What was I thinking, not taking my camera when Lis Turkheimer--interim associate dean in my division--and I flew to Denver Friday evening for a regional Fulbright Spring Meeting the next day?

I could have taken photos of the Denver airport, which I find at once preposterous and ethereal. I probably wouldn't have taken photos of the Warwick Hotel where we stayed and where we had a tasty late supper, but I certainly would have taken photos of the people at the meeting itself.

Marilyn Turner, a Fulbright alumnus and meeting organizer, and Becky Ferguson, representing the USDA Grad School, which administers the Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program in DC, served as facilitators of the meeting, along with Rick Barcus, another alumnus.

During break-out sessions, I met Cece Daniels, a high school teacher in Castle Rock, CO, who--I found out--will be teaching at a university in Mexico City, and she told me that other U.S. teachers will be teaching in D.F. as well. There will be a meeting of Fulbright exchange teachers there in the fall, Cece told me, so she and I will meet again in Mexico City. Cece also suggested that we might fly to DC together at the end of July.

Laura Zinke, a Fulbright alumnus who taught in Argentina for six months, was also part of our small break-out group, and I found what she had to say especially helpful and reassuring. For instance, she said she used her debit card nearly everywhere she went in Argentina, except in small villages. She also said she never did open an account in an Argentine bank, and like me, her bank is a credit union, not a huge multinational bank. Granted, Mexico is not Argentina, but I'm going to assume there are similarities. The issue of how to bank, handle money, and pay bills in México is a small thing, but there are so many small things to learn about and consider that they build in my mind into a small mountain.

Two other alumni--Rita Merrigan (Colombia) and Alison Trattner (Senegal)—advised me as well. Rita gave me the name and phone number of a friend of hers who lives in Xalapa and who has friends at the university. Alison gave me suggestions related to teaching English as a foreign language and emphasized the importance of person-to-person connections.

I was also grateful to the three international teachers who came to the meeting to share their experiences as exchange teachers at high schools in this country: Ndiaye Aissatou of Senegal, Franz Castro of Colombia, and Nelly Membre of France. Listening to them describe their experiences in this country made me glad I teach at the college level where the students are adults, parents aren't involved, and academic freedom is assumed.

I had to leave the meeting about an hour early to catch the airport shuttle Saturday afternoon. Unlike the shuttle on Friday when the van was packed, the van was empty this time except for Lis and me. And this time, we could see the Rockies--its farther peaks topped with snow--bordering the high grassy plains as we were shuttled along I-70 to the airport.

I had time to read The Course of Mexican History by Meyer and Sherman at the airport and during the flight back. This is one of the books I bought on the recommendation of the Fulbright Program, and I'm really enjoying it.

My friend Sharon picked me up at the airport, and we went to Sadie’s for chile con queso and supper. I was really tired by the time we left, and I slept the sleep of the just soon after I laid my head on my own pillow.