Life Through New Perspective

When most people travel outside of the country, one might get cultural shocked and might even gain a new perspective in life. Well, this is what I went through when I took a family trip down to Mexico in a little town called Tecuala, Nayarit. It was winter break three years ago, and I was excited to finally have the opportunity to visit my father’s side of the family, which I haven’t seen since I was about six or seven years old.

However, when I first arrived there, I think it would be an understatement to say that I was surprised. I was very used to living back in California with the grass-filled lawns, paved streets, and quiet neighborhoods. The first thing I remember seeing was dirt everywhere and that all the roads were bumpy because they were made up of rocks. There were people walking everywhere and all the houses were painted a different color. It was a totally different environment, and I actually liked the change because I got to experience new things.

            I never realized how hard people have to work just to get by. My parent’s town is not a rich town, but not a very poor one either. When I went to the market place, it was very chaotic because everyone was out at the same time and was bargaining to get good deals. I guess my brothers and I sort of stood out and everyone knew we weren’t from around here, so we got treated differently from everyone else. My family isn’t rich at all, but we still were seen as a higher class by the town people because we were from America. I learned to not take things for granted because I know that a lot of other people don’t have the same advantage as to get through life without many complications. I appreciate everything my parents had to sacrifice to give us the best life possible.

            During my three week stay in Tecuala, I experienced many new things. One of my most memorable experiences was my first time on a beach, which is called El Novillero and is a twenty minute drive from town. I literally spent at least three days each week at the beach and it was so much fun. Back home we went to church every Sunday at noon; however, in Mexico, Church was around six in the afternoon, so people went to the plaza to hang out or just look around the stands. It was here that I first experienced eating freshly made churros, and it was cool to see them make them.

            I could go on more about my time in Tecaula, but I believe that this is enough to make you go out and experience this for yourself. This trip meant a lot to me because I got to see the world from a different perspective. Without this trip I probably would still be oblivious to rural parts of the world. But since I have personally experienced that type of society, I don’t take things for granted because I realized that in a way I am privileged and should make the most of my what life can offer.