Traveling for Tacos

This article was written by Amy Van de Waal-Smith, published on 15th December 2021. 

Hi! I’m Amy, 21, and I went to Mexico last year for a study placement at la Universidad de las Américas Puebla (UDLAP). I was studying Spanish at degree level (post A-level) but I still wasn’t confident in my speaking or comprehension abilities.

Before the tacos

I never wanted to go to Spain on my year abroad so it was an easy choice for me to go to Mexico. Our university had links there and so, whilst I had the maintenance loan from the government and support and guidance from my university, I thought it would be the best opportunity for me to travel further a field. I didn’t have any expectations for what Mexican people or their way of life would be, other than the obvious: tacos, tequila, and mariachi. We had studied the indigenous cultures in class but I thought that was just history, but wow, I was so wrong!

Preparing

Within my university, applying was really easy! We got given documents, we filled them out and gave them back in to be checked and sent off to UDLAP. We didn’t have to contact them personally. That being said some of the documents required detailed travel insurance, signed doctors notes, and even blood types! After being accepted, we had to choose from hundreds and hundreds of modules from Business and Hospitality to Psychology. I chose two psychology modules, two Spanish language and culture modules and a Linguistics module. We had to do 5 modules to reach the minimum level of credits necessary for our university in the UK. It wasn’t too stressful because we didn’t have to pass the modules, we just had to pass the essay for our university in the UK, attend classes and sit exams. Also, the flights were very expensive (but the cost of living there is so low that it probably costs the same or even less to stay in Europe!)

During my placement

I lived in private student accommodation, Urbanite (now owned by the university itself), and I had a single room with an en-suite, including a fridge and a microwave! It was a great escape from being so far away from home, it allowed me to have a personal and comforting space where I could fully relax.

I studied with international students and Mexican students. I felt my Spanish improve immensely. Near the beginning of my placement, in one psychology class that was filled mostly with Mexican students, I had to give a team presentation on a book and I was so nervous I couldn’t speak in English or Spanish! The teacher let me give my presentation in English and I was just so disappointed in myself. At the end of my placement, I gave a presentation about an investigation we had done about the politeness in Mexico versus in England. By this time I wasn’t nervous, I just focused on telling everyone what interesting results we had found, and amazingly the Spanish just flowed out of me! Was it perfect? No. Am I still proud of myself? 100%.

The everyday life in Mexico, I will miss the most. Waking up to sunshine, the short but powerful lightening rain showers and the idea of if you want to do it, do it! I did stick out because of my pale skin, blonde hair and medium (in the UK, tall in Mexico) stature. There were disadvantages to this, obviously. Advantages: free drinks/ food and sometimes people were nicer. Disadvantages: the staring and the stereotypes.

Something unexpected was the importance of the indigenous roots in Mexico. In the main square in Cholula there was traditional dancing from the different indigenous cultures that had once inhabited there: los Mayas, los Aztecas. In UDLAP, the football team were even called ‘Los Aztecas’.

Last but not least, the food! Based on tortillas de maíz, queso, lime and refried beans, the Mexican diet is a mixture of everything. Flavour and spice bursting out of every dish, I was so heartbroken to hear that the meat in tacos was mostly pork or sometimes beef. I don’t eat either. But, thanks to the constant development and modernisation of Mexico, especially Mexico City, we found vegetarian and vegan tacos! I am sure they’re not as true bliss as the original but I have to say I could live off them and I would never be unsatisfied. Also, beware of the confusion of tex-mex (mexican inspired american food) with authentic mexican food. HINT: fajitas and burritos are tex-mex!

After the tacos – the overall experience

Leaving was so hard because I was so happy to come home to family and the small luxuries that England has to offer but I was going to miss my life in Mexico. I couldn’t thank the people I met there more, each one of them got me through the bad times and made the good times such amazing memories that I will cherish forever. Te amo, México!