Sol Abroad High School Program in Mexico

Oaxaca was almost a blur. I had to take breaks from whatever I was doing to really take in what was going on around me. The city is so full of color and people who are willing to help a lost American kid find his way. The excursion to the beach really stuck with me because of their awe-inspiring beauty. Every beach was so picture perfect that you felt like you might be looking at a screensaver that might suddenly change because what you were seeing was too flawless to be real. Not only was Mexico gorgeous it was also the perfect place to practice and learn Spanish because of the genuinely kind and caring people.

I had so much fun with Sol Abroad. The housing was wonderful—my host mother was so sweet and lovely and really made me feel comfortable. She cooked so much food, and it was fantastic! Everything is so cheap in Oaxaca as well so I was able to buy so much good food for not much money. I in particular enjoyed learning about the art scene in Oaxaca: we visited the house of a street artist to learn about the political art in Oaxaca, which was fascinating. The artist and his wife also helped us make really cool stencil art on t-shirtst. I also was able to visit another artist's studio with two friends, and the woman who ran it was very accomadating and let us just hang out and make prints with all the artists there. Oaxaca is a beautiful city, and I cannot wait to visit again.

My experience with Sol Abroad was unlike anything I've ever done. I spent 4 weeks in Oaxaca, Mexico with a host family, doing activities and taking classes every day. Although I did not have an english-speaking roommate from the same program, or any host siblings remotely close to my age, (all the others in my program did have an english-speaking roommate) I still managed to have a good time with my host family, and they were very welcoming and accommodating. The food was absolutely amazing. I don't think I was ever served anything I didn't like. The classes very intensive, 2 2-hour classes every week-day morning, which at times was a little much, but it definitely paid off in improving my spanish. The cultural activities were either a hit or miss for me. The cooking class was a lot of fun, as were the trips to neighboring small villages for often artesanal activities. However, some of the activities, such as the yoga class and the movie night, seemed to be not very connected to Mexican culture and just there to fill up space on the calendar. The curfew was 11:00 for everyone in the high school program, which I felt limited freedom and possibilities for experiencing the nightlife of Oaxaca, especially as many festivals and parades started around that time. However, me and my group still managed to have a great time exploring Oaxaca and doing all kinds of different activities in the city. We were definitely given plenty of freedom on days when there weren't cultural activities scheduled. The excursions were the best part of Sol Abroad for me. After a magnificent 7-hour trek through the mountains, we arrived in the beach of Hualtulco, which was beautiful. We surfed, paddleboarded, snorkeled, and went three different beaches during the weekend that we stayed there. Hierve El Agua was another fun excursion where we hiked to a cold spring in the mountains, enjoying the views and the weather. As awesome as these excursions were, I could've used at least one more, such as a trip to Sierra Norte, which was cut out of the schedule for some reason. Anyhow, it was a great program, I feel like I'm now the best at spanish in my class at my high school, I learned a lot about Oaxacan culture and had great times exploring the city with my friends. I will value this experience for the rest of my life.

Sol Abroad is a program that changed my life, a study abroad program that I will never forget and always be able to thank for an introduction into a different lifestyle, an incredible new culture and another language. My time in Mexico taught me not only how to try new things and accept new ideas, but also how to experience everything to its fullest potential and truly treasure every moment. Not one negative thought passed my mind the entirety of my trip. I learned the importance of bridging cultural divides and I was able to experience the amazing satisfaction of having a conversation in a language foreign to my own. The people that I met introduced me to a whole new side of life and they brought out the best version of myself. I do not have words to explain the overwhelming generosity and hospitality of my host family. I feel like the luckiest person in the world to be able to say that I got to have this experience.