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| Guanajuato |
Admit it, you're a Tourist.
Last summer I travelled through Mexico. My plane landed in Leon, then traveled to Guanajuato, San Miguel, Bernal, and Queretaro. As my first time ever outside the US, this was an experience I can never forget. Many times throughout the trip my prior assumptions of Mexico were deconstructed, and my perception of the culture, people, everything, changed.
As a gringa in Mexico, I automatically felt out of place, and that feeling that I need to adapt and try to fit in, immediately set in. I didn’t want to be noticed, or have any special attention to me drawn. At first, the only comfortable and familiar place was at the airport because there were couples from Texas on the plane as well, and we all stuck together trying to figure out our way to the baggage claim and passport verification. But that's what adventures are for! That invigorating, almost uncomfortable, surreal feeling that makes you realize you are doing something you have always dreamed of. Looking back, I can't believe I felt that out of place and intimidated.
So, the second day I decided to embrace my tourist gringa self, and be confident in being a visitor and experiencing as much as possible. It’s the same idea as when people visit New York, they want to be a New Yorker and so they act like they know the subways perfectly and refuse to look at a map. Yet, you can always spot a tourist in New York because they are constantly looking up. 
I challenged myself to practice my Spanish, ask questions, learn as much as I could, and basically to not be shy! By doing so, I realized that people are more welcoming and willing to help a tourist more than you think. Locals of Mexican cities have a pride for their city that they want to share. I admit, I was the “quiet girl” at some moments because of the speed the language was spoken in and sometimes I just couldn’t keep up. If you want to get the most out of your travel, talk to people and at least TRY. That is my only regret of the trip; I didn’t speak up enough and get to know everyone I met better.
Keep in mind that if you are a US tourist in Latin America, you may be targeted. I mean this in the way that if you ask how much something is, they will overprice you. So, negotiate! Understand that the cultural difference is a great experience, but can also teach you to recognize the reality of differences and take necessary actions to watch out for yourself.
I travelled to Mexico when it was starting to be a turbulent time with the drug trade. On a four wheeling trip into the countryside, we passed through small villages I couldn’t imagine living in. There was an unconscious man being carried by his friends, and a man just chilling in front of a gate with his gun in his hand. This opened my eyes to the severity of the quality of living in impoverished areas of Latin America, and sparked a desire to volunteer more. If I have the ability to travel, I want my trips to have a purpose, which is to me the greatest experience.
After this trip, I fell in love with the culture and learned so many new things. The one week I spent in Mexico sparked a desire to continue exploring Latin America.
Don’t be afraid that you wont be as accepted, be confident as a tourist and get the most out of it that you can, don’t be shy, and always ALWAYS try to ask questions. (and practice the foreign language if there is one wherever you go!)
~Haley
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