Mexico Maymester 2026 @ghincuernavaca - Tumblr Blog

Photo Description: A photo of myself taken at Jardín de Borda in Cuernavaca, México, on my 27th birthday

Illustration and Significance:

Jardín de Borda was originally constructed in the 18th century as the summer residence of a wealthy silver miner, Jose de la Borda. Though it was almost empty when we visited because people were celebrating Mother’s Day, this idyllic estate serves as a gathering place for locals to hang out with friends and family. However, the beauty of the garden reflects a far more complex history because the creation of this estate would not be possible without the exploitation of indigenous labor.

Connection to Themes

History:

Jardín de la Borda reflects a contradiction of colonial history - while the space is beautiful and peaceful now, it was originally created through wealth tied to mining and exploitation of the land and people. It is also tied to stories of an indigenous woman, dubbed La India Bonita (“the pretty Indian”) who was allegedly Maximillian Borda’s lover, depicted in several paintings inside the museum.

Identity:

The story of La India Bonita represents another facet of exploitation during colonial rule - objectification. Specifically, this fits at the intersection of colonialism and sexism. Indigenous women were often fetishized as objects or symbols of desire or beauty while indigenous communities remained marginalized. This is still a problem communities of color face today, where pieces of their culture are admired aesthetically but they are not admired as people.

Education:

This site visit emphasized the importance of viewing historical places through a critical lens. Spaces like this are primary sources in and of themselves that can reveal many things a textbook cannot.

Personal Reflection:

Being able to visit a space like this on my birthday was incredibly special, and my classmates and I were fascinated by the stories this place held. While the garden felt peaceful, it is not a neutral space, and going forward, I want to continue looking at spaces I visit and think about who built these places and where that money came from. This is especially important visiting places in the United States that have been built off the backs of enslaved labor, buildings constructed by exploited workers today. I especially think of spaces like Waikiki when I visit my parents on Oahu that are tourist hubs on illegally stolen land.

Photo Description: A mural in Cuentepec, Morelos outside of the space where we spoke to anti-mining activists. The mural has revolutionary imagery and quotes.

Illustration and Significance: I’ve heard it said that there is no such thing as neutral art - art is by nature personal and political, and murals like these, seen all over Mexico and cities like Atlanta, are an exemplar of that.

The text above the mural reads - “Tierra y Libertad” (Land and Liberty) while another reads “¿Qué estás haciendo por defender la tierra por la que nosotras y nosotros dimos la vida?” (What are you doing to defend the land for which we gave our lives?)

Connection to Themes

History:

I’ve heard it said that there is no such thing as neutral art - art is by nature personal and political, and murals like these, seen all over Mexico and cities like Atlanta, are an exemplar of that. “Tierra y Libertad” as a phrase dates back to the Mexican revolution, especially Emilio Zapato and the fight for land reform.

Identity: Public murals like these are ways for communities to display their values and center the narratives they find important, not unlike the civil rights murals seen around Atlanta. Furthermore, the text reads “nosotras y nosotros,” whereas usually just “nosotros” would be used. However, nosotras refers to a first person plural group of women and is placed first, signifying the central role women have played in this struggle.

Education: This mural turns a public space such as a plaza into a space for education. The women of Cuentepec used education as a powerful tool for their activism against mining companies that threatened to desecrate the lands they’ve been living on for thousands of years.

Personal Reflection:

I was personally moved by seeing this mural and hearing the women of Cuentepec talk about their work to block mining companies from exploiting their town, even when 90% of their town disagrees with them, despite the threats and harassment they have faced for standing up for their home.

Seeing “nosotras” used and out first also reminded me of how the LGBTQ community decided to center lesbians after the AIDS crisis. Before the 1980s, the acronym was usually written as GLBT; however, when gay and bisexual men were dying from HIV complications and losing their partners to the same, lesbians and bisexual women organized to help their comrades. As a gesture of gratitude and solidarity and to center the contributions women activists have made, LGBT activists began putting the L at the front of the acronym.

These acts of solidarity are incredibly important. Furthermore, the sentiment of defending the land we grew up on for our future generations was inspiring.

Photo Description: A restaurant in downtown Cuernavaca with a tortilla, cheese, and grasshoppers (called chapulines) that one of our trip mates purchased.

Illustration and Significance: These grasshoppers are common in Mexican cuisine as a snack, especially in areas surrounding Mexico City, Oaxaca, and Cuernavaca. While I did not consume them myself, the classmate had good reviews.

