What is your Major?

Behavioral Neuroscience and Spanish with a minor in Biology.

 

Why did you decide to travel to Mérida?

Well, the main reasion is that studying abroad is a requirement for my Spanish Major, and I needed to go somewhere where I could practice and improve my language skills. Plus, one of my best friends at St. Ambrose went through this program last year, and she recommended it. My brother also goes to Central College (the college this program is run through), and I knew they had a really good study abroad program. Finally, the Yucatán is beautiful, and I was excited to talk in Spanish and learn more about Mexican culture and Mérida seemed like a great place to do it!

What were you most nervous about?

Moving in with my homestay family because I didn't feel confident communicating yet, and I had no information about them prior to coming. Also, I'm a picky eater so the food was a concern, but I've been very pleasantly surprised about how delicious it is. Here I eat anything my host mom gives me, with only a couple exceptions, and I love it! 

What was one thing that surprised you?

I knew it would be hard speaking Spanish, but I didn't realize how hard it would be to comprehend it when people spoke to me.  This took a lot longer to get the hang of than I thought. I really didn't research the city either and was surprised about how big it is and how much I would have to navigate to find places, but I then learned how capable I was of doing that, and it was a great feeling.

Another striking thing was just how different and diverse Mexico is. I've been to so many places like the jungle, the caribbean, little Mayan towns, and archeological sites (pyramids!). Every single place I've seen has been really special to me, and I wasn't expecting to have such unique experiences. 

What was your favorite trip? 
Chiapas, hands down. I was able to escape the city, and I saw monkeys and a couple parrots, and that was really exciting because I love animals! The jungle was just so incredible.  It was so green and the mountains were beautiful, and for the first time in the two and a half months I'd been in México, I felt completely at peace. 

Mérida is beautiful, but there isn't a lot of uninterrupted nature. I really missed being in the country, so I loved that trip. 

What was one of the most challenging moments? 

The first week I was in my homestay I got trapped in my room because I couldn't figure out how to open my door. It was a little traumatizing. I felt really stupid because I couldn't understand Spanish or even something as simple as how to open a door. That same week Spanish classes started too, so all the Spanish was a little overwhelming. It was one of my hardest moments because I didn't know what I had gotten myself into, and I really doubted that I was capable of speaking Spanish, but I promise it got better!

What is one experience you will never forget?

This question is really hard for me to answer because there are so many experiences from this semester that will stick with me for the rest of my life. One of the most impactful experiences was one of our first excursions to the Mayan pueblo of Tinum. It was incredible to be able to live with a Mayan family for the weekend and learned about them. I especially enjoyed seeing my host mom make a hammock, making and eating fresh corn tortillas, and visiting the milpa to learn more about their agriculture and traditions. I also took a bath with just a bucket of water which was more than sufficient, so that was really eye opening. It was a pleasure to get to know such wonderful people and learn from their lifestyle.

Any Advice? 

I would say, be selfish with your semester because this is your best opportunity to learn Spanish, if that's why you're here, or to have new experiences. You need to take advantage of it to the fullest. For me, I realized that this was the only time I could really study Spanish and do things for myself without my relationships taking priority.  Wherever you go during this semester, keep an open mind and try to learn as much as you can. Really spend the semester focusing on yourself, what you want to improve on, and how it's changing you, because if you let it, this semester could be one of the most life changing things you have ever experienced. 

​

​