Practicing My Faith While Abroad

Today I rejoice in the first homily in Mexico that I could actually understand — it was about love being more important than power — and the first two Bible readings I was able to recognize during Mass. It was a neat outdoor church with a roof — una iglesia abierta, I was told — and we attributed the clarity of the priest’s voice to the absence of walls. It was a nice change from the other churches, whose roaring fans and echoes from the microphone were a recipe for frustration and not registering anything the priests or speakers had to say.

Before my trip, I had in my mind a specific pattern of practicing my religion while in Mexico. I would attend a Catholic university, so I would go to Mass everyday before class and I would check the Adoration and Confession schedules to try to make it to each at least once. Since Mexican towns have churches like a centipede has legs, I would have no problem finding Mass on Sunday, and my host family would take me.

Me Encanta la Cultura de Mérida (I Love the Culture of Mérida)

Seven days and 24 picaduras (mosquito bites) later, I have fallen completely in love with El Centro, the main happening place in Mérida, Mexico.

Mérida has a culture of its own, symbolized by the white fabric and embroidered flowers of vibrant colors that make up the traditional dress. El Centro is kind of the downtown equivalent of Mérida, but instead of consisting of tall flashy buildings it features a spacious plaza and several street vendors and tienditas (shops) alongside where you can buy clothes and food, rent cars or un paseo by horse-drawn carriage — lo que quieras.

I have decided that if I ever move to México I want to live in El Centro and run a tiendita on the corner, decked out in beautiful Meridan flowers.

Of Bad Days and Unexpected Culture Shocks

“Positivity all the time is kind of unrealistic,” said my friend while we were chatting about my experiences here in Mexico. I wholeheartedly agree. We are constantly told to maintain a positive attitude and be optimistic and that we will have a blast on study abroad. But we should remember that we are also human beings who have real emotions that should be addressed.

If I were to provide a bit of advice about study abroad, I would say to be honest with yourself. You are the most knowledgeable person about your own emotional state and needs. If you are having a bad day, acknowledge it. You don’t have to break down and cry if you don’t want to, but it’s not the end of the world if you do.

The truth is that bad days do happen — even in other countries.

La Huasteca trip

Time flies when you enjoy life. It’s very interesting how every time I have to write a blog I look at my calendar and remember all I have done. I feel like I am on a six-month vacation. Every weekend I meet people from different parts of the world and I learn some words in another language.

The Mexican-American Experience

I have been studying in the U.S. since I was 14 years old. In the beginning it was not easy to be in an unknown country. The language seemed unusable, the people different and – for me – it did not make sense to be in a country that was not my own. Little by little I started to understand the opportunities of living in the U.S.

Amazing – and inexpensive – travels around Mexico

Traveling around Mexico is really cheap. The hotels are cheap, the food, the souvenirs – my friends and I have found a lot of tours to visit different areas. About three weeks ago we went to Coahuila the state next to Monterrey.

Familia Multicultural

Life is better with friends, with adventures and love. It´s been almost one month since I left U.S. and I already have love in Monterrey. Since, August 2 I have gotten to know 11 Europeans. Life works in a mysterious way because I lost a friend and I received 11 new friends. They have been with me since the day we decided to go to “Las luchas libres.”

A New Home

Sometimes we believe that nothing can hurt us. That people die, but not us. We believe that we are full of opportunities and that nothing can stop us.

Down in Mexico

A couple years ago, I went to Zimbabwe with my mother. I was born there, and some combination of my immediate family will fly out there every couple years or so. En route to Zimbabwe from the US, there is always a stop somewhere else. That particular time, a couple years ago, we had a layover in Dubai. Due to circumstances out of our control, this layover turned into two free nights in an airport hotel, and plenty of free time to explore the city before resuming our journey to our final destination.

I was blown away by the aggressive opulence of Dubai and learned a travel trick. Traveling somewhere is an opportunity to travel somewhere else.