Christina Matschke, Germany

When I started at the INEPAS Spanish School my Spanish was very rusty. By the end of my studies, I had learned a lot, not only about the language, but also about the culture! My teacher took the necessary time to find out my strengths and weaknesses so he could teach me accordingly. He was very good at finding topics of my interest and made me talk and write a lot. It was really easy to get to know everyone at INEPAS, since teachers and staff participated in the activities and everyone was really friendly. We went hiking, biking and dancing. We cooked and made music and most of all talked and laughed.

I also participated in one of INEPAS’s social projects, as part of the Service Learning Program. I began working as a volunteer teacher in one of the Community Daycare Homes. These were truly intense weeks, far off the beaten tourist track, where an orange is a treasure and the children take off their shoes to run because they are so worn out. It was not easy to teach the children (especially in Spanish!!), however it was a very rewarding experience. I don’t think I’ve ever been hugged so much in my life! While working in this rural region of Guatemala, I had the chance to get an inside look at a small community and its way of life. These weeks were the most important part of my whole time in Central America.