Weekend Engagement - The Best Country I Have Visited Is Mexico

It's hard to think of a best country among 10+ countries that I have ever visited. Some countries have great scenery, some countries offer a shopping paradise, some countries are just exotic in their own way. If you have been following my posts, I wrote quite a fair bit about my short trip to Maldives as well as hiking in the New Zealand, so I thought I would write about another trip which I enjoyed very much. Unlike the usual sightseeing trips that we typically visit as tourists for food and shopping, this was very different because it was an summer exchange programme and I spent a whooping 7 weeks in Mexico.

1) I enjoyed learning about the Mexican culture

Being all the way on the other side of the world in Asia, Mexico was very foreign to me before the trip. I guess the best part about travelling is that you get to meet new people, experience new things, and be exposed to all these interesting cultures and customs in another country.

Because I did a homestay with a local family, I got to interact with the local people and was very well taken care by the family as well as the neighbours. We bonded over road trips or even just play board games at home. I also attended classes at university and got to make friends with the professors and the students over there too. So it was a very immersive experience for me.

2) I got to visit many historical sites and places

Being a city dweller where skyscrapers are the norm, Mexico offered me a glimpse of a couple of historical sites. They have all these magnificent churches, temples and ruins, with some related to the Mayan civilisation, and it was something that I didn't get to see in the country that I live in.

They also had interesting places (like other countries) and it was interesting to admire the landscape, the layout and to learn about the history behind each place.

Having spent 7 weeks there, I thought it probably would be too spammy if I would list and share all the places that I have been, but I think this was probably one of the more memorable day trips. The place is Teotihuacan and they have these huge pyramids and I was just stunned by sheer size of each one.

3) I learnt how to be independent and take care of myself

Prior to this trip, I hadn't been away from my family for such an extended period of time. My parents were especially worried, about whether I could take care of myself (I was just 22 then), plus it was in foreign land, and plus there was a language barrier because people mainly speak Spanish and not English. Frankly, I had doubts too but I signed up for this because I felt like this was something that I wanted to experience.

I really experienced living there for 7 weeks. There were hiccups here and there, but I relied on myself to solve issues and came back safe and sound. Back then, social media wasn't so prevalent, and I didn't have any roaming data and video calls were almost unheard of, and all I could do was to SMS. So my parents actually didn't get to see me or hear my voice for 7 weeks. Anyway, I proved myself and everyone that I am independent and able to take care of myself.

So that's all for my sharing this week! Hope you enjoyed reading and let me know if you have any comments! Have a pleasant week ahead!