Hey everyone,

So my trip is finally coming to an end. I am sorry I did not update my blog very frequently at the end. I was very busy wrapping up the program.

I have mixed feelings about going back to the United States. I am very sad to leave Mexico because I enjoyed myself so much here but I do miss California very much.

My last month of the program was spent going to Puerto Escondido, a beach town on the pacific coast of Oaxaca and writing my final exams. Puerto Escondido was absolutely beautiful. While there we worked with the local Secretaria de Salud (health secretary) on controlling dengue fever, malaria and chagas disease. We went to some of the local villages and worked on eradicting the vectors (mosquitoes and their larvae). After Puerto I went back to Oaxaca for two weeks and wrote my final papers.

My parents came to visit me on November 30 and they stayed with me in Oaxaca city for a week. After that we went back to Puerto Escondido where we are now. It has been very nice being on vacation after the stressful last two weeks. While here my parents and I went on a birdwatching tour at one of the local lagoons where we saw many tropical birds. They have alligators, crocidiles, ocelots and jaguarundis (which are small wild cats) but we didnt see any of them.

Thanks everyone for reading my blog and taking interest in my life. I am excited to see you guys and for those I will not see Happy Holidays!

Love,
Max