A message from a student, Clay Primrose, talking to those who say they can get by without Spanish.

Of course you can get by without much Spanish. But who wants to just get by?!

You could get cable and just watch tv all day and night too.

But if you came here for adventure, cultural change, to re-invent yourself, to have rich experiences, to activate your brain, to make new friends, to exercise your ability to learn and adapt–then the first thing you do is learn the language. The gringo community is wonderful but very small and isolated. San Miguel has far more to it then you find strictly within that community. And Mexico is a BIG place with hidden wonders and secrets everywhere.

Basically everything good in Mexico is hidden. It’s the exact opposite of the U.S. And you can’t really find the really good things without being able to communicate. And it won’t be half as fun when you get there if you can’t connect with people who know.

The good thing about SMA is you can get by at the start, and make wonderful friends WHILE you learn Spanish. With that secure base you can then have your own real adventure.

For me personally, the Warren Hardy School has been invaluable not only in giving me a smooth onramp to the language, but introducing me to the culture and to native speakers–and probably as important as anything–hooking me up with the most interesting people in SMA. I don’t know why it is but to me it seems true that the most interesting people always try to learn the language and so you run into them at the school. Of course, they have parties for the classes and other activities that make it easy to meet and make friends. But if I look at the friends I have made over the years here, most of them came from school contacts.

So I say, take advantage of the ease with which you can get started here–but get your brain in full gear and experience the richness that is possible when you are truly able to connect.

All the best,

Clay

Clay & Jennifer Primrose

Relox 23

San Miguel de Allende

415-111-9152 (mx)

512-422-8155 (us)

"Life expands or contracts in direct proportion to one’s courage."

—-Anais Nin