Exchange in Mexico: Best or Worst decision?
If you had told me back in November 2020 that I would end up spending the next year doing an exchange in Mexico, I would have told you “no”, probably given you the “why?” head shrug, and put my palms up.
But here I am, almost three years after that hypothetical moment. If you were wondering, I ended up going with two friends of mine. None of us saw it coming.
And I have to confess, doing an exchange abroad in Mexico during my senior year in college may have been the best or the most haunting decision I've ever made.
Don’t get me wrong; Mexico has been nothing but amazing to me. The people, tequila con sal y limon, al pastor, Rappi, chelas, Six Flags, Mole, Día de la independencia, birria tacos, Sayulita, Oxxo, Carl’s Jr., I can keep going on.
I’m forever grateful for even having the opportunity to spend a year in Mexico. Doing my minor exchange, and following that up by doing my final internship there in order to graduate. Through all of that I’ve met so many great people, a lot of whom I’m still in contact with. They’ve all taken good care of me and my friends while in Mexico.
But why the most haunting?
I can’t seem to not think about all the good memories! I often get flashbacks of moments when my friends and I used to sit on the rooftop of our house with some cold beers. We used to live in a house with other internationals student from Belgium, Germany, Basque Country and The Netherlands. The house is located on a hill, so we got a pretty amazing view of the whole city of Cuernavaca, with the active Popocatépetl volcano luring in the back.
We used to just sit there a lot, hang out with friends, have breakfast or lunch, read, and relax. In those moments, we would realize how crazy it was to be in Mexico. Just a small moment to be appreciative. We would take a deep sigh, take a last sip of our cheap Carta Blanca beer, and then go out to a party we were invited to by our Mexican friends and/or classmates.
Muchas gracias Mexico, te quiero mucho!
Beware of exchange programs abroad. Decide at your own risk.
