For most, moving to another country would be the scariest thing in the world, having to leave friends and the known for something totally foreign. However, sophomore Emily Bowman embraced the move from Missouri to Mexico, where she lived for two years.
lhsimage.com asks Emily Bowman to share her thoughts about her move to another country.
Q: What was the cultural shock like when you moved to Mexico?
A: So at first to move to Mexico City, it was very shocking and my attitude was very negative since I had never been to Mexico and had only heard bad things about it here. Once living there and actually seeing everything and experiencing it for myself, Mexico grew on me and Mexico became my home. Moving to Mexico helped me gain confidence and I opened up a lot and became way more social.
Q: How did living in Mexico enable you in becoming bilingual?
A: I quickly picked up Spanish and am almost fluent, I’m the only sophomore in my Spanish IV class. I used speaking Spanish there as an advantage and want to continue taking Spanish until I’m a senior. Moving back to Missouri made me lose some of my Spanish as I wasn’t able to speak it here; most people in my classes say ‘Oh well, you’re in Spanish IV because you lived in Mexico,’ and make it seem almost as if I’m cheating. The thing is yes, I did live in Mexico but I’m not cheating. I was surrounded by Spanish but I actually decided to learn from my experience and start conversations wherever I went, which helped me grow as a person and learn a lot about the language.
Q: Which country do you prefer?
A: Honestly when I found out I was moving back to Missouri I didn’t want to [move back]. I mean, I missed all of my friends who I still wanted to see, but I still wanted to learn more about the Mexican culture . . . learn more about Spanish. I still consider Missouri as my home but I still wish I could live in Mexico again. I think the real reason I enjoyed Mexico so much was because I knew I was moving back to Missouri after middle school so we kept our house in Missouri. I still love Missouri and it will always be my home, but I liked Mexico better experience-wise.
Q: Why did you move to Mexico?
A: I lived in [Missouri] then Canada then in [Missouri] then Mexico for my dad’s job. He’s works in agriculture.
Q: How do the schools differ in Mexico from here in Missouri?
A: I went to the American School Foundation (ASF), and the schools differed because here we have separate elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools where ASF was a huge campus for all grades. In Mexico, there was more of a combination of kids. The reason I like it so much was because even though there was a language barrier, it was easier to talk to people because they understood what you were going through as far as moving was concerned since they moved a lot, too.
