This summer, I had the amazing opportunity to study abroad in Mexico for two and a half weeks. Two professors, five other students, and I traveled to the city of San Cristóbal de Las Casas in the state of Chiapas. It was my first international trip, and I wasn’t sure what to expect when we got there. I’d seen pictures of the city before, but nothing could prepare me for the view that we had from our window. The six of us students stayed in a house found on airbnb while our professors and one of our contacts from Mexico City stayed in a hotel. If staying in a house with five other girls in a foreign country for two weeks doesn’t form a sisterhood, I don’t know what will.
While the girls and I learned a lot about each other at night, during the day we were dedicated to serving the community. This particular study abroad program was done through UCF’s Burnett Honors College and was service learning based. For six days, we worked with students learning English at a local university to teach English at a middle school. The students that we taught were from a small community in the mountains outside of San Cristóbal. They were from two different indigenous groups, the Tzotzil and the Tzeltal, who are descendants of the Maya.
As one would imagine, I learned a lot being in another country for two and a half weeks. Whether we were in the town of San Cristóbal, the ruins of Palenque, or Frida Kahlo’s house in Mexico City, we were immersed in the rich culture of Mexico. I feel as if a lot of people who only go to spring break destinations miss out on the authenticity that less touristy places like San Cristóbal has to offer.
A lot can be learned not only through touring museums and hiking through ruins, but also everyday interactions with the people that you meet. For instance, everyone that we met in San Cristóbal was extremely hospitable. On our first day teaching at the middle school, Corazón de Maria, the community put on an entire performance for us. There was dancing, music, food, and welcome messages read in Spanish, English, and the native Tzotzil language.
The best piece of advice that I could offer to anyone travelling anywhere is to be flexible. We hit some road bumps on our excursion, the first being a cancelled flight from Mexico City to our first destination, San Cristóbal. We were supposed to fly out at 9 that night, but we ended up having to spend the night in the airport and flew out at 6 a.m. the next day. It was a long, difficult night, but the view of the sunrise out of the plane made it well worth it.
This experience has taught me things that no lecture ever could. I learned a lot about Mexico, its history and people, but I also learned things about myself. I made connections and got to know people I otherwise would’ve never gotten the chance to meet. I’m so grateful for being able to experience some of what this amazing country has to offer. If ever given the opportunity to study abroad, especially if it’s service learning based, I highly encourage you to go for it!