March 18-20, 2026 · Carrollton, Plano, & Dallas, Texas
Spring break looked a little different for ESL 360 this year. Rather than a week away from learning, it became a week of living it — three days, three adventures, and one simple idea: that the best classroom is the world itself.
Students and their families were warmly invited to join in. Some came for one day, some for two, and the memories made were entirely their own.
Wednesday, 18 March 2026: Pupusas, WinCo, & Real Conversation
Doña Lola’s Pupuseria · Carrollton, Texas – Warm food, warm company, and a few hot sauces on the table at Doña Lola’s Pupuseria in Carrollton.
The week began with lunch at Doña Lola’s Pupuseria in Carrollton — one of Lori’s absolute favorite spots. Marietta, a long-time employee, recognizes her every time she visits and greets her with a big hug. Warm, authentic, and completely unpretentious, it is the kind of place that feels like a gift once you know about it.
Banu, Arsenia, and Arsenia’s son Jose gathered around the table, and over plates of handmade pupusas, conversation flowed easily — the way it always does when good food is involved. After lunch, the group made a stop at WinCo, a unique grocery store known for its impressive variety and excellent prices. In the aisles, students struck up conversations with other shoppers — not as a classroom exercise, but as a natural part of being out in the world. Those moments of real, unscripted English are worth more than any worksheet.
Thursday, 19 March 2026: Trails, Picnic & Hidden Treasure
Arbor Hills Nature Preserve · Plano, Texas – Sunshine, fresh air, and good company on the trails at Arbor Hills Nature Preserve.
Thursday brought the biggest group of the week out to Arbor Hills Nature Preserve for a picnic, a trail walk, and something a little unexpected: geocaching. Lori was joined by Lily S. from Peru, Lily L. from Ukraine, Flavia from Brazil, Banu from Turkey, and Ira with her husband and son from Israel — a group that, between them, had crossed just about every ocean to get to North Texas, and were now crossing a nature trail together.
It was a beautiful day — bright blue skies, warm sun, and the kind of fresh air that makes everything feel possible. The trails wound through trees just beginning to hint at spring green, and as the group walked, conversation wove naturally through vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation — not as a lesson, but as a habit that ESL 360 students have made their own.
The geocaching was a first for many in the group — and it was the youngest member of the expedition who saved the day, tracking down not one but two hidden caches that the adults had walked right past. There is something quietly wonderful about that.
At the overlook, the group paused for a photo against an endless Texas sky — the kind of view that reminds you how lucky you are to be exactly where you are.
Friday, 20 March 2026: Art, History & Meandering Together
Dallas Museum of Art · Dallas, Texas
The week closed with a visit to the Dallas Museum of Art — and what a way to end it. Lori was joined by her daughter Vivian, along with Lily S., Lily L., Monica, Banu, and Ira and her family — making it the most personal gathering of the week.
Together, they wandered through galleries spanning centuries and continents: contemporary installations, surrealist dreamscapes, pop art, European masters, and ancient artifacts from cultures that no longer exist except in objects like these. It was the kind of afternoon that reminds you how much of the world’s story is told not in words, but in things — and how much easier it is to find those words when you’re standing right in front of them.
As always, language found its way into everything — a word for a color, a phrase for a feeling, a question about what something meant or who made it and why. The DMA offers free general admission, making it one of the most generous cultural resources in North Texas, and ESL 360 is grateful for it.
The afternoon ended beneath a neon sign that said everything a spring break should say:
“IMAGINE YOUR JOURNEY.”
That, it turns out, is exactly what we did.
ESL 360 meets twice weekly in Frisco, Texas. Spring break adventures are optional — but quite fun.