So, here are some highlights of my AFS exchange year 2011-2012 in México.
I got really lucky with my friends. I found a group of people who accepted me as a part of them - and who became very quickly very important people to me. They taught me Spanish, to party and have fun, to eat armadillo and just generally a lot about life and responsability. They were all older than me, so we had pretty different lifestyle situations (actually I got pretty bummed out that they were independent and I still wasn't, I had to follow my host families' rules, but hey, that's why I left there in the first place right, so whatever), but our view of life was pretty much the same. Someone once told me I have the "gift" of hanging out with hippies wherever I go :D OK so it's just humour but it might be kinda true..
We were all life-loving, laid back people who don't care about drama and problems. We were all searching for happiness in life, and luckily, with their help, I was finally able to reach mine and become more and more optimistic. Now, even thought they're not physically by my side, I still see everything they helped me achieve. I will never forget my awesome group of my friends, "mi banda" :')
I lived in two families (sorry, but I won't go deeper in this subject, every family deserves the respect of people quieting about their personal stuff), both of them in the city of Juchitán de Zaragoza in the state of Oaxaca. My city was pretty small, everybody knew everybody, so naturally I was like a "local celebrity" :p people got to know me pretty quickly, and I guess most of them thought I was OK, they don't really see that many foreigners there so of course I was always a bit weird to them. But luckily that's what my life's been so far, always the weird girl :D haha, anyway, I got to do cool stuff with both of them, including travels, traditional parties, excellent meals and a good laugh. I'll never forget the trip we made to Chiapas (the rope swing picture&the one from the canoe are examples) with my second family in March and stuff like that.
You can choose what memories you cherish and which one you leave without importance.
My school was fucking amazing :D I made really good friends who I will never forget - seriously, I don't think it's normal for an exchange student to have so many great friends in there as I did. I was told pretty early, "you have to remember we think really differently, so be careful what you say and to who you say it", but I didn't really struggle with this after I just decided to go with the flow. We could talk for hours about everything, we never stopped laughing and they taught me so much from the smallest things to the very end. These people made my year an unforgettable experience, and I owe a huge chunk of my happiness to their forever lasting, gorgeus smiles : )
The most breath-stealing journey I've ever made was the one I did with ma home girlz to Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco. We only stayed for four days (three nights), but they were one hell of a ride :D haha I can't even describe all the crazy shit we did, anyways, it was one amazing trip and I still fall of my butt laughing just thinking about it. Girls, you gave me something I will never forget (and I hope you won't either any time soon!!!)..ans that is POLLO ETERNO<3 p="p">
This is a random picsplash I felt needed to be shown just fot fun :D I think if I wanted to, I could be out here moaning and complaining about the problemes I faced, about the obstacles and difficulties that almost led to the end of it all, but I simply prefer not to. I look at my pictures and go, "now why would I be sad about the bad stuff, when there's a whole bunch of good stuff to appreciate, too?". I don't know, I guess that's just me. I only see the person I finally am, the one who decides to stay on side and just don't look back. Whatever happened in México, happened, and that's it. And I can either cling on to it and cry, or I can let it go and move on.
México shaped a lot of my personality, so much it's hard to even begin explaining it. I think if you knew me then and you know me now, you see it, in physical appearence and in personality. Well, I guess there's no use if I blabber stuff here, if you've lived through the roller coaster of a foreign exchange, you know what I mean. If not, well, I hope you get the guts to do it.
No matter what happened, no matter who I met and no matter how I failed, I regret nothing. And that, all you awesome readers, is probably the coolest feeling of the world. (After catching a wave with your surfboard, obviously)
"no me arrepiento de nada que hice ayer,
me arrepiento lo que pude haber hecho,
haber dicho y ya no podré hacerlo jamás..."
Diary quote 26.6.2012:
"I still feel like this was all a dream, but even if it were, it'd still be just as life-changing. Thanks to this whole experience, I got brand-new eyes that let me see the mistakes of the past, and the person I could've turned into, but didn't - and the person I may be in the future if I only want to. I made the decision of changing my attitude and searching for happiness, and I did it, all by myself.
I never could've been as happy and strong if I wouldn´t have left home. And that´s all I could ask for."
Hugs&kisses (forever),
- Minea
