Living With a Host Family

This trip is nothing like I've ever been on and I think that a large part of that is the fact that I'm staying with a host family. All of the other trips that I've been on I've stayed in a resort, hotel, or a cruise ship that had running amenities and lots of the conveniences that I'm used to having at home. In Oaxaca, being the poorest state in Mexico, there aren't a lot of luxuries that we enjoy in the US which make this experience all that more authentic.

Even though the heat is intense here, there's no AC which is really hard to get used to. The only means of cooling down is from the ceilings fans and taking a shower. In order to use the hot water here, I actually have to ask my host mom to turn on the boiler so that hot water is available for me to use. In addition to needing to wait for the boiler to heat water, the toilets here doesn't flush great so used toilet paper is tossed into a trash can rather than into the toilet which is a lot different than how it is in the US.

Pictured above is the cafe/bakery that my host mom owns. It's right below the living space of her house which is a common layout for the houses here. In her bakery she has different types of cakes as well as other kinds of desserts such as flan, cookies, and jello. And if you aren't in the mood for something to eat, she has plenty to drink as well such as frozen coffee drinks and refreshing sodas.

And lastly, here's a typical lunch that I've been having during my stay here. The meals are very balanced and healthy (in my opinion) compared to the ones in the US. There's always veggies, starch, and usually a type of meat or other protein such as beans. One thing that they love here: QUESO. Queso means cheese and there's always cheese in all of the meals.