Choco-Story (Nehemie Gauthier, Mexico)

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Nehemie Gauthier

<i>"Hello" in your host country's language:</i> Hola! <i>Home Institution (your U.S. University/College):</i> The University of Florida <i>Expected graduation year:</i> 2023 <i>Destination city & country:</i> Merida, Mexico <i>Program provider:</i> Autonomous University of Yucatan <i>Major/minor:</i> Applied Physiology and Kinesiology <i>Demographics:</i> African American/Black, First-Generation College Student, LGBTQ+ <i>Future career aspirations:</i> I would like to attend a medical school in Florida and match into a competitive residency in anesthesiology. I plan to then become a traveling doctor that goes to third world countries and assist those who cannot afford the proper health care. Becoming an anesthesiologist would be a dream come true for me and it would show those who look like me that it is possible to make it out the low income area we grew up in and fulfill whatever it is we put our minds to. <i>Top 3 goals for your time abroad:</i> My top 3 goals for my time abroad are to learn Spanish, to gain knowledge of the Mexican culture, and to gain insight into how to effectively communicate with others of different nationalities and how to better understand them.

Choco-Story is a cacoa museum located in Uxmal, Mexico. Within the museum there were animal shelters, cacoa trees, and Mayan history. In Mayan culture, cocoa was traded as currency, used as an offering for gods, and for healing practices. I found this very fascinating. During my time there, I got to experience a traditional Mayan ceremony called Cha-Chaac in which the god is asked for rain and growth of the plants. Lastly, I got to try Chokoj Ha. This was a Mayan hot chocolate with many different spices added. It was very delicious.