Expectations

My expectations for Merida are very hopeful. I am really exicted to meet my Mexican family and adapt how I live my life, to their standards. Also excited to go into Merida knowing a little bit of Spanish and coming out able to have full conversations; and have secret conversations with my fluent roommates.

Stereotypes

There are the traditional American misconceptions, stereotyping the Mexican population living here as dirty or lazy (which is confusing because we also see them as hard workers). It comes from a lack of personal experience with other cultures; many Americans choose to ignore and be ignorant to cultures other than our own. If you look outside the American perception, you see a rich culture with a long heritage rooting back to the Native people with traditions of European influence from the Conquistadors. Taking to my roommates who both have mothers from Latin America I hear that the Mexican mother is very caring and takes care of their guest like their own children. I am excited to see that and much more for myself!

The main thing I didn't expect about Mexico and the especially the Yucatan are its complex dynamics and history. Most Americans see Mexico as our semi-developed southern neighbor, plagued with boarder violence and careless about the immigration headaches it gives our government. I find this country's history incredibly interesting. It sounds like a familiar story but turns out to be unique - a complex indigenous society dominated by a foreign imperial power. Destroying temples and resurrecting cathedrals, the Spanish suppressed and divided themselves from the natives for centuries by colonialism, wars, and invasions until the two cultures fused together to create a people with a colonial spanish father and a ravaged and raped indigenous mother. Each Mestizo in Mexico has this historical contradiction in their blood today - Yucatecans deeply cherish their Mayan culture and view the Spanish as conquerors of it - but they grow up in an environment with a social and economic advantage towards whiter blood, where it's "less cool" to be the cherished ancestry.

Besides a little historical observation, there is so much more to be said about the kindness of the people, the safety felt walking home at 3 in the morning, the proud traditions on display every night in centro, the fun to be had at the ultra modern disco clubs, the incredible food, beaches, ancient ruins, and more… but I am already over my prescribed amount of words. The experiences gained in Mérida are the first step in a life journey of challenging my expectations. I am thankful for this oppurtunity and can't wait to come back! 

Fun Fact: One of my favorite things to do in Mérida? Having random conversations* about random things.**  

*(usually with taxi drivers) 

 **(usually ending up about Mexican politics - PAN or PRI)