Tammy L. Calef
West Virginia University College of Law, Rising 3L
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Beauty Found within the Vast Dry Land

Thirteen days ago, a group of twenty-one law students and three professors left the hills of West Virginia for the hills of Guanajuato, Mexico. Now that we are on our way home, I cannot help but reminisce on this study abroad trip. In preparation for this trip, we studied the history of Mexico. Its historical background made me wonder how its people could continue to fight without doubt. Then I realized how all of us throughout our first year of law school has heard, “I don’t know how you do it.” On a minuscule scale, we students have something in common with the people of Mexico. We are both fighting for our dream. The Mexican’s tenacity, perseverance, and pride are admirable.

Once we arrived in Guanajuato, we rode a bus to our hotel. Correction, the bus dropped us off in a tunnel below our hotel. I do not know exactly how far we hauled our luggage uphill; however, I do know that I had to stop twice to relax both my arms and my calves because of the steep cobblestone road. Unfortunately, our journey had not yet ended. There was a maze of stairs to get to the room. It takes me 408 steps downhill to walk from the hotel to the University. This is not a bad walk except that it takes me 408 steps uphill to walk from the University back to the hotel. The first few days were rough. How do these people live this way? My calves killed me, but I only had to endure the hills for two weeks. The people of Guanajuato have to endure these hills for life.

After a surprisingly good night sleep, our first full day in Mexico started with our daily 9:00 a. m. meeting. At that meeting I was designated the first aid person. The following days consisted of a noon lecture followed by a late afternoon seminar. The lectures informed us on various issues, such as the war on drugs, Constitutional Amendments, racism in Mexico, immigration, and insider trading. All of which are detailed on the previous entries on this blog site. During our seminar discussions, our diverse groups debated different laws compared to the United States’ laws. These open forum seminars stimulated the students into in-depth discussions. Our first seminar reflected on Mexico’s six-year term for President and the three-year term for its legislators. The question remains whether the no re-election policy is good or bad. My answer would be the generic law school answer of “it depends” because a person may come into office wanting to make history by compelling change for the benefit of all, while others may come into office to induce change for selfish or corrupt reasons.

By the fourth day in Mexico, my first aid responsibilities were tested with three students ill and one injured. Were the sicknesses water related? We shall never know. Between street food and too much la cerveza, who can really say it was the water. Overall, most of us had no stomach problems throughout our visit.

Taking advantage of my time in Guanajuato, I visited as many museums and landmarks as possible. Most of these travels were by foot, which has helped shape my calves (another benefit of visiting Guanajuato). Guanajuato has something for everyone. For example, if you love horror or science fiction movies, the Mummy Museum is for you, however, it is not for the faint of heart. For the art lover, there is the Diego Rivera Museum and the Iconographic Museum of Don Quixote. From the statue of El Pipila, any amateur photographer will feel like a professional because of its picturesque and breathtaking view of Guanajuato. The view is even better at night! Additionally, Guanajuato has the ballet, the symphony, and the nightly festival parades to engage any tourist. My one regret was not making it to the statue of Cristo Rey, which is a huge statue of Jesus on top of cerro del Cubilete, a 3,000 foot mountain.

View from el Pipila	Evening View from el Pipila

The pyramids are a story of their own. Ever since I heard about the pyramids, I had anticipated the trip with excitement. Once at the pyramids, I found my excitement turn to disappointment. The hours dragged on for what felt like days. It was hot and miserable. Trying to cool off in the shade of the thin cacti did not help. Fortunately, I had my umbrella to create my own shade. It did not take long for other students to join me under my umbrella. As we were leaving the pyramid site, I discovered a single purple flower in the midst of the brown grass. To me, this was God’s way of saying, even in the vast dry land, if you look close enough, you will find the beauty. Go ahead and call me philosophical because the picture of this flower was enough for me to appreciate the day.

Finding Shade Under a Cactus	Beauty found in the vast Dry Lands of the Pyramids

Overall, Mexico took me out of my comfort zone and allowed me to grow as a person. My first foreign language class was for this trip and I successfully stammered my way through ordering food without fearing what I just ordered. Granted, I did not always like what I ordered, but I knew where the American owned restaurants were in case I was hungry later.

Before this trip, I never gave much thought to Mexico. It is sad to say, but Mexico was just a place below the United States. Now, I see a historic culture that has fought so hard to survive, a country that is slowly evolving. Guanajuato is a beautiful, clean city. The people take pride in what is here. You have to admire the people who live in cramped quarters and walk up and down these hills daily. The same people who hold their children’s hands and appreciate their elders.

I will cherish my memories of Mexico for a lifetime. Even though I would love to take my family to Guanajuato, I could never replicate my study abroad experience because of the people who shared this trip. I thank each of you who freely gave your time in Guanajuato and allowed our relationship to grow beyond the College of Law.