring indigenous villages - Zinacantan and Chamula, where I witnessed some interesting religious ceremonies and learned how to use the looms that the women use to make beautiful tapestries and clothing. (I also saw some postings in the city advertising for TESOL teachers!)
Then I had a complete change of gears and went to Germany for a month - now surrounded by a language I knew nothing about. I did not pick up much of it, because the people I stayed with spoke English. But it was another interesting cultural experience and again, I had a wonderful trip. I learned many things about the different ways people live, and of course, in turn, about myself.

This is from Heather Carragher. She says she is happy to talk to people who are interested in studying in Mexico. If you're interested in studying in Spain, let me know. I've got some great schools to recommend.

So, this month, if anyone has a favorite quote in another language, please post it. Hasta pronto.