That saying above (translated: It’s culture!) has pretty much been our group’s mantra the entire time we’ve been here. Even though Mexico is right below the U.S., there are so many differences. It’s been really interesting to learn and adjust to them, so prepare for a long entry!

Transportation. Let’s just say that all Mexican drivers are city drivers at their worst. It’s pretty much lanes/ turn signals optional, with no visible speed limits. My Mexican mother is a pretty safe driver, but some taxi rides have been terrifying. The public buses are really convenient and cheap, but there are no schedules, so you just have to hope a bus with your route on it passes soon. Believe it or not, I miiight just miss the Blue Loop a little. They tend to not come to complete stops when it’s time to get off, so you just have to hop and hope for the best. We’ve been successful so far and pretty much have the routine down!

 Food. It is GOOD. I have tried so many new foods– REAL (delicious, amazing) Mexican foods (far from Taco Bell style). The mealtimes are fairly different, though, and it took a little while to adjust. Breakfast (desayuno) is pretty much the same, with the sole exception being that, in place of my typical granola bar, my mom here feeds me to the point of immobility. But that goes for every meal; Imy stomach has expanded significantly since my arrival. The next meal isn’t until around 3 or so, and it’s “comida”–the main meal. It’s pretty much to Mexicans what dinner is to us; my father and brother come home from work, my sister’s home from school, and we all eat my mom’s delicious cooking together. The last meal is sort-of-dinner, or “cena,” and with my family it consistently consists of sandwiches or quesadillas and maybe some fruit or sweet bread. Cena is usually around 9 or 10, and it’s the time of “platicando,” or chatting.

Other things about food that I love here: every kind of “pan dulce,” or sweet bread/ pastries, has its own name. There are also tons of delicious fresh fruits, and a home-made hot salsa or peppers are placed out with almost every meal. They also adore salt here, but normal pepper cannot be found. Oh- and, as my father said, [translated] “Coca-Cola is the drink of the gods.” They LOVE it here, and, when it comes straight out of a cold glass bottle, who are we to disagree?

 Interacting with people. It’s been hard to switch between Ud. and tu forms of addressing people (the first being formal and the other informal). When you meet people, it’s with a handshake and kiss on the cheek. I will not, however, miss “propinos,” which are essentially call-outs to (mostly) women and very common here; since we’re noticeably from the US, our group has received a fair share of these. Bartering and negotiating is also the norm here; from markets, where it’s expected, even to taxi cabs, it’s an art I haven’t yet mastered.

Other little things. Many people keep dogs on their roofs to keep watch for robbers. The public computer keyboards are set up completely different–it took me like 10 minutes to figure out how to access the “@” sign. Public bathrooms here can be a nuisance; there is a 50% chance that you will either have to pay a few pesos or there won’t be available toiler paper (or both). Museums and historic sites can sometimes have as much security as airports, but to enter and see what they have to offer is almost always worth it.

 And the weather! It can get very cool in the mornings/ evenings (especially after rain), but it is pretty toasty most of the time. I’ve been loving it! However, almost all locals wear jeans and/or sweaters; we’ve even seen people running in sweatshirts, which seems crazy to me. We definitely stick out as foreigners in our shorts and t-shirts. I keep adding, but lastly, I love how close my family is here. When they’re not at work or school they’re essentially together. Whether we sit and chat for hours at mealtimes, play games (like dominoes below), or watch television, it’s just the norm to spend time together. All members of my host family- mom, dad, sister, and brother- are so witty, funny, and wonderful. I’m going to miss them so much when I leave next week!

All in all, there are lots of things I’m looking forward to when I head back home, but there are so many things I’m going to miss about here. I feel like I’m finally just getting really used to it all, and it’s about time to go…

Location: Puebla, Mexico