Hola a todos!
Even though I’m a little behind on time right now, this blog will be all about my first week abroad.
It is hard for me to decide where to start off. Everything happens so fast, one day you arrive in a new country, the next you’re going on tours and trying to figure out the city, then you’re already attending class, and before you know it, one week has passed by. I suppose I feel as though the program is flying by because my summer session is only 5 weeks long.
To start of with the setting I will begin by describing my location. The city I live in and attend classes in is called Merida. Merida is the capital of the Yucatan, a state located in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, south of the Gulf of Mexico. The first 5 days here were full of clouds, rain, and humidity (that my hair was not ready for). However, everyday since the rain stopped has been filled with a humid heat brought on by the unrelenting sun that shines upon this land. I have uneven tan lines on my legs and arms from walking to and from school or the store everyday.
Though it is hot, Merida is a city full of history and tradition that is displayed on every corner. The Mayan culture is so prevalent and important here that twice a week there are performances of traditional Mayan dances and songs downtown. The events are called “La Vaqueria” and “La Serenata”. Additionally, every Friday there are performances of actors playing an ancient Mayan sport known as “el juego de pelota.”
In order to take advantage of the time we have here the 6 other students in my program and I usually plan to do something new every evening, whether it be attending “La Serenata”, going to a local restaurant, or even catching a bus to the local beach. So far we have been active everyday with events planned by both our program coordinators and by ourselves as we try to navigate this new city.
That seems like a lot of information for now, so I will be back soon with week #2’s blog!
ยกAdiรณs!