Bienvenido a Cuernavaca!
I’ve finally had time to arrive to my destination and settle in. It has been an interesting few days to say the least, but I am so thankful that I am here in Mexico. Thank you all for your support and prayers for my journey here. It was an interesting one to say the least.
The trip has completely transformed since I first made the decision to participate in the program. Not only am I the only one from AUM, I am the only international student at the University this semester. Because I am the only student international student, they could not offer a Spanish course (which is why I primarily came). So, for those of you who are wondering – I am not fluent in Spanish, in fact – my skills are very elementary. So, I truly came into this program unsure of what to expect. All of my expectations were shifted shortly before I left, but I am a flexible person and I embraced the change.
Every person who I encountered during my travel showed signs of confusion, amazement, and worry. In fact, one of the men prayed for me on my flight from MGM to ATL, and another man gave me his business card so I could have a way to come back home if necessary. My parents, my friends, my professors… almost everyone in my life at home said they were worried. To be honest – everyone talking about their concern and their worry made me extremely nervous. The worst leg of the trip was the bus ride, and that was because I was told to be skeptical of public transportation, and no one at the bus station spoke English. But guess what world – I am here, and I am alive!
When I met my host mother at the bus station, I was greeted with hugs and kisses and the dreaded phrase, “No hablo nada inglés” (I do not speak any English). Boy, would this be a learning experience. My response back, “No hablo mucho español” (I do not speak much Spanish) prompted for an awkward wait at the bus station. We tried to converse with each other, however we mainly sat in silence. When my host father arrived to pick us up, he began to speak to me in Spanish and his wife just touched him on the shoulder and shook his head. It made me feel a little inadequate.
Traffic is a completely different experience. While I was most worried about the bus ride, I was even more nervous after spending a few minutes in the car and on the road. There are no traffic lines, and people don’t obey stop signs. There are not many street lights, if any – but there are a lot of speed bumps. People will accelerate as fast as possible and then slam on the breaks. I was quite shocked and surprised… I would be lying if I said didn’t think we were going to get in a car wreck. After a few days to adjust, I’m a little more at ease, but I couldn’t even imagine driving here.
When we arrived to the house, it was time for a late lunch. My bags were brought to my room and I was invited downstairs to eat. Our first meal was stuffed zucchini with ham and cheese, black beans, and rice. The meal was accompanied by attempted conversation. Thankfully, I was able to ask if they had wi-fi so I could connect to the internet. Thank the Lord for technology, because after that moment, I was able to use Google Translate to help facilitate conversation with my host family. Things have gotten better since.
Mexico isn’t scary. The people are very welcoming and gracious. They will go out of their way to help you, and they are very warm to the touch. While the news may portray a negative image of this vibrant country, the people are the true measure of worth. I will continue to update this blog with my journeys and experiences!
Until then… vamos a explorar!
Marie
Reuter's Writings 