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.
Before leaving San Diego International Airport I had a feeling that was better than happiness. I could not believe that, finally, I was going to a new place – Monterrey, Mexico – where adventure was waiting for me. I was ready to see the world on my own and to meet new people.
But life is complicated.
Around 10 a.m. I received a message saying that a friend had died. In that moment all the happiness that I was feeling turned into sadness. I could not believe what I was reading. “I spoke to him yesterday” I said to myself. I stayed in shock a couple of minutes.
Luckily my Mother was with me and I told her everything. She told me that we all have different journeys in life. I walked around and started thinking about how fragile we are and how life sometimes is not what you expect. My friend was gone, he was gone forever, but I knew that he had lived his life like a crazy. I realize that it was my duty to live my life like a crazy too, because that is what it’s all about. Life is about living.
So I took the plane. I took a deep breath. I let the pain go thought my entire body and finally I tried to let it go a little bit.
The pain is still here, it has only been a couple of days that he’s been gone. But life is beautiful and I already have two new friends.
Monterrey weather is hot, but not when I arrived. The weather was beautiful when I arrived. I have been in Monterrey for three days only and I have already fallen in love with this city. Tecnologico de Monterrey is huge, and they have deer inside of the campus, which is a little bit different. I took a bus to Fundidora Park with my new friend Anne-Claire and we walked around the park, and believe me the park is huge. Monterrey is not really expensive if you compare it with the U.S. People are also vert nice in Monterrey – we were lost a couple of times and everyone was really helpful.
I am really excited about my new place. I cannot stop thinking about all the new places that I will go, and I can say right now that life is beautiful and life has always be great to me. I have this great opportunity and I am about to start school and Tecnologico de Monterrey, one of the best universities in Latin America. I just cannot wait to learn.
Life is all about memories, money comes and goes. Go big leave home.
Sije Vargas is earning a bachelor’s degree in Spanish at the SDSU Imperial Valley Campus. She is attending Teconologico de Monterrey for fall semester 2016.
The global experience, as told by SDSU students 