Cuernavaca!

It’s official…I finally have a hometown in Mexico! I received notification last week from the Secretaría de Educación Pública (SEP) stating that I will be living in Cuernavaca, the capital city of Morelos state.

Cuernavaca is located about 45 minutes south of Mexico City (DF). It is known as the “City of Eternal Spring” because it boasts a year round temperature of 72°F…I am so pumped about that!

It is one of the oldest cities in the country and has been inhabited since 1200 BC. It was originally called Cuauhnáhuac or “Place of the Whispering Trees.” When the Spanish arrived they renamed it Cuernavaca which means “Cow’s Horn.” Today, it is a popular weekend destination for Mexicans living in DF and also tourists.

In addition to my placement, SEP informed me that I will be teaching English at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) “Centro de Ciencias Genómicas.” The Center for Genomic Sciences was established in November of 2004 and includes seven programs of study. These programs consider many aspects of genomic research such as microbial, plant, and human genomics. It sounds pretty complicated to me! If you want to check out their webpage, click here.

I will be living in Cuernavaca from September 1-May 31, so I must now begin my search for an apartment/house to live in for the next 9 months. We’ll see how that goes :-)