The way to Mexico - Health Care in Mexico

After many weeks of my mother freaking out, a goodbye to my amazing, gorgeous girlfriend and a twelve hour plane ride I had almost reached Mexico. I had landed at LAX (the Los Angles International airport). The 12 hour Joseph flavoured man sandwich reminded me of the advice given to me by Rob the AIM overseas guy about online check-in which allows you to pick your own seats ensuring you don’t get stuck between two pleasant but large middle aged males. Being rather new to the whole international travelling thing I knew this wouldn’t be my only error in judgment. I now had an 11 hour wait until my Mexico flight.

I filled in my time by listening to the peoples different accents, buying chocolate bars that I’d heard about on movies like butterfingers, thingamajig and whatchamacallit (they are mostly peanut buttery) and offending the lady who worked at Starbucks by trying to use a 50 dollar ‘bill’ to pay for my venti sized café latte. I was going to take a photo for the blog but I was bitter from the experience and I’m pretty sure I’ve seen Starbucks in Australia anyway. So I took a photo of an American police car instead.

Police car, the shotgun in the front seat makes it all the more intimidating

Soon enough I had boarded the plane to Mexico, I had no idea how long the journey took as I slept the whole way. It was nearly midnight and I awoke to different world where people would assume I could speak Spanish. Little did they know I was a lazy Australian who only knew the words I learnt from Dora. Despite not having the ability to communicate properly, everyone I met was very accommodating and luckily, most people I encountered spoke English. Not too soon after a few awkward conversations, I arrived at the airport hotel for some much needed rest or so I thought. As I had just slept for who knows how many hours, I had trouble getting to sleep until about 4 am then proceeded to sleep until 1 30pm. It was now time to taxi my way to my host families place.

A Mexican equivalent

My host family is made up of one grandfather (Renae), one grandmother (Mather), their daughter (Claudia, pronounced Cloudia), and her son (Andres) and some other children who I am yet to meet. All who of which were instantly very welcoming and accommodating. There is a Mexican saying “mi casa es su casa” which I am fairly sure translates to “my home is your home.” My host family really means it.  It’s hardly been 24 hours and I couldn’t have been treated better, tasting and enjoying the different meals and having the best bruschetta I’ve tasted. I know this is not a Mexican dish but it was amazing. My host family regularly has international students stay and there is currently a German exchange student (Lena) staying with them as well, which makes me feel so much more worldly.

The stairwell up to my room, I thought this was pretty cool.

All in all I’m already enjoying experience and I am excited to start my program. And next blog post I promise to take more photos other than police cars and stairs.

~Joseph McGrath

Joseph McGrath is completing the Public Health in Mexico Program. Joseph is in his second year of a Bachelor of Nursing at University of Newcastle.