Hi everyone! I am very happy to be sharing my journey with you this semester. First, let me introduce myself.
My name is Attyat Mayans, and this year I am doing research in China. China is very far away from my hometown in New Mexico. To fly from my hometown to China takes more than 14 hours on a plane and includes flying over the Pacific Ocean. You are probably wondering why I am so far away from home in a faraway country, so let me explain.
I already moved far from home once, when I finished high school. I travelled across the U.S. to go to college at Duke University in North Carolina. It takes a long time to travel from New Mexico to North Carolina, too. It can take five or six hours by plane. North Carolina was already very different from my home in New Mexico.
At home in New Mexico, I only speak Spanish with my parents. I live in the mountains, away from the city, and I eat New Mexican food that is very spicy and has lots of flavor, such as enchiladas, posole, and chiles rellenos. When I got to college, I learned that most of my fellow students grew up speaking English at home, ate different foods and lived in big cities. I realized that my own life back home is unique.
