Natalie Musick

I was told going in to college that I simply needed to study abroad before I graduated - so I did. I chose to go to Mexico because I wanted to learn Spanish better in a culture I am somewhat familiar with.

I would say spending half a day floating down the canals of Xochimilco in a trajinera drinking pulque and listening to live mariachi with twelve of my new-found study abroad friends was certainly one of, if not the most, interesting cultural experiences I had abroad.

I couldn't (to some extent, still can't) speak Spanish very well before I went to Mexico. As such, at times it was really hard to interact with the Spanish-speaking world around me. I experienced miscommunications almost every day - some funny (in retrospect,) some more serious. I had to get out of my comfort zone and really open myself up to not knowing what was going on at times - and laugh it off when I had misunderstandings with others.

I would wake up and walk with my roommate to class. On the way, we would buy pan and atole from a street vendor by our house. After classes, a few of my friends and I would simply explore the city. For instance, we might take the metrobus to el Mercado de Coyoacan and eat some churros rellenos, then visit a museum, and later eat a dinner of quesadillas con flor de calabaza. Once it got darker, we would either uber or bus back to our houses, stay up for a bit talking and surfing the interwebs, do some homework, and go to sleep.

I took three classes. One was called Cross-Cultural Engagement, one was a Spanish class, and one was a political science course called Contemporary Mexico. The environment abroad was significantly less stressful and more collaborative than have been my experience at Cal.

I really enjoyed making connections with the other people studying abroad on my program. It is a very unique experience to suddenly be almost dropped into a different environment and culture and language while studying abroad, and I definitely had a strong support group in my fellow study abroad-ers. The community I experienced abroad was by far one of the most meaningful parts of the trip.

I am more confident in myself. I make plans and I follow-through more now. I take more time to explore and appreciate the environment around me. I have been humbled - I didn't realize how much I took free, drinkable tap water for granted. I feel like I am more grateful for my friends, and the opportunities I have as a woman in the United States. I love dancing and listening to Alvaro Soler now, both of which are entirely new developments for me. Hot cheetos are no longer too spicy for me. I've also caught the travel bug for sure - I'm studying abroad again in Australia this spring, in part because of how amazing my experience in Mexico was, and I would like to travel more after that.

DO IT!