Magical Mexico, say the people of this country often with a grin. This slogan, which was actually invented by the tourism industry, is used here sarcastically. For this country offers visitors not only wonderful experiences but also very bizarre ones.

It is difficult for me to summarise my stay in simple words. When I think back, this semester abroad began, of course, with expectations. This was followed by a long process of arriving. The university is certainly a chapter in itself. Another one is the travel. I will now use this framework to report on my stay and attempt to capture at least a bit of the magic of Mexico.

Expectations and (pre)cautions

For, me a semester abroad was a must. I had known this for a long time. I had already spent half a year in the US when I was in high school. But I knew, of course, that studying abroad is not the same. You are much more left to your own devices, and the experiences are different ones. In addition, I wanted to go as far away as possible. This also means that you are not supported by Erasmus, and in a case such as mine, it also means that you won’t necessarily be surrounded by a group of international students.
I actually knew very little about Mexico. I had heard that they paint their faces on the Day of the Dead, I had naturally eaten Mexican food (or at least I thought I had), and I was also aware of the fact that Mexico City is one of the world’s largest cities.

And then there was the matter of the language… My Spanish was extremely limited, as I had never learned it in school. But I was so sure of myself that I gave little thought to my language dilemma before my departure.

The letter of acceptance came. And with it the planning of the specifics of my trip. There was no student residence near the university, and I also had no hopes of finding good accommodations while still in Vienna. So I wrote to thirty people on a Mexican flat-share website (dadaroom). I had a bit of an uneasy feeling about this because I suspected to encounter nothing but fraudsters. So I wasn’t as free of prejudices as I had thought.

I received some nice responses and was fortunate that one of my fellow students from Vienna was also studying in Mexico at the same time. He had a look at one of the flat-shares I was considering and gave me the ok. Another problem is payments and bank transfers from Austria to Mexico. I would advise against this even in the case of a trustworthy landlord, among other things because of the additional bank fees. In my case, I was simply fortunate that my roommate was willing to trust me in many respects.
I quickly booked a flight, downloaded the Uber app and a map of the city, and I was ready to take off.

Arriving and getting settled in

There I was, standing in the airport in Mexico City in the middle of the night. As the plane was approaching, the virtually endless blanket of lights had already given me some idea of the dimensions of the city. In hindsight, it was rather pleasant arriving at night because there was not such a sensory overload. Riding in a secure Uber car through the night and watching the city go past became a regular highlight for me. It was not just on this first drive through the city that I thought to myself: “It is incredible that it is quite easy to fall in love with Mexico. And one never tires of seeing the city”.

In my first days there, I was, in fact, a bit overwhelmed. My lungs rebelled against the altitude, my stomach against the food, and my head against the difficulty of expressing myself. The university year was already in full swing, and I had to get settled down in my flat, look for a Spanish class, and meet people.

To my delight, my flat was really quite comfortable, safe, and near the university. The part of town where I lived is called Coyoacan and seemed to me more of a village than part of a megacity. The neighbourhood is known for the Frida Kahlo House, the impressive main campus of the university (the much smaller music, theatre, and film university is located in another corner of the quarter), and a tremendous food market.

But Mexico City also came across to me as being very Americanised. American corporate buildings jut out from between colourful houses and broken sidewalks. The influence of the big neighbour is evident. But at the same time, small, mobile market stands also sell tacos and freshly squeezed juices. Small boutiques sell new interpretations of traditional designs, and the occasional Mexican flag testifies to the national pride. My expectations are met more in the bars in the evening hours, where people dance salsa and sing along loudly – all Mexican golden oldies, of course, except for “Despacito”.

I quickly realised that I needed better Spanish skills and my own rhythm in order to get acclimated faster. I decided on a six-week intensive Spanish class at the CEPE, the language school for foreigners at the main university. Through the language class, I also got to know many other foreign students and was soon busy with social activities. Mexico is a great country for learning Spanish. The Mexicans speak a very neutral Spanish and take their time when they talk.

I also enrolled in a gym, something I had successfully avoided doing in Vienna. My flatmates went there as well, and the daily classes gave me the feeling of having thoroughly settled in.
An important issue in Mexico is time: the clocks tick a bit differently here. Which means that you have to be a bit spontaneous or sometimes wait for a very long time. It also takes a long time to get anywhere in the city.

The university and my class cohort

I would not have wanted to miss out on the seven months that I spent in the script class at the CCC. Four days a week there were workshops, lectures, and classes from 4 to 9 p.m. And we were always the same class cohort of sixteen people. A group this small simply bonds together. It didn’t take long before my classmates made me a part of the group. It seemed important to them to help me understand Mexico – a country that fills their heart with pride, horrible sadness, and anger.

Although the classes were all held in Spanish, the teachers were very pleasant and did their best to support me. There was no organisation at the university itself for exchange students – after all, there were only four of us, and I only knew one of the others. This initial “exchange student loneliness” was actually an advantage, however. My Spanish profited from this and I was able to fit into the class cohort more quickly. The university is small, familiar, and easy to figure out. This was a plus that I greatly appreciated because I was overwhelmed enough by the city itself.

All bureaucratic details were handled relatively quickly. Having my credits from there transferred to Vienna was therefore also no problem.

Travelling and feasting

I have to say that Mexico City could certainly entertain a traveller for a matter of weeks, with its wealth of museums, shows, clubs, bars, restaurants, shops, etc. And there is something there for absolutely taste.

For quite a while, this city was more than enough for me, I must admit. But at some point, I began to have something of a guilty conscience. “Have you done any travelling yet?”, I was asked by Mexicans and also by my family. Mexico is, indeed, incredibly diverse. The villages surrounding the city are on their own breathtaking. Without any great effort, one encounters pyramids, waterfalls, and quaint villages as if this were the most commonplace thing in the world.

During my time in Mexico, I took several trips to the south as well. Oaxaca, a traditional region with its surfer beaches, is full of adventure. The mysterious state of Chiapas features hikes deep into primeval forests. And the touristic Yucatan can still boast gorgeous beaches. But beware: a trip within Mexico by bus can easily take twelve hours or even more. I only went to the north a few times, but it is no less impressive, with deserts, mountains, and forests stretching over huge areas.

Part of travel in Mexico is naturally the food. Real Mexican food is quite different than in a restaurant in Vienna. A lot of meat and a lot of cheese are standard. A classic dish is tacos with squash-blossom filling. One can buy hibiscus-blossom water and other fresh juices on nearly every streetcorner. I usually bought my groceries at the market or ate at the street stands. In the long term, this was cheaper for me and meant that no food would go bad at home. And I must admit that I like eating good food!

I am absolutely happy about my time and my studies in Mexico. It was sometimes an adventure, though: I experienced two earthquakes. I continued to discover new aspects of the city until the very end of my stay. I not only learned a great deal about other cultures but also, and above all, about myself. Although returning was difficult for me, I would still say that I came back to Vienna and my studies with renewed energy and enthusiasm. So, I’ll see you again soon, Mexico 🙂