Hola mis amigos! 

It’s been almost two years since I last left the continent of Europe behind for adventures abroad. And so, it is with great pleasure that I can announce: I’ve arrived in Mexico! 

Even though it is winter here, I have folded my jeans up over my knees yet, still my legs are burning and I put my coat behind me cause my white shirt is plenty hahaha. I think I might even get a sunburn woohooo. So as I’m sitting in the “winter sun” I am enjoying the small park in this closed off neighbourhood where my dear friend Pam lives with her family. I’ve known Pam about three years and we met in Loughborough, UK. Ever since we said goodbye after our semester there, we’ve been looking for opportunities to meet again. And finally! The time is here! 

My journey to Mexico started on the 3d of January and in all honesty, the days before were filled with many wonderful things that had nothing to do with Mexico so I kinda felt unprepared haha. A little bit stress is probably healthy though and in the end the biggest preparation needed was packing my bag. And so I left on the 3d 8am by train to Schiphol. To spare you the whole story of the travel faff, it took me 43hours to arrive in Ciudad Juárez haha.

Summarised: I spent a night trying corners, floors, chairs and forbidden sofas to get some sleep on Dallas Airport. I managed to stand in line for customs in the wrong terminal in Cancun. A lovely lady bought me some crisps cause my bankcards didn’t work and I probably looked like a lost hungry foreign girl. I managed (again) to stand in a wrong line, this time to enter the plane. But above all odds, I arrived safe and sound in Juárez and hugged my dear friend Pam for the first time in three years!!!!

The journey was long but smooth and I enjoyed the views from the plane and how the landscapes changed! Texas lighted up in the morning shimmer and the straight highways looked like lively veins of the country. After a while the civilization seemed to end and the scenery changed into a sort of muddy dried up ocean. Darker lines coloured the brown ground and painted the history of dessert like area. When we arrived in Cancun everything looked green and the sea was bright blue. I could almost swear to see the fish from the airplane window enjoying the breaking of the waves into white crystals. And then we flew to Ciudad Juárez. An endless dessert with a white sand lake and impressive mountains as far as my eyes could see. Only when the plane turned around there suddenly appeared a massive city! The closer we came to the ground the more colours I could see on the little houses. What surprised me were the cemeteries who appeared to my eyes as white oasis’s in the city. I can’t wait to discover everything about the Mexican culture and their relation to those who passed away. 

So far, I think I can say that the looks of Mexico actually fit the stereotypical. The people have been extremely helpful and friendly and although my Spanish is definitely something I will practice, the little conversations I’ve had put a smile on my face. I feel safe and happy being here and I haven’t even started on the food and the fact that the bars are open haha! I feel so lucky to be welcome in Pam’s family home and I enjoy every second I’m here! Stay tuned cause more blogs will be written during this adventure and while writing this I decided to do a special one on the food and drinks cause blimey it is the best thing ever!!!! (If you love chilli and lime like I do 😉)

Adiós!