When you travel to another country for the first time, whether it be Mexico or any other country, you’re going to stand out. There will be customs you don’t know, languages you don’t understand and times you’ll feel so lost you’ll want to give up. However, I can tell you right now that standing out isn’t always a bad thing and that it may just be your greatest learning aid. Before I went to Mexico, I dyed my usually dark brown locks bright red (although it faded after so much sun and swimming). I saw the trip not only as an opportunity to learn but a chance to be someone new and exciting for five weeks. My newly red hair turned out to be a great conversation starter with the locals and I still haven’t gone back to my natural color! I met my dear friend Gabriel in a cafe in downtown Merida my first week abroad. We still joke about how my bright red hair was what first caught his attention in Cafetería Pop that day. Gabriel introduced himself to my classmate and I and began to tell us all about the wonders of his city. In the brief conversation we had with Gabriel, we learned that he was trilingual, loved to salsa and that one of his biggest dreams was to own a bicycle. Before we parted ways, he invited our whole group to a local club that offered salsa lessons. Come Wednesday, we all arrived at “La Fundacion Mezcaleria” and Gabriel was there to welcome us all. We made complete fools of ourselves all night. We laughed, danced (some of us better than others) and stayed out way too late, but when I look back on the experiences I had in Mexico, this one stands out as one of my favorites. We returned to Mezcaleria every Wednesday after that. Gabriel also introduced us to the Spanish English library. This library hosted an event every week that allowed people to practice other languages with native speakers of that language. Gabriel spoke Spanish, Mayan and English and loved to share his knowledge. He now works at the library, teaching local children how to use computers and how to speak English. Gabriel became not only my friend, but my guide and my teacher. I learned so much about Merida, the language and the locals. Ultimately though, the most important thing I learned from Gabriel was how to live a life of gratitude. We move so fast all the time here in the United States. We are always multitasking; always climbing the invisible ladder of success that really doesn’t mean anything in the end. People get so caught up in preparing for their future that they miss out on the sweetness of the moment they are in. I became fully aware of this while I was in Mexico. I tried to think of the last time I had just allowed myself to exist…to live without worrying about a bill or a deadline or about fitting in. Gabriel worried about none of these. Gabriel didn’t worry about whether he had a nice car or the best clothing or newest phone, and he didn’t worry about being different. He just wanted to live free. When we first spoke he mentioned that having a bicycle was one of his biggest dreams because whenever he rode a bicycle…he felt free. Near the end of our trip, all the students pitched in and bought Gabriel a bicycle. It was our way of thanking him for his hospitality and friendship, and although it may seem like a simple gesture to many living in the United States, to Gabriel it meant the world. For those of you who may be on the fence about traveling or studying abroad, just take that leap and eliminate the words “what if” from your vocabulary. Live in the moment. You don’t have to dye your hair a crazy color and you don’t have to buy gifts for all the locals, but just remember that there are seven billion people out there. That’s seven billion different perspectives and seven billion new opportunities to grow and to learn. Either way, I encourage you to live like Gabriel. Being an outlier isn’t always easy and it may not be a bicycle that makes you feel free. Maybe it’s a song or even a memory. Whatever it is, ride that bicycle every morning. Listen to that song every day. Meditate on that memory, be different and live for the now because tomorrow is not a guarantee and you may just miss the opportunity of a lifetime.
0 Comments
I was packed for my study abroad program to Mexico two weeks in advance. Ready to head off with the ASU: Spanish Language and Mayan Culture in Yucatan Summer program to further my Spanish minor.
I had separated all my things into neat little labeled baggies and printed a few lists of the places I wanted to see and the things I wanted to do when I got there. I was ready, but I had to get there first. When the day finally came, I missed my first flight. My classmates and my instructor were halfway to Houston for the connecting flight we were supposed to catch together and I was still in one hundred and ten-degree weather. Unfortunately, there were no more flights to Houston that day, so I caught the five o’clock flight to California and then from there, to the Mexico City International Airport. Fast forward to the Mexico City International Airport, which my instructor had explicitly mandated that I not leave for my own safety. Needless to say, I spent about six hours waiting for my next flight while scanning the terminal in paranoia. At some point, I had stopped scanning and dozed off to sleep. I had missed my second flight…and this time, no one spoke my language. What was I supposed to do? How was I going to convey that I had missed my flight and needed another? Did I look as lost and hopeless as I felt? I’ll admit that at this point, my Spanish was pretty limited. The whole reason for this trip was to improve my Spanish skills, but I figured I was already in Mexico and was just getting an early start! So I blinked back my tears, fixed my makeup, said a little prayer and struggled my way through the airport for two more hours as I ran back and forth from terminal to terminal. I finally made my way onto my new flight that would take me to the next big adventure, and breathed a sigh of relief. Landing in Merida and meeting my host family was almost as incredible as the flight there. I met a new friend on the plane I wasn’t supposed to be on, in a seat that I wasn’t supposed to sit in. His name was Gilberto and he was traveling to Merida for a new job. He practiced his English while I practiced my Spanish the whole way to Merida. I landed and saw my host family waiting for me and practically fell into their arms out of both exhaustion and excitement. At that point, I couldn’t stop speaking Spanish! I raved about my crazy airport adventure all the way home and my host parents were very impressed. When I got to my new temporary home, my host mom asked if I wanted to go to El Centro, the popular town square and my soon-to-be favorite place in Merida. I had hardly slept or eaten in the last ten hours, but I didn’t want to stop! We ended up meeting some other students and exploring the beautiful city of Merida and I could not have been more excited for the next five weeks in Mexico. The moral of this story is that being prepared is important, but that being open and determined is what will make or break your experience abroad. |
About the AuthorMoriah is an Arizona State University student with an innate passion for learning and travel. Archives
October 2017
Categories |