¡Hola hola! It’s week three of my program in Querétaro, and I don’t want to leave in only three more weeks! I’ve really settled into my daily routine, and I’m finally getting the hang of balancing schoolwork with family time and exploring the city by myself or with friends. Before I left for México, I had not anticipated how exhausted I would be just from speaking and listening to Spanish all day every day; I have never been so tired (and so fulfilled). To anyone going abroad to study a language, my biggest advice is to make sure to sleep a ton your first week to give your brain time to rest and process everything you’ve been learning and experiencing. And to ask your family for a different pillow if you need one.
One thing I don’t think I could’ve really prepared for is how much people here stare at foreigners/tourists, and many people aren’t very shy about it. In my case, it is definitely made worse by the fact that I am very blonde and I stick out everywhere I go. I sometimes find myself wishing I had darker hair so that I could blend in better or walk home without attracting so many stares, but it is what it is, and I do like when the locals ask me where I’m from and welcome me to the city. Speaking of the city, the traffic pattern here is pretty different from what I’m used to, and it can be a little awkward at first to read the drivers and learn when they will stop and when they’ll keep going. But after a few weeks, I’m pretty good at it! I also noticed that my brain quickly adjusted to communicating solely in Spanish, and both my skill and confidence have gone way up since getting here.
I haven’t ever traveled by myself before, so I was very surprised to find that I don’t feel homesick at all. Because our group spends so much time together and my family and I get along so well, I feel very at home here, and I know I’ll come back to visit as soon as I can. Another reason that I know I’ll be back is that I’ve made friends here! When I went dancing with my friends in Jardín Zenea, a popular plaza by my house, I met a girl my age, and we instantly hit it off. Since then we’ve gone to museums and markets, danced, eaten conchas, and talked for hours, going back and forth between English and Spanish. I had worried before leaving that since it's summer here, I might not meet many people my age. But Querétaro has many different universities and lots of young people around who are very nice and welcoming to newcomers, so it wasn’t difficult. My favorite parts of my time abroad so far have been getting to know my host family, eating delicious food, and making new friends!
Ruby Samuels-Ellingson, Diverse Ducks Ambassador