Vidamexicana's Blog

Hi everyone!

I just wanted to share with you the photo essay I was inspired to write about my time in Mexico. After writing a little note the other day reflecting on my time there, I received a reminder email from the International Student Exchange Program that the deadline for the photo essay contest was swiftly approaching. The deadline is today, August 10, 2009, and the following is my entry-

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Mi Vida Mexicana

Studying in Mexico wasn’t a whole lot like I thought it would be…it was better. Although I can share only a glimpse of my life as it was in Mexico, it’s just that, a glimpse. They could never feel the excitement I felt in a new country, speaking a new language, or meet the people who have touched my life forever.

I arrive in Monterrey, Mexico with my best friend, Becky, at my side. We each have made two trips to Mexico previously, and we believe we know what it will be like to eat, live, and breathe Mexico, yet, at the same time, we have no idea what to expect. I have many preconceived notions about studying abroad. I have heard about the parties I will attend, the people I will meet, the broken Spanish I will speak, and the culture I long to embrace with open arms.

Standing in the streets of Monterrey, Mexico, my new home

The beautiful Paseo de Santa Lucía, Monterrey, Mexico

I wait for my mamá mexicana to pick me up from the lobby of el Auditorio Luis Elizondo where hundreds of other international students are anxiously awaiting to meet their new families. I am holding my bright and colorfully knit Mexican satchel in which I will carry my belongings for the next several months. I stand in line with a fresh-faced brunette, Leah, who truly embodies the laid-back, friendly Aussie personality I always imagined an Australian to have. Like me, she also shares the same anxiety and excitement of beginning a new chapter of her life in an unfamiliar place. I bid goodbye to Leah and Becky as I am summoned to meet Delia, my new mother for the next 5 months. As soon as I see Delia walk through the doors, I see her beautiful soul shining through her caring eyes and warm smile.

In the car, we begin to get acquainted. I quickly learn that Delia’s husband, Jaime, has developed leukemia and has been in and out of the hospital for some time now. I can’t believe what I am hearing. Not only is this our first meeting, but we are already conversing on such a deep level. I am shocked that my broken Spanish and horrible ‘gringo’ accent does not seem to matter in the least. I am also very taken aback because only 3 years ago, my sister had lost her battle with leukemia after almost 7 years of fighting the disease. Right away, I know I am here for a reason. I am here to comfort her in her times of sadness, to laugh with her, and to cry with her. This is my purpose. I am here to help her banish negative thoughts and fill her mind with, Delia something other than hospital stays or chemotherapy treatments. And this purpose, I intend to fulfill.

Briana and I with our mamá mexicana

During the first week, my roommate, Briana, and I attend at least five fiestas de bienvenidos given for the international students. The whirlwind of mariachis, salsa dancing, and tequila takes me a bit by surprise, but I love every minute of it. I drink it all in as if I have never tasted anything so deliciously invigorating in all my life. Sooner than I imagined, I fully adjust to mi vida mexicana. My roommate plays a large role in this beautiful transition.

At first, I can see how different we are. We are both from small, rural towns; however, I can’t wait to get out of ‘Hickville.’ On the other hand, she enjoys spending time with her cows on Buckwheat Ridge Road, Wisconsin and the peaceful tranquility of an open field. Despite these differences, we are fast friends, and I quickly become accustomed to doing my homework to the rhythm of her Indian music, trading fashion advice, devouring Delia’s wonderful chile rellenos, and sharing a room as well as our innermost thoughts and dreams.

Briana tackling tacos, our favorite Mexican staple

Anni and I contemplating a career change after seeing a Lucha Libre

I have never been a part of a school campus that felt like a family before I came to ITESM (Tecnológico de Monterrey). Leaving class, I can’t walk but 10 paces before being stopped by a friend to chat about upcoming fiestas or los examenes. I know there is a lot of talk about the danger in Mexico, but I don’t care. And in spite of the violence, the drug wars between la policía and Los Zetas, and the swine flu pandemic sweeping the country, I am at peace. I feel safe. I am with my new friends and family with whom I can share everything. I came to Mexico never thinking that I would call Monterrey my home, and I do. I never thought I would change into a person who could embrace a life so different from my old one, and yet I do – I am changed.

I am changed from a naïve, small town girl to a sassy, fun loving chica mexicana at heart. I realize that a country, meaning the land itself, does not define a country at all. The people define the land in which they live. A country cannot make you laugh so hard there is no sound escaping your lips, or cry because you cannot imagine life without her. A country cannot cook you the best food you have ever tasted, or ask you to dance La Bomba. But the people can…and they do.

Learning Mexican styles of dance from a chico guapo

At the 3450th meter mark of Cerro de la Silla, a mountain surrounding Monterrey

I left a piece of my heart in Mexico. I left it with the people I met, on the streets I walked, and in the food I ate (although I brought a little bit of Mexico back with me in the few pounds I gained from Delia’s cooking). I have merely attempted to describe the millions of captivating moments that took my breath away in this crazy little thing called Mi Vida Mexicana. It was an adventure I could never do justice in 1000 words.