I dreaded the trip to come. I did not want to leave my family for three months to some foreign country. They had already bought me an airplane ticket, so therefore I couldn’t say no. Oh and to make matters worse, I was petrified by the idea of flying on an airplane. But, the day of my trip has come, and sadly I was not looking forward to it.
I remember stepping onto the airplane, nervously; I tripped over an elder lady’s leg. “What a great way to start off this nightmare” I thought to myself as I regained my stance and took my seat. The moment I was so afraid of finally came to be, the airplane took off. As the plane gained speed and took flight I felt an enormous pressure against my chest. Surprisingly, it didn’t feel as atrocious as I had imagined. In fact, it was quite the beautiful sight as I looked out the window onto the world beneath me.

Shortly after stopping at Houston, TX, I had landed at my destination in Guadalajara, JA. I traveled here to meet the other half of my family and to get to know the country. However, I was not excited to stay for an entire three months. As I proceeded walking with my escort, I saw my grandma, aunts and cousin wave from a far. As soon as I get within range of them my grandma who is seeing me for the first time hugs me as tightly as she could. In spite of me not wanting to stay, I was genuinely happy to have finally met them.

After a long three hour drive we arrive at La Purisima which is a small village in Zapotlanejo, Jalisco. It was actually a beautiful little village in which everyone knew each other. Originally, I had thought that my stay there would have been quite boring and dull. Surprisingly, I was proven wrong; as I went to see many historical attractions and visited many charming cities such as, Tepatitlán, Zapotlanejo, Lagos de Moreno, San Marcos, Guadalajara, and Puerto Vallarta. Puerto Vallarta was actually one of my favorites because it is near a gorgeous beach; in which I went surfing.  Overall, every new day that went by was exciting, traveling to city to city, partaking in the many festivals and trying all the different foods, but most importantly, growing a special bond with my family.

The last day of my trip however, was the worst. I have gotten terribly sick spending the rest of the day packing up and throwing up. The following morning my aunt drove me to the airport, and as she hugged me goodbye she cried. I felt really sad to leave, but I was excited to go back home. Once I saw my parents at the airport I ran to them and told them all about my trip. Even though I wasn’t excited for the trip at first, my mind did change and I learned so many new things. The life there was so different and much more simple than the life here in the United States, it really helped me appreciate the things I have and I genuinely can’t wait for a trip back.