Choosing to study another language and culture intensively, Mary and Paul Durbrow of 26th Street are on a three-country Spanish immersion adventure. The couple took a semester sabbatical from their teaching jobs in Sacramento-area public schools.
“We have always wanted to learn another language,” Mary says. “Spanish is also super helpful with teaching.”
Their first stop is Guatemala for eight weeks. They will study weekdays, stay with a local family and travel on the weekends. Trips to date have included Lake Atitlan, pueblos outside Antigua, Chichicastenango and the ruins of Tikal – “awe-inspiring,” Mary says.
Their next study excursion will take them to Peru for seven weeks – the first month studying at a Cusco-based language school, and then travels to Machu Picchu and the Amazon with family who will join them.
The couple’s final Spanish study destination is Costa Rica for four weeks near Manual Antonio National Park. They will return to Curtis Park in mid-December.