The wonderful city that I get to call home for five months
Every place has both positives and negatives, but in Guanajuato the good things far outweigh the bad. That being said, there are some things that I could do without. For example, right now there seems to be an abundance of giant orange wasps that terrorize me while I'm trying to do homework on my balcony. I dislike that I can't open my mouth while I'm in the shower without fearing that it'll make me sick. Although I love the food here (especially chilaquiles), I miss having my own kitchen and cooking lentils, curry, and pizza with my friends. The driving here is scary. People don't seem to wear seat belts often and there doesn't appear to be too many traffic rules. My host brother told me that there are no stop signs or stop lights in the city because it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the presence of signs would make the city less beautiful. It is true, Guanajuato is gorgeous.
The city is like a rainbow of colors. I think each house has its own personality; they are all so vibrant. One of the many things I love about studying abroad in this city is how alive it feels. People here interact differently than people from the US. When someone enters a room, they make sure to greet everyone. Hugging and kissing on the cheek is customary. People sit closer to you on the bus than they would in the US and PDA is freely expressed. Spanish music is blasting from cars (I LOVE this), and the world just seems brighter here (maybe this is because the place I left behind in the US is currently covered in snow).The flavors of the food are another wonderful thing about Mexico. The fruits and fruit juices are sweeter, the tacos are spicier, even corn on the cob, or elote, made my lips burn.
My host family has been so welcoming and living with four host dogs has been quite the adventure.
Every week I get to explore something new; be it gardens, churches, mines, museums, alleyways, or theaters.
As I'm sure you can tell, I have grown fond of this city and I would not choose anywhere else to study abroad.
- Autumn Carlson