Connection to Themes

History: Chapulines have been consumed in Mexico since before Spanish colonization and are still a commonly eaten snack today. While the farming of these grasshoppers has far less impact on the environment than other proteins such as beef, they are not as easy to farm as domesticated animals and harvest is seasonal.

Identity: Chalupines are a very regional cuisine in Mexico, associated mostly with Oaxaca and commonly sold as street snacks salted with garlic, chili, and lime.

Culture:

Our perception of certain foods often depends on culture. While many people may see insects as gross or unusual, many people find them delicious. Conversely, many of the foods that our culture may consider delicacies may be considered unusual by others.

Education:

A lot of western culture’s disgust towards eating insects stems from a long line of conditioning, which I will admit I am not immune to. However, learning about foods like this can teach students to have an open mind and challenge ethnocentric beliefs.

Personal Reflection:

While I myself did not try the chapulines, I have eaten insects before in Thailand. From my knowledge, they were pretty unremarkable in terms of flavor and texture. In less eloquent words, they were fine as long as I did not think about the fact that they were insects.

Photo Description: Taken in a homestay dining room in Cuernavaca, Mexico, this is a group photo of myself (left, red hair, overalls), the roommates I had in my homestay, three roommates staying int hr house this photo was taken in, and our host families sat around a table.

Illustration and Significance: The neighborhood we stayed in was very close-knit - the kitchen this photo was taken in belonged to the daughter of our host mom, who hosted three of our classmates. Because we lived so close together, we were able to walk to the bus stop together and had dinner together this night.

Connection to Themes

Culture:

In the United States, we often eat in a rush because our lives are busy. Getting together to have a meal is an event scheduled on a calendar, something to avoid. However, it’s far more common in Mexico to have large family meals like this and sit around a table without technology. One of the biggest culture shocks I experienced in Mexico was the fact that there were multiple generations of the same family living in the same neighborhood. Of course, multigenerational households have always been common in Mexico, and they are becoming increasingly more common in the United States due to economic conditions. In my experience, at least, it’s far less common in my generation to just be able to walk to someone else’s house for dinner, especially given how common it is for families to be scattered.

Personal Reflection: When we took this photo, we’d come back from Tepoztlán about an hour ago, and I was exhausted. Admittedly, I did not really want to go over, I wanted to just go to bed, but I went anyway, and I am extremely glad that I did because it ended up being a highlight of the trip spending time with my classmates. We ate pozole and potato tacos, which ended up being exactly the comfort food I needed. We played uno and laughed while arguing about arbitrary rules. From this experience, I realized just how good it is for my mental health to get out of the house and socialize and vowed to share more technology free meals like this with friends back home.

Photo Description: Taken inside my homestay in Cuernavaca, Morelos; this photograph shows an axolotl shotglass that I purchased from the artisan market in downtown Cuernavaca.

Illustration and Significance: I saw many hand-painted objects such as this in the artisan markets that we visited - mugs, salt shakers, home door decorations, wall art, wind chimes, and several more handicrafts. The purpose of this photo, however, is to discuss the symbolism of the axolotl and the etymology of the word.

Connection to Themes

History: The Aztecs revered axolotls because they are a representation of regeneration and transformation and are tied to the god Xolotl. Xolotl, the god of the dead, lightning, fire, and twins, transformed himself into a variety of animals and plants in order to avoid capture and sacrifice by the other gods. Eventually, he transformed himself into an axolotl so that he could hide in the water.

Culture & Identity: Today, axolotls are a symbol of Mexican identity, culture, and pride, appearing frequently in Mexican art. Now, they are printed on the 50 peso bill.

Personal Reflection:

I have always loved axolotls, as many people do, despite the fact that the word has been butchered by the English and Spanish languages. It is a loan word from Classic Nahuatl that means “water dog” or “water monster.” Sadly, however, axolotls are critically endangered due to overfishing, and their natural habitat has now been reduced to specific rivers south of Mexico City. Furthermore, the axolotls in the wild are black and grey, unlike the colorful pink axolotls often seen in exotic pet trades. This is similar to what has happened to many indigenous cultures - they’ve been displaced, forced into small habitats, almost died out especially in the United States, and now, pieces of that culture are being sold back to the masses, but the damage is done.

Photo Description: A collection of ceramic works at the Museum of Contemporary Indigenous Art, Cuernavaca, Mexico

Illustration and Significance: These pots are crafted in much the same way as we crafted our figures in the clay modeling workshop in Cuentepec. Notably, many of these work have darker patches where they have been charred as a result of the firing process. These marks are considered a sign of authenticity because they result from the open air firing process.

