Kristin- 2000
In the year 2000, I graduated from the University at Albany with a degree in Latin American Caribbean Studies and a double minor in Spanish and Anthropology, clearly showing how my first exchange effected my life. After graduation, I was very unsure on what I was going to do with the rest of my life, so I talked with my family about doing another exchange in Mexico. This time studying at the college level and doing some more traveling. I secured a place to stay and decided I would find a school when I got there. In August, I got on a plane and was back in Morelia, Michoacan, Mexico. For the first few weeks there, I looked for schools. I found one right in the center of Morelia called CMI. It was a place where I would be able to take classes in the morning and have free time in the afternoon to explore. I was also able to teach English twice a week. I took a few Spanish grammar and conversation classes as well as a Mexican History classes. I loved this school because they also had extra activities we could participate in. There were art classes, cooking classes and weekend field trips to beautiful locations all over Michoacan and nearby states. I was in classes with a group of students who were doing a college study abroad from the state of Washington. We all became very close and we went on quite a few adventures together. I went to Patzcuaro, La Tzararacuita, Tzintzuntzan, Paricutin, Uruapan, Guanajuato, Guadalajara, Puerto Vallarta and Acapulco. I experienced new things, I went to a bull fight, had a pinata fiesta, went horseback riding, helped get baby turtles back into the ocean, I saw the Pacific Ocean for the first time, saw my first movie entirely in Spanish, I got a tattoo, I went parisailing, I went snorkeling, I climbed a waterfall, I saw the Colibri dance, I rode a "combi" on my own and I answered the phone in Spanish and understood.
I have had all of these experienced and have seen all of these things but the most important things that I learned on this experience were the language, which I am still using today in my job, and the Mexican culture. I learned to have more patience, to embrace every day, to love people for who they are and that even though people are different from me everyone loves the same. I learned that there are kind people out there who take you "under their wing" and give you a place to be you. I learned that even though I love my family dearly, I would be able to make it on my own wherever I decided to end up and with whatever I decided to do with my life.
I have had all of these experienced and have seen all of these things but the most important things that I learned on this experience were the language, which I am still using today in my job, and the Mexican culture. I learned to have more patience, to embrace every day, to love people for who they are and that even though people are different from me everyone loves the same. I learned that there are kind people out there who take you "under their wing" and give you a place to be you. I learned that even though I love my family dearly, I would be able to make it on my own wherever I decided to end up and with whatever I decided to do with my life.
