Kristin-1995
In my junior year of high school, I was given the option of going abroad for 3 weeks. There were two trips being set up, one for Spain where we would be living in hotels and sight seeing and one in Mexico where we would be going to classes, living with families and doing some sight seeing. I, of course being the uppity, small town, sheltered girl that I was, immediately chose Spain. My teacher tried to talk me out of it, telling me I needed to have the Mexican experience, that I would love it and that I would learn so much. I was having none of that and continued to save and raise money to go to Spain.
After many attempts to change my mind, my teacher cancelled the Spain trip and invited the students who were signed up for Spain to join the Trip to Mexico, of course we all did. She was 1000% right! The moment my foot stepped on Mexican soil, my life was changed forever! My teacher arranged for me to live with a family that spoke almost no English. They had no TV. and no phone and at first I was very nervous because I had no contact with the outside world. (I have no idea what I would do today with all of the technology that is out there now but that was bad enough.)
I spent the first of the three weeks completely alone and cut off from the outside world. I got to know my host family and their friends and family and learned so much about Mexico, the culture and the language I was trying to learn. The second two weeks I had more contact with my own classmates as we were going on excursions and going to school. I soaked up everything I possibly could and loved every minute of being in Mexico and learning about the country and the language.
When I returned home I knew exactly what I wanted to go to school for...I wanted to major in Latin American Caribbean Studies and minor in Spanish. I did return to Morelia for a visit in 1996 before I went off to college for a visit. With the advancements of technology, facebook, skype and e-mail, I have been able to reconnect with a lot of the friends and family I have from Mexico and can see where their lives have taken them.
After many attempts to change my mind, my teacher cancelled the Spain trip and invited the students who were signed up for Spain to join the Trip to Mexico, of course we all did. She was 1000% right! The moment my foot stepped on Mexican soil, my life was changed forever! My teacher arranged for me to live with a family that spoke almost no English. They had no TV. and no phone and at first I was very nervous because I had no contact with the outside world. (I have no idea what I would do today with all of the technology that is out there now but that was bad enough.)
I spent the first of the three weeks completely alone and cut off from the outside world. I got to know my host family and their friends and family and learned so much about Mexico, the culture and the language I was trying to learn. The second two weeks I had more contact with my own classmates as we were going on excursions and going to school. I soaked up everything I possibly could and loved every minute of being in Mexico and learning about the country and the language.
When I returned home I knew exactly what I wanted to go to school for...I wanted to major in Latin American Caribbean Studies and minor in Spanish. I did return to Morelia for a visit in 1996 before I went off to college for a visit. With the advancements of technology, facebook, skype and e-mail, I have been able to reconnect with a lot of the friends and family I have from Mexico and can see where their lives have taken them.
