Yesterday afternoon, I met with Sally Pearson, CNM vice president of academic affairs, as per the instructions I received in the information packet from the Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program. I found out she'd already scheduled a meeting with my dean, Gerry McBroom, for this Wednesday, and at that time, they'll determine the appropriateness of my proposed exchange partner. Once [if] they agree Isabel Gonzalez-Macias is a good fit for CNM, I can contact her and start preparing to live and teach in Xalapa, México, for a year--assuming that the administrators at Universidad Veracruzana deterimine that I would fit well there as well.

Then yesterday evening, I met Sherry Holmen and her husband Lyle and kids Luke, 17, and Megan, 8, at Padillas' Restaurant to pick their brains about living outside the country for a year. Sherry has had two Fulbright exchanges, both to Great Britain. My two big questions to them were (1) how do I get ready to leave the country for a year? and (2) what do I take with me?

The Holmens exchanged houses with Sherry's exchange partners in both instances, so they didn't have to take household goods with them. I don't know if that will be the case for me. The Fulbright information says that housing exchanges in México can be "difficult" in part because Mexicans typically live with extended family members, which--I'm inferring, based on my own concerns--may not meet the privacy needs of folks from the U.S.

I plan to follow Luke's advice on what to take: pack as if for a long vacation. I had imagined (without thinking it through) that I would need to send boxes of household goods and appliances to myself in México, but not so. Duh. If I need stuff, I can buy it there.

Sherry said something especially interesting--that I should be prepared to experience culture shock on my return to this country. She said she had at least as much difficulty re-entering the U.S. culture as leaving it, an unexpected reaction that hit her on her second day back, in Walmart where she'd driven after having not driven a car for a year in England.

All of the Holmens agreed their time abroad was a great experience and lament that they have few outlets for their stories of adventure out of the country. Friends and colleagues who haven't had a similar experience of living or traveling outside the country often can't relate. "After about five minutes," Lyle said, "their eyes just glaze over."

And finally, Sherry, Lyle, Luke, and Megan encouraged me to approach my exchange with a spirit of adventure and open-mindedness. They assured me that I'll make cultural mistakes but will be forgiven for my ignorance.