John Jay Chapters: Mary's Notes from the Zona Maya
My experience at Naatik has been amazing, leaving New York City to study abroad in a different country was nerve-racking because I was given little information about my stay home family before arriving at Carrillo. When I arrived Saturday night, the John Jay Study abroad students and I were greeted by Catherine, the program director. She personally took us to meet our homestay families. Once I arrived at my family home, I was greeted by Viviana our homestay mom, she showed me and my roommate, Daisy, our room and our bathroom. The following day, I was introduced to the rest of the family: Viviana’s husband, Angel, and her two kids, Amir and Odalis. Every morning as we got ready to start our day, Viviana asked us if we were ready to eat breakfast. During breakfast and dinner, we had a cultural exchange, we talked about the different foods, customs, geographical differences and sometimes our homestay dad would tell us stories which I thought were fascinating. In our room, we had a bed and a hammock. Daisy and I took turns having the hammock experience, and during our last days we both wanted to sleep in hammocks. I can finally say “I slept in a Hammock!” Our stay home family accommodated us as best they could, the family was very friendly and humble, they took Daisy and me to the town fair’s “corrido” which was very interactive activity. We had the opportunity to ride a horse. Overall, my time with my homestay family enriched me with culture and a new perspective. I’m going to miss my homestay family.During our stay, Naatik opened the door for us, so we could study the Maya language and I personally volunteered in English class, which I really enjoyed. They also offered us breakfast and massages at an additional cost. Our Maya teacher Linda was very interactive with the class, we learn a few Maya words like Ma’alalo’ob Kiin (Good Morning), Beyo (Yes), and Dios bo’otik (Thank you). We also had the opportunity to visit her community, Uh May, and have a cooking class with her family. We cooked handmade tortillas, chicken pib, beans, and salad. Overall, we had a lovely day at Uh May. As this chapter in my life is almost closing, I will cherish the memories and friends, I made here in Felipe Carrillo Puerto.
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The best way to experience the Mexican lifestyle is in person, with a Na’atik Immersion experience. Not only do you live with a local Mexican-Maya family, sharing home-cooked meals and free time, but also receive expert instruction in your chosen language at our school. Best of all, every immersion experience helps fund our subsidized and free local education program, helping local students to access opportunities and make their own futures.