Hot or Cold? (essay #3)

“We are off to Mexico”! My mother said. Happiness invaded my mind and nervousness bubbled inside my body. I was ecstatic to finally have the opportunity to meet the long lost family I had in Mexico and be in touch with my roots. The only two things I knew of that place was the language and the warm handmade tortillas my mother made. I did not know what to expect but I imagined love, happiness, and church from what I was told. What else was a 10 year old to expect? I believed everything I was told. At that age I thought everything was “pretty in pink”. As we departed, I was emotionally distraught because I was leaving my American life behind until further notice, but excited to see a new world. As a minority in this country it is not easy to blend into society as an “American” because there are still people out there who see minorities as an outcast. With this in mind I thought well maybe Mexico is the place for me to be. I couldn’t be seen as an outcast there I mean come on it would be like kicking the fish out of the water, where else are they to go? And off I went with my family on this journey.


As I arrived into México it felt odd being in a new place where everyone spoke a different language, Spanish. The way of life was not exactly what I was accustomed to. In a sense it felt more liberal than what I was used to back in the states. People walking down the street would greet me, which was a shock. I thought to myself, “Why are they saying hi to me, they don’t even know who I am”. Everything was so different. For example, the local businesses where closed from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m. for lunch Monday through Saturday. On Sundays they closed up at 2 p.m. until the following day. The life style in México was much more relaxed and stress free. People there were not as worried about life as we Americans tend to do so. Most Mexicans live day by day. It did feel a little awkward but I began to get the hang of things there. At this point I was in love with Mexico and wishing this journey had been done a long time ago. Little did I know what my mouth was going to get me in to.