Connection to Themes

History:

In indigenous cultures across the Americas, pottery pieces have been some of the most common artifacts. Furthermore, in Aztec/Mexica cultures, clay has been a medium of art for thousands of years. Pottery was essential for storing water, beans, cooking, and funerary urns.

Identity:

Traditionally, indigenous peoples in Mexico made pottery without a pottery wheel or modern kiln, using coiling and open-air firing methods that commonly result in these fire cloud marks. Today, the craft is kept alive through continual use of these traditional methods.

Personal Reflection:

I recall many of my classmates having similar burn marks on their pottery when we received it back from the clay modeling workshop. Some of them seemed to want to remove the marks, some wanted to keep them. My axolotl that I made did not end up with any burn marks, but I felt that timing the museum visit after the clay modeling workshop was excellent timing because it showed us just how difficult it is to make this form of art and how creating necessities from the earth deepened connection to the land.

Photo Description: A sculpture titled “Tree of Death” displayed in the Museum of Contemporary Indigenous Arts; Cuernavaca, Mexico

Illustration and Significance: This sculpture consists of a backdrop of colorful flowers behind a serious of skeletons going through various life events, including a baptism, wedding, funeral, and dining together. This was in a room with a plaque talking about the theme of duality in indigenous art - life and death, light and darkness, day and night, similar to the concept of yin and yang. One cannot exist without the other, and these dualities are part of the same cycle.

Connection to Themes

Culture: The center scene of skeletons sitting at a table resembles Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper, and the baptism is a remnant of Catholic tradition that is common in Mexico. The art is another representation of the blend of Catholic belief and indigenous identity.

Personal Reflection:

This sculpture represents not only the blend of indigenous and catholic beliefs, but the duality of life and death. One cannot exist without the other - death occurs because life ends; and life has meaning because death limits our time on earth. This duality is shown in the way that funerals and skeletons show up in the same happy, colorful sculpture alongside weddings, first meetings, and baptisms.

I’ve talked before about how Mexican culture sees death as a transformation rather than an ending, and when I learned how to read tarot a couple of years ago, I learned that Death, number 13 in the Major Arcana, is interpreted much the same way in cartomancy.

Most of the time, this card does not literally mean death - that interpretation belongs more commonly to The Tower, but even that interpretation is rare. Death is in the middle of the major arcana suit because it is not an ending. When the Death card is pulled upright, it signifies a transformation that is necessary, letting go of habits, new beginnings, and the closing of a chapter. This can mean a breakup or letting go of a job that does not serve oneself and finding a path that is meant for you.

This attitude is not just esoteric, though, it’s also supported as healthy by many grief experts. Historically, in western psychology, grief therapy focused on letting go of attachments with the deceased, and that is still an expectation I think many Americans are having to unlearn. There’s an expectation that when someone dies, we do not talk about them, we move on, we act like they didn’t exist because talking about them is bringing up an old wound. However, more grief experts have challenged this notion with continuing bonds theory - the idea that grieving in a healthy manner does not have to involve “letting go” or “moving on,” but adapting one’s relationship with the deceased - talking to them, holding onto keepsakes, keeping traditions like celebrating birthdays and anniversaries. The bond does not end, it transforms.

Photo Description: A photograph of me wearing a red dress with embroidery on the front, blue flower chaquira earrings, and a Frida Kahlo chaquira bracelet on my left wrist.

Illustration and Significance: I purchased all three of these items in marketplaces and shops - the earrings and bracelet were both purchased in Tepoztlán, and the dress was purchased in a storefront in Cuernavaca. All of these items were made by hand.

Connection to Themes

History: As previously stated, chaquira bead art and jewelry have a history of craftsmanship dating back to indigenous peoples, who often made these beads from wood, animal bones, or more currently, glass.

Identity: Chaquira beads and embroidered clothing are both major crafts in Mexico. Walking down any street, one is likely to see someone wearing a blouse embroidered by hand, a flowy dress with floral patterns, or jewelry made from polymer clay or chaquira beads. These are symbols of Mexican identity and a way for many women to earn an income.

Education: I think for many of us in the United States, we do not think about where our clothing comes from, and more and more, we have seen artists’ designs stolen and replicated by fast fashion sites like Shein or Temu. Teaching students about the work that goes into making this art could provide an extremely important lesson on considering where clothing comes from and shopping consciously to support small business owners who get their livelihood from art. Especially as more schools decrease funding or class time dedicated to art, this could be another point where effective social studies teaching incorporates teaching about the arts and culture.

