The First Day

As usual, I began the day with some study of Spanish. The Rosetta Stone program makes it really fun, but I don't know how I will do if I talk to a real person rather than to the computer.
My next stop was at St. Francis Church in Dracut where I was interviewed by Debbie Hovanasian, the religion reporter for the Lowell Sun. She asks really good questions and the conversation helped me to clarify some things in my own mind. I think that a vacation is a time to go away from the normal routine. A sabbatical also has this aspect, but it also has the added dimension about coming back. So I am open to finding out how I will change in this experience of learning Spanish and visiting some Hispanic cultures. I am also open to seeing how Trinity will change this summer.
I had lunch in Lowell at the "La Differencia Restaurant" across the street from the Lowell Transitional Housing Center. I ordered my meal in Spanish and I read a Spanish newspaper. I received what I thought I had ordered, pollo con arroz and jugo de naranja, and no one said, "why don't you just speak English!" I take that as a success!