This month’s face of Na’atik is Macarena who joined the team as our Maya and Spanish (MaS) Immersion Assistant back in July. She works with the immersion team to ensure every student has the best possible experience during their visit to Na’atik and Carrillo Puerto. She took some time out of her busy schedule to talk with us about why she decided to become part of the team and how she is finding life here.

Where are you from?

I am from Argentina. I was born in a small city in Patagonia which I love, but my home is Buenos Aires where I have lived since I was 10. I think it is an incredible city. I also lived in the US, in Ohio, for two years.

Why did you choose to come and work at Na’atik?

I was attracted by the idea of living in a small town in another country and culture. I wanted something that was the complete opposite experience to living in Buenos Aires. I also loved the idea of gaining work experience in a nonprofit organization that aligned with my values.

What are your impressions of life in Carrillo?

The people here take the time to really get to know you and to see you. They are interested in

you and want to talk with you. I love that everything is close by and that I can bike everywhere.

What has been the hardest thing to adapt to?

While I was looking for something very different to Buenos Aires, I have had to adapt to the slower pace of life and not having access to all the things you can do in a city. I can’t go out for ice cream at three in the morning here! I am also used to having access to a wider variety of restaurants and cuisines, although the food here is delicious.

Has anything surprised you?

It has been strange to see the way people will stand up on the back of pick-up trucks, or parents taking their children on motorcycles. It looks a little dangerous to me, but seems to be very normal here.

Has the difference in Spanish been challenging?

Challenging is not the right word, but it has been interesting and fun. So many words are different, for example I see the word torta and I think cake, but here it is usually a meaty sandwich! The pronunciation is also very different. We pronounce the letter ‘y’ and double ‘ll’ like the English sh sound in Argentina, so a lot of words sound very different. I have also loved picking up some Maya words and seeing how much they are used in daily life here. I hope I can learn more during my time here.

How have you found working with such a diverse/international team?

This was one of the big draws of working at Na’atik for me. I really enjoy working and being around people with different backgrounds, upbringings and perspectives. I love learning about the world through people. It is also fun linguistically, as all of us are students and teachers every day, learning from and helping each other.

What is the best part of your job?

I get to spend all of my time working with people, whether students or colleagues or local people. I like that I work with people who have a genuine interest in travel, cultures and languages. Being able to make a real difference in someone’s travel experience is very rewarding.

The most challenging?

It can sometimes be hard to find common ground with people from very different backgrounds, but as I enjoy the challenge, this can also be one of the best parts of the job.

Why should people come and study Spanish/Maya here?

Because of me!

Seriously though, studying at Na’atik not only gives you a great authentic immersion experience, but also makes a real difference in the lives of local students learning English at the school. I think Carrillo is a great place to learn because English is not widely spoken in the community, but the people here love helping others learn both Spanish and Maya. I also believe the team we have at the school are great at helping people gain confidence in their speaking, and our homestay families are lovely.

What are your goals for your time here?

To make some great memories with the people here and to take home some local customs like tortilla-making for example. I would like to gain more experience working in a cross-cultural environment and in a nonprofit more generally. I also want to ensure that I help all our students have the best possible time here.

What would you like to do in the future?

Probably to experience life in even more cultures and places, I would particularly like to live in Brazil one day and to learn Portuguese which I think is a beautiful language.

Thank you Macarena for sharing your experiences with us. We are delighted to have you as part of the team, and hope you have a great time here in Carrillo!

The best way to experience Mexican culture is by spending time with local families away from tourist resorts. Na’atik offers a unique nonprofit language immersion program, where your Spanish or Maya lessons are augmented by a homestay experience in the town of Felipe Carrillo Puerto. Sharing meals and spare time with local and Indigenous people makes this a not to be missed opportunity to see the authentic Mexico. Every visit helps us to provide life changing educational opportunities to local children. Visit our immersion page or contact us on mas@naatikmexico.org to find out more.