Personal Reflection: One of my favorite parts of the study abroad program was the chance to visit markets and purchase goods from local artisans, unique pieces that I would not be able to find in the States. I am friends online with many artists who make a living selling jewelry and clothing on Etsy and many who have had their designs stolen by sites like Temu and lose livelihood because of these large corporations. I also believe that clothing is not just an expression of one’s self, but also an expression of ethics. Wearing this sort od handmade jewelry is not only beautiful, but will allow me to encourage other people to buy from local artisans when they have the chance to do so. Seeing so much beautiful embroidery has also reminded me of back when I used to make jewelry and cross-stitch and how much I loved these hobbies because they gave me something to do with my hands and focus me on the present. I have been inspired and would like to learn how to do embroidery by hand.

Photo Description: The exterior of a restaurant we dined at in Tepoztlán, displaying a heavy pink motif with other bright accent colors and climbing flowers up the front.

Illustration and Significance: While many American towns show a sort of minimalism - beige buildings, neutral exteriors, clean lines - Mexico often goes the opposite way, using bright colors.

Connection to Themes

History: Mexico has no shortage of bright colors in their architecture, meant to represent a celebration of life. This dates back to pre-Hispanic traditions where indigenous people created colorful art, buildings, and clothing using naturally-derived dyes from plants, insects, or earth.

Identity:

This shade of pink, rosa mexicana, does not come from a natural dye, but it has become a symbol of Mexican identity over time. In 1949, a fashion designer named Ramón Valdiosera presented a line of clothing inspired by traditional pre-Hispanic design, and he used this vibrant shade of pink frequently in the collection. The shade of pink was inspired by Mexico’s landscapes full of bougainvillea flowers and after the show was quickly dubbed “Mexican pink” and used as a symbol of Mexican pride and identity. Now, this shade can be found on many buildings such as this one.

Personal Reflection: At first, I did not think much of it when I took this photograph, merely that the building was pretty and had one of my favorite colors. However, when I examined why so many buildings in Mexico had such bright colors, I was fascinated especially as someone who loves color theory and fashion history. Different colors, or even different shades of the same color, can represent so many things. We have research findings available about the impact of color on environment, such as the studies done in prisons that painted their walls Baker-Miller pink, but I have to wonder further how much having this much color in an environment matters to the psyche and how I could use that in my classroom.

Photo Description: A clay figure of a mother jaguar and her cub - Museum of Contemporary Indigenous Art, Cuernavaca

Illustration and Significance: The two sculptures are not simply representations of mother and son - the smaller jaguar cub was built from excess clay used when the artist created the larger jaguar, so the son was born of the mother.

Connection to Themes

Culture: In Aztec culture, jaguars were considered to be extremely sacred and powerful. They were manifestations of Tezcatlipoca, the god of night, war, and sorcery. These apex predators were feared, but also respected in part because it was believed they were protecting people from something worse, more fearsome,

Education: Often, media portrays apex predators like jaguars as aggressive, man-eating, villainous, and fearsome; something to be conquered rather than respected. I feel this is also an attitude produced and further enabled by our education system, but changing the narrative to one that is aware and informed may help preserve conservation efforts. If we were to teach our children that the jaguar’s snarl is defensive rather than offensive, I believe a lot could change.

Personal Reflection: Upon seeing this sculpture, I firstly had to admire the craftsmanship and attention to detail, especially with how many spots were painted on, and how life-sized it was. The detail of the mother’s cub being made of clay from her was also particularly intriguing. However, I was more taken by how the museum staff described Aztecs’ view of jaguars because of how different it is to how we view apex predators. I think in western culture, we have sort of been taught to see animals as beneath us, something to be conquered, hunted, feared, outsmarted, or killed so that we may take up space rather than them. It reminded me a lot of how we view sharks today, and how there are growing efforts to undo the damage that movies like Jaws did.

Photo Description: A figure resembling Santa Muerte alongside other clay figures part of the same scene - Museum of Contemporary Indigenous Art, Cuernavaca

Illustration and Significance: This figure resembles a commonly represented personification in Mexican culture known as Santa Muerte, or Our Lady of Holy Death.

Connection to Themes

History: I was surprised to learn that overt worship of La Santa Muerte was much newer than I originally believed it to be. Reports first emerged in the 1940s, but she was not so openly venerated until the early 2000s. The worship of Santa Muerte has been condemned by the Roman Catholic Church and shrines have been desecrated, yet this remains one of the fastest-growing religious movements in the 21st century.

