I arrived in Chetumal on September 1, 2019. I remember that my first day was filled with lots of excitement, along with a little bit of anxiety. After that first day, however, my anxiety skyrocketed. I was feeling lonely because I had not made any friends, I felt a little homesick and I just felt nervous for everything that was unfamiliar in my new city. At my university, I started to meet new people around my age and tried to talk to them as much as possible without being too creepy. After two weeks of this heightened anxiety, I started to feel more at home. I found an apartment, moved in, met my neighbors and started hanging out with some people that I had met at my university.
By the end of September, I had made three good friends in Chetumal, and they made me feel a lot better about living in this new place. Two of these friends live in Chetumal, so they brought me to their favorite spots around the city and introduced me to their families and their friends. Looking back, I am extremely grateful to have met them at that time because they truly have made me feel as if Chetumal is my second home. Through them, I have found some of my favorite places in the city and I have gained the confidence to feel comfortable enough venturing out on my own to meet new people.
