“We’re in Texas now,” the mom across the restaurant aisle says to her daughter. It’s really Any Airport, USA. I’m sitting at a TGI Fridays-DFW eating tomato basil soup between legs. Next stop, Mexico City. The RDU airport at 7 a.m. was barely bustling and the flight was not full. It took me 2 minutes to check in at the American Airlines ticket counter. It has been easy so far, even though the flights will have started at 8 a.m. and get me into Oaxaca at 7 p.m. tonight with 2-3 hr. layovers each in DFW and Mexico City. The tram rider between Terminal A and Terminal D noted she felt like she was in Disneyland. The woman next to her nodded, her bald head with bit of gray stubble growing out — a recent chemo survivor. I thought, how wonderful that she doesn’t want to hide herself by donning a wig. She shows a pride in her face that smiles out at the world, strong and satisfied. I wonder where she and her friend are off to. TGI Fridays is a familiar, safe world…we know it, depend on it, it gives us comfort food before we continue on. Not exotic, but nice.
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Norma Writes for Selvedge Latin Issue
Why We Left, Expat Anthology: Norma’s Personal Essay
Norma Contributes Two Chapters!
- Norma Schafer and Oaxaca Cultural Navigator LLC has offered programs in Mexico since 2006. We have over 30 years of university program development experience. See my resume.
Study Tours + Study Abroad are personally curated and introduce you to Mexico's greatest artisans. They are off-the-beaten path, internationally recognized. We give you access to where people live and work. Yes, it is safe and secure to travel. Groups are limited in size for the most personal experience.
Programs can be scheduled to meet your travel plans. Send us your available dates.
Designers, retailers, wholesalers, universities and other organizations come to us to develop customized itineraries, study abroad programs, meetings and conferences. It's our pleasure to make arrangements.
Our Clients Include *Penland School of Crafts *North Carolina State University *WARP Weave a Real Peace *Methodist University
Tell us how we can put a program together for you! Send an email norma.schafer@icloud.com
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- WEAVE Podcast: Oaxaca Coast Textiles & Tour
- NY Times, Weavers Embrace Natural Dye Alternatives
- NY Times, Open Thread–Style News
- NY Times, 36-Hours: Oaxaca, Mexico
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