I'm now officially halfway through my program! It's certainly been a wild trip so far — we're currently in Mexico City, and we'll be here for three days. Today, we went to the ancient pyramids at Teotihuacan and to the Palacio de Bellas Artes to view historically significant murals — I'm currently writing this from my hotel in the middle of Mexico City.
I feel like being here has shown me just how differently people perceive me as a mixed person. When I'm with my white classmates, we definitely get noticed as foreigners. Usually it leads to some really interesting conversations, and at one point, we were even offered food for free (we still ended up paying out of preference). When I'm by myself or with my host family, I find that it's so much easier to blend in; people tend to gravitate towards talking to me first and primarily in Spanish which is a unique challenge because I don't think my classmates can speak in Spanish.
I've been gradually improving in Spanish as well. Even though it feels like slow progress, I have to remind myself that learning a second language takes time and patience, the latter of which my host family has an abundance of. It's always gratifying when I learn something and am able to apply it right away, like rules for ordering in Spanish and cultural slang.
Living here has been full of so many challenges, and I've made so many mistakes. Thankfully, the language barrier is getting better every day, and I've found that most people are very patient and kind when they know I'm learning Spanish. I've loved exploring the markets that stretch through neighborhoods and (safely) eating street food. For the most part, though, there are just a few differences I notice here that make me smile every time: everyone kisses very publicly (especially young people), and everyone wears jeans (even when it's 80 degrees outside). There's a ton of small shops everywhere, and I can easily walk across the street from my host family's house to get whatever I need.
I've enjoyed this time so much so far, and I can't wait to see what's next!
Adri Jolie, Diverse Ducks Ambassador