Identity: La Santa Muerte blends Catholic traditions and indigenous belief, as much of the art we saw in Mexico does. Even many non-Catholics venerate Santa Muerte, and some have even broken off from the Catholic Church and started their own folk religion that worships her, making her a central part of modern Mexican and Chicano culture.

Culture: Personifications of death exist in several cultures, and though Santa Muerte resembles the more widely known Grim Reaper, she is quite different. While Grim’s job is to collect souls, La Santa Muerte also represents healing, protection, transformations, and is a figure meant to guide us safely on our passage to the afterlife.

Personal Reflection: I saw many Santa Muerte figurines throughout my time in Mexico, and regrettably did not end up taking one home with me. However, after we talked about Mayan cosmovision with a Guatemalan woman, I learned that my Mayan day sign is Death.

Those with this day sign, supposedly, are not people who are marked for a short life, but who are well-equipped to handle transitions and serene individuals who can help guide others through difficult transitions. It is considered one of the luckiest day signs, just as how Santa Muerte is revered for bringing protection and metamorphosis.

Photo Description: This is a beaded work of art displayed in the Museum of Contemporary Indigenous Art in Cuernavaca.

Illustration and Significance: The colorful patterns and motifs were present in several of the other displayed works. Deer imagery are especially common in indigenous art, and several are present in this work.

Connection to Themes

Identity: In addition to this work and others displayed in the museum, several artisan stands sold chaquira bead jewelry in the forms of earrings, statement necklaces, and bracelets, which many Mexicans wear to this day as a celebration of heritage.

Culture: Chaquira artwork has long been created by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica for centuries since the pre-Columbian period, and requires meticulous craftsmanship and significant amounts of time to create these works.

Personal Reflection: Seeing all of these beaded artworks reminded me of my grandmother. While she did not make this type of art, she was an award-winning quilter who often used similar glass beads in her more decorative quilts. I loved seeing the dedication to craftsmanship in these works, especially seeing a tradition like this one kept alive.

Photo Description: This photo was taken in the Ex Convento de La Natividad in Tepoztlán, a “magic town” in Morelos inside of an ex-convent. The art on the walls has been preserved and restored over centuries.

Illustration and Significance: The dog above the door is a symbol of the Dominican Order, the ones who ordered that this convent be built. The decorative border in red and black combines indigenous and Christian imagery.

Connection to Themes

History: The Convent was built during the 16th century by the Spanish as part of the effort to convert the indigenous people there to Catholicism. The convent was constructed over a period of over 30 years by indigenous Tepoztecos under direction of the Dominican order.

Education: The building now serves as an educational institute for visitors to learn about the friars and priests who lived at the convent as well as the indigenous people that lived in Tepoztlán. There are several interactive exhibits, including a 3D model of the town and 360 immersive video experience, showing new ways to innovate education.

Personal Reflection: The convent had some do the most beautiful views and most fascinating art of the trip and gave me new ways to think about immersive, place-based education. It was also fascinating to see such a place that, like the Metropolitan Cathedral, was built with Christian values in mind but through exploitation of indigenous labor.

Photo Description: Taken in the Museum of Contemporary Indigenous Art. A skull figure with a staff and feather headdress stands on a pedestal surrounded by woven baskets of various sizes.

Illustration and Significance: We were allowed to touch and hold the woven baskets to admire the craftsmanship of them, something not often allowed in museums. Through that, we could see centuries of technique perfected over generations.

Connection to Themes

Education: Being able to touch and interact with the art brought new insight into the importance of indigenous craftsmanship and allowed the perspective that indigenous art is not some faraway untouchable craft lost to time and space, but a piece of living history that cannot be erased. It also gave me the idea that students to hold artifacts like this could be incredibly beneficial for learning about history and culture.

Personal Reflection: This museum was one of my favorite parts of the visit, especially getting to see artworks across several regions of Mexico. Museums here felt interactive in a way that museums in the US often do not. Art is protected, behind barriers, fragile, and untouchable for good reason. However, being able to see everything up close showed me the value of this sort of tactile learning.

Photo Description: On the table lay several dried herbs and medicinal plants for a variety of ailments, including headaches, liver problems, depression and anxiety, colitis, and diabetes to name a few.

Illustration and Significance: These herbs were sold by a Guatemalan woman and her husband before they gave us their testimony about being refugees - fleeing Guatemala, coming to Mexico, and reconnecting with Mayan cosmovision.

