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| My last San Miguel sunrise...This was the view from my bed each morning. |
San Miguel de Allende is a very unique place. I went from loving it to hating it to loving it even more. It makes a great first impression...but then you start to question why it seems so wonderful. It can be crowded, hot, expensive, touristy and just a little too magical. I didn't expect to find so many fancy restaurants, boutique hotels and rich white people in the middle of Mexico. But that's my fault. I had expectations. Maybe I hadn't chosen the best place to learn Spanish since so many people in San Miguel speak English, but I had certainly landed in a beautiful town overflowing with historical and religious importance. I really loved my time there...and it made me appreciate Mexico in a new light.
In my opinion, most of us live our lives in the U.S. without thinking much about our bordering country to the south...even here in San Diego, a 30 minute drive from the border, we often seem to forget Mexico plays an enormous role in our lives. The news does a great job reminding us that Mexico is there, but only with violent stories that fill us with fear. I found the opposite to be true in Mexico. America was always at the forefront of news stories, advertisements and even conversations. America played a large role in everyone's lives...and they knew it. Our economy has a huge impact on the jobs (or lack thereof) in Mexico. And everyone I met had a story about a loved one who had been swallowed-up by the USA. I understand better than ever why so many Mexicans choose to leave their families, friends, homes and culture to take a chance on life up here. It's fascinating, really, because the quality of life in many ways is so much better in their country...but the illusion of the American Dream is too strong of a force. And I get it. There are so many more opportunities to make money in our country than in Mexico. Even the 'bottom of the totem pole' jobs make loads more than the potential daily wage there. Years after a man settles into a new life in the USA, after the "coyote" fee is paid off and enough money has been sent home, if he returns to his family...Things are different. Often times, wives have moved on. Children have grown up. And his culture is no longer as familiar as it once was. (I know this is a generalization...just go along with it.)
I will perceive news stories about illegal immigrants from Mexico in a different way now. When I hear about migrants found dead in the desert, packed into a van like sardines, or being hurt in altercations with border agents or testosterone filled vigilantes, I'll wonder about the desperation behind the event. Each person has a story, a family and a dream. Not a dream to strike it rich...but to make just enough money to send home so relatives can live a better life.
The best part of learning Spanish is being able to talk to people who previously would have been outside my communication zone. It's such a great feeling. Even though I'm only a beginner with the Spanish language, I feel as though I learned more during my time in Mexico than in all my previous semesters of Spanish combined. Cognates are my favorite things in the world! And they will hopefully help me pick up the Italian language during my next (& final!) adventure in this crazy year of me.
I learned an important lesson on my last day in Mexico: Triple check your travel itinerary. I got up at 3:30am to catch my shuttle to the airport, which was supposed to pick me up between 3:45-4:00am. At 4:30am it still hadn't arrived and I was starting to really worry because I didn't have a plan B. Marta, my teacher, and her husband, Leandro, were up in the middle of the night waiting with me (because they are the nicest people in North America). She called a driver who got out of bed and arrived by 4:45am to pick me up. My flight was at 6:50am and the airport was well over an hour away. He dropped me off at 6am and 20 minutes later I finally made it to the check-in counter, where the ticket agent looked at me like I was crazy. Turns out, I wasn't late at all...I was a whole day early! Luckily there were a few extra seats on the plane and I was able to make it back to San Diego in time for lunch at Souplantation.
It's about time to decide what I'll do post-Italy, but I just can't bring myself to make a concrete decision (commitment issues, some might say). Once my yearlong sabbatical is over, I still have a contract teaching in the Juvenile Court & Community Schools here in San Diego. I'd be crazy not to return because it's an amazing school district and teaching jobs are practically impossible to come by in this current economy. I can't help but wonder, though, what other options are out there. Life is full of surprises.
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