13 Unforgettable Memories of Puebla, Mexico

By D'Angelo Gatewood

I got off the airplane on Aug. 1, 2021 with few expectations. I knew I was going to be anxious about my first time outside of the U.S. I knew I was going to embrace being in a country where English speakers were a rarity. Most importantly, I knew the way to enjoy my experience was to welcome the unfamiliar.

13. My first day of nutrition class. Reading emails is fundamental sometimes. I walked to campus and found the classroom, feeling very proud of myself. As I sat, I noticed that I was the only person in the classroom. What happened? The professor emailed that she changed the first class to virtual. It was fun trying to explain why I was in the classroom while everyone stared at me from the comfort of their homes.

12. My first round of exams. They were so rough that one of the professors wanted to talk after class. I learned that I would have to take a different approach to success in Mexico, and learning in Spanish would be an adjustment. I improved greatly throughout the semester and it taught me to be patient with myself.

11. My trip to Huauchinango. Among the pueblos mágicos, or “magical towns” of Puebla, is Huanchinago. After a three-hour bus ride, I got to walk the streets and experience the beautiful geography of the town, which includes a series of mountains that almost surround it.

10. Finding my gym. Doing research on different gyms in Spanish was challenging, but I found a gym that had everything I needed. At a certain point, they would see me, say “Hi D’Angelo,” and check me in before I could even give them my number.

9. My first trip to Cholula. Cholula, nearby Puebla, has cobblestone streets, ancient stone pyramids and colorful buildings that create a welcoming environment for everyone. I even tried the legendary chile en nogada while there.

8. Días de Los Muertos. It is one thing to read about it and see photos. It is another to actually live it. The effort put into celebrating showed how much these days mean in Puebla. Skeletons, marigolds and papel picados were everywhere, and the parades and events they held were truly spectacular.

7. Sope, huarache and Mexican hot chocolate. I was walking down the street in Mexico City and stopped in a restaurant. The sope and huarache were recommended, and I decided that a hot chocolate in 70-degree weather was fine by me. I took one bite and my mouth started crying tears of joy. The delight of the food was only amplified by the rich and spice-filled hot chocolate. It was the best thing I ate in 2021.

6. Making my first friend. I was in the gym with my earphones blasting when I noticed a guy waving me down, asking me to spot him. After he finished his set, he asked me if I could speak English. We exchanged information and he became my best pal. We went out to eat, he showed me around town and he introduced me to his friends. This moment reminded me that people are kind, regardless of the country.

5. A stroll down Calle de Los Dulces. A friend I met while in Puebla suggested this street. While I knew that the street meant “The Street of Sweets '' or “The Candy Street,” I didn’t know it was aptly named because it was filled with multiple candy stores. For those with a sweet tooth, be careful!

4. Uber rides. I thoroughly enjoyed talking to Uber drivers while I was in Mexico. It was a great opportunity to casually practice speaking and comprehending conversations. While I was initially insecure about speaking to them, I got to the point where I talked to them with the utmost confidence.

3. Container City. The next time you see one of the 18-wheelers driving down the road, try to imagine what it would be like if someone turned that into a restaurant. When you have that image, imagine a whole area, or city, of those. That is Container City. The nightlife there was incredible.

2. The progression of my Spanish. I remember my anxiety when I first started to interact with my professors and classmates in Spanish. There were moments when I embarrassed myself — like when instead of using the word that meant “high-pitched,” I said the word that meant “watery.” But then toward the end of the semester, I gave a presentation in Spanish. It was the first time I didn’t write down what I wanted to say. I just spoke, and I couldn’t believe I didn’t have to think so hard about what I was saying. It was at that moment I realized this trip abroad greatly strengthened my language skills.

1. My independent trip to Mexico City. It was my first time getting a hotel in another country, navigating travel within another country, and also seeing how much fun traveling by yourself can be. I did all of the planning in Spanish — I even had to explain why I missed my bus and ask if I could get the next one. I'm genuinely excited to travel abroad now, as this moment showed me that I can rise to the challenge.

D'Angelo Gatewood is a Spanish major at the University of Oklahoma. He is a senior earning his second bachelor's degree after two years of teaching in Oklahoma City Public Schools. He studied abroad at OU in Puebla during the fall semester of 2021.