Hi friends, we’re back for blog #3. This time I’ll be writing about coming back to the U.S. and readjusting to the culture to see if I might be able to prepare you for what you might experience returning to your home country. I will also cover some brief thoughts on the GEO exchange experience.  

To start off with returning to the States, I first noticed that it felt odd to read signs so easily again. Being home felt like just that. I knew that I had a stake in where I stood and that I belonged there, which was refreshing after a month and a half of being stared at or wondering if I blended in well enough. The PNW is not often hailed as the region with the greatest diversity percentages in the nation but it felt good to return to a population that actually had many ethnicities and immigrants. I hadn’t realized that was something I missed as much as I did. Something else that I felt immediately upon arrival was that I couldn’t just walk up to somebody and strike up a conversation with them. It was like a sort of subconscious regionally activated code switch. Returning to America’s top dog, capitalism-driven culture definitely made me miss the community/family-oriented culture of Querétaro. However, finally being able to flush toilet paper and brush my teeth without fear of dysentery makes it almost worth it. Love or hate the culture, the U.S. has a more than decent infrastructure compared to Mexico. 

Now I’ll write some quick thoughts on the program itself. If I were able to let myself from a month and a half ago in on some hindsight, I would tell them to be prepared on the mental health front. Full disclosure, as I started this program I was in the midst of a very heavy depressive episode. I failed all my classes save for Spanish. I knew that I was in a non-optimal mental state and still decided to pursue the program. Now after having done that, I think maybe it wasn’t the best idea. I got very lucky and was picked up out of the episode about 2-3 weeks into the program but if it had persisted I would not have passed any of the classes in the program. When the GEO info tells you that it’s intensive they mean it. I missed about 5 days of classes due to being sick after an excursion and it was very difficult for me to catch up. I was very fortunate to be able to overcome the stress, anxiety, and depression of that setback. The program was extremely taxing on everyone’s mental, especially during the final two weeks of the program. If you’re considering going on this program, know that it’s no joke and I highly recommend that you don’t do what I did and take that academic risk.

This ends my last blog. I appreciate you reading along and I hope I was able to help you make your decision!  

Buena suerte.

By Abraham Munoz, Diverse Ducks Ambassador

Mexican Studies and Spanish Immersion in Queretaro, Summer 2023

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