My First Time in Mexico

Mexico is one of my favorite places. The food, the people, and the overall culture captured my attention immediately....well, almost immediately. The first time I went to Mexico, I was nine years old. My family and I had gone for for Christmas and the New Years. Entering into a country where you did not know the language nor the people was a little frustrating, yet exciting at the same time. Now, my mom is from Mexico, so this was the first time I was meeting her side of the family. The only downfall was that I did not understand Spanish, so when my family members would talk to me, I would answer with “Sí” or “No” even if it was not a "yes" or "no" question. The first person I met was one of my mom's sisters, her husband, and kids. They all seemed nice, but like I said, I didn’t understand what they were saying, and they didn’t understand what I was saying.

None the less, they still did their best to make us feel welcomed. I then met my grandma, who we called, “Abuelita.” I could see where my mom got her looks and her personality from. My abuelita was easygoing, happy, and even though she didn’t have a lot of energy, she was more than willing to do activities with her grandchildren. My Abuelito, on the other hand, was more quiet, and a little stern looking, but you couldn’t miss the small smiles he cracked from time to time. Day by day, from the moment we arrived, I met my cousins, uncles, and aunts. If there’s one thing about Mexican families, it’s that they are big. So, it’s not surprising that, till this day, I mostly likely haven’t met even half of my family.

However, one of my favorite things about my first time in Mexico, besides meeting my family, was the celebrations. From the 16th of December to the 24th, there are Posadas that go on. Posadas are a ritual re-enactment of Mary and Joseph's search for a lodging in Bethlehem, performed just before Christmas. There is singing and eating and piñatas and people having a good time. It was the most amazing thing I had ever experienced and I was always sad when it was over. On Christmas Eve, the family would come over and cook this big dinner. The women were in the kitchen, the men in the dining room peeling the vegetables, and the kids playing, and we stayed up until six AM Christmas Day, laughing and eating and talking. Then again on New Year's Eve, we would do the same thing. Now, the Rosca is something I still do not fully understand, except that your family would laugh at you as you started sweating and somewhat panic if you saw a baby in your piece (PS, I got four).

Unfortunately, the day arrived when it was time for us to come back to New York. Of course, there was no doubt that I saw things differently—especially the food. In America, we have many Mexican restaurants like The Green Cactus, Chipotle, even Taco Bell, but going to Mexico, I got to eat real, AUTHENTIC tacos and burritos and chicharrón and elites con queso y chile, and so much more. Of course, we went back every year until I started high school, but over the numerous of times we visited, we got to climb the Pyramid of the Moon and half climb the Pyramid of the Sun. We went to El Zócalo, Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and The Angel of Independence.

If you ever visit, expect to walk EVERYWHERE. From the age of nine till 12, my calves looked AMAZING. But I have so much love for Mexico and it is worth every four to six hour flight. Hopefully one day, I’ll be able to explore many other areas of Mexico—maybe Cancun, maybe Zihuatanejo.