Connection to Themes

History: Indigenous peoples around the world have used various plants and remedies for all kinds of problems, many of which have been conf to be just as effective as pills, if not more in some cases.

Identity: The woman’s testimony focused on many issues; such as a crisis in Catholic faith after the horrible things she witnessed and displacement and connecting to indigenous culture. She even had to undergo a named change in order to secure her safety, a literal metamorphosis of identity in the most harrowing sense of the word.

Culture: There seems to be a dichotomy in U.S. culture between “natural” “homeopathic” “plant-based” medications and pharmaceutical treatments. There does not seem to be a crowd able to converge at one point of agreement that both methods have their merits.

Education: I think that in medical schools and research institutions, we need to start doing more research and clinical trials on herbs such as this one and test how they work alongside western medicines and other remedies.

Personal Reflection: As someone dealing with chronic pain from endometriosis that did not respond to pain medications before surgery and other mental health issues, I wish I had not been as hesitant as I was to purchase the herbs and give them a try. However, a major reason for me photographing the descriptions was so that I could do my own research on the internet later, though that is a difficult place to find authority on these things. Many in the group gave rave reviews on some of these herbs, having tried them themselves. As someone interested in science, anatomy, medicine, and pathology, I would love to explore this rabbit hole further.

Photo Description: A home in Cuernavaca, Morelos, where I had my homestay experience. The door and window are both open to allow airflow.

Illustration and Significance: This home carried many fond memories for the family living here, their previous homestay guests, and us. Staying in a homestay was probably one of the most valuable parts of the experience, and the course would not have been what it was without this house.

Connection to Themes

Identity: Like most Mexican homes, it was clear this house had been lived in for decades and was well-loved. Photographs, religious decor, and art adorned the walls of every room, telling a story of the family we stayed with.

Culture: An open door like this would not be typical in the United States, but I could probably count on one hand the amount of times that door was ever closed when I approached it. The neighbors had been neighbors for nearly 60 years and seen children and grandchildren grow up together. Next door, a wake took place after one of the neighbors had died, a ceremony that had neighbors bringing food, singing, and sharing stories.

Education: Being in a homestay provided an authenticity in a way that a hotel would never measure up to. We got to see not just how our host family lived, but also experience what it was like to live in such a community and take the bus to school, become immersed in the language and culture.

Personal Reflection: I look back at my memories in this residence quite fondly. The house had no air conditioning, but we grew accustomed to that far quicker than expected and soon found that a fan and an open window were all we needed. Open windows also meant noise late at night, but very quickly, things like a dog barking that would have been bothersome at home were background noise. Furthermore, it felt as though we were part of a real family. By the time the week ended, it felt like we had lived there for months.

Photo Description: Outside a coffee shop in downtown Cuernavaca, a sign with a chalk drawing of a Starbucks logo with a skeleton. The sign reads “muerte al mal café,” which translates to “death to bad coffee.”

Illustration and Significance: The coffee shop was like many of the ones in Mexico - small space, open seating, everything made to order, and notably, no rush. A cafe was exactly what a cafe is meant to be - a relaxing space to sit down and have a coffee with friends.

Connection to Themes

Culture: As in many cultures, coffee is important in Mexican culture, and is yet another way for people to bond and chat. My roommate during the trip grew up in Mexico and shared stories of growing up drinking coffee with family as young as nine years old. We did much of the same with our host family - drinking coffee as late as 9 or 10 PM and chatting about life, slowing down and spending time together. The people working at the coffee shop were also, notably, in no rush to take everyone’s orders and get them out as soon as possible. The shop was not particularly busy - it was only about 3 pm, past the morning and lunch rushes. However, this was still a different approach to cafes in the United States, especially major cities like New York that prioritize efficiency.

Personal Reflection:

It’s rare that ever get to really sit down in a cafe and chat with friends. I helped many of them choose their orders, as I used to work as a barista and know the difference between a latte, a cappuccino, and flat white. The ones who could speak Spanish also helped others choose their orders, so we were able to work as a community to get everyone in that group happy and caffeinated.

Speaking of my former job, I made espresso drinks in two completely different environments - one was a library on a college campus, and one was a more upscale restaurant during weekend brunch. Both of those places had people wanting their coffee immediately - college students need to study, need to get to their next class; diners need to finish their meal so the staff can clear their table and seat the next person. If I’d seen the same line outside the coffee shop I worked at, I would be rushing to get orders out as quickly as possible because that’s the norm - I feel like we could all use more patience.

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Mexico Maymester 2026