Student Comments The following comments are from students sharing their feedback and experiences of their HATB exchange. Please share your experiences with us by emailing them to hatb@handsacrosstheborder.org. From student attending exchange: San Clemente High School and Colegio de Bachilleres del Estado de Sonora (COBACH)   What did you enjoy the most? The least?   I enjoyed dancing the cumbias with the girls.  Learning how to dance was probably my favorite thing, because I have always wanted to learn.  I got my opportunity and I took it.   My least favorite thing to do was the bus ride [to the hot springs].  It took forever to get there, but, once we arrived, it was fun.   I enjoyed the friendliness of the people the most.    The thing I enjoyed the most was the people.  They are all so generous and selfless.  They always tried to make me feel comfortable and at home.  They always talked and tried to practice their English and help with my Spanish.  There was really nothing that I didn’t like about this trip.  It was the most fun I’ve ever had. I enjoyed how accepting the people were and the attitudes.  The dances were by far the greatest.  The bus ride and the heat were the least.  Nothing we did in the group I didn’t like.   The thing I enjoyed the most was spending time with [my host] and just talking to her.  I think that it was a great thing that I got to visit an all girl family, well with a father, of course.  I think that everyone should be matched up with girls with boys, boys with girls.   I enjoyed the dance and ceremonies at the school the most, and I enjoyed the heat the least.   I enjoyed the hospitality and how welcome I felt the most.  The dances were fun.  It is interesting to learn their traditional dances.  I was very comfortable in my hosts’ houses.  Least: the HEAT, but it wasn’t anyone’s fault.  The bus ride to Aconchi was a bit long, but it was a good bonding time.   We returned from our visit to Mexico with many lessons learned, and many new friendships.  Following are direct quotes from the student ambassadors. I have never felt as many emotions all at one time...scared, amazed and excited.  I learned an amazing amount about myself. My partner and I were shy, but by the second day we conquered our fears and got along very well.  We used hand movements and acted out scenes.  She showed me so much love and happiness! I met all of her friends and made a whole new family.  It is like a home away from home now. This experience taught me a very important lesson.  It taught me not to stereotype and not to read the book by it's cover.  I will never forget it, it will always stay in my heart, forever. Mexico is an amazing place.  Even though their culture is very different, I've learned it still is good.  I will really miss HATB! Even though there was a language barrier, we could still understand what each other felt. I learned that you could make a good friend in just 5 days.  It amazed me because it usually takes about 3 years. At first I was scared, because everyone was staring and pointing, and speaking a language I thought I knew.  I found that although some things were different about us, that we had many similarities.  I loved the way that she was so open to my foreign-ness, and that she treated me like we had been best friends, or even sisters. The things around me made me think hard about how Mexico is very different from the United States.  Everyone was patient and family visited each other every day.  My partner's aunts, cousins and uncles were at her house every day! When we left my partner gave me a big hug and started crying.  His entire family started crying and smiling at me.  I really wanted to stay.  I cried with them because I knew I was going to miss them. Things in Mexico move slower, but it felt like we did a lot in such a little time. At first it's scary and you feel so different, but then you realize that you are very welcome there.  This program brings you closer to your friends, as well as making new ones in another country. My partner was very shy, but these communication handicaps allowed me to grow as a person.  Not speaking English really gave me the opportunity to practice my Spanish and make me realize I can communicate and form sentences fairly well. I learned to go along with the flow, be flexible, and most importantly, to be patient.  Although nights were hard for me, the days were filled with fun adventures and new experiences. I have loving families both here in Arizona and in Mexico and I'm so glad they supported me.  I loved going to Mexico and I hope I am able to go next year. At the start of the trip I was thinking, "Oh my gosh!  I'm never going to survive this."  By the end I wasn't shocked anymore, and I was very proud of myself. When me and my partner first met we didn't really "click".  We would just smile at each other every five minutes.  It was hard to communicate at first, but it got easier as the days went on.  I enjoyed learning to be patient.  I had such a fabulous time in Esperanza and it was hard for me to leave.  I learned that I didn't need things like cable TV.  I learned that talking isn't always the highest form of communication. It surprised me that my partner and I became such great friends with only knowing basic words in the other language.  They welcomed us with open arms and my image of Mexico is much different than before.  I am very proud I got the opportunity to change my view on the country and I really wish the program will last for many years to come. I really appreciate all of the rights and freedoms I have.  I really hope I can do this next year! My partner's family was so sweet and caring and treated me as their own. I have learned to embrace my Latin heritage and learned that there is so much more to the Mexican people than the common stereotypes. This has been one of the best experiences of my life.  If I could, I would wish that everyone could go on this trip because I think that it would change their perspective and their life. The food was very spicy and it burned my mouth.  I tried many foods though, and "No gracias, no puedo mas" was the most useful sentence ever!  I love my partner and this was truly the best experience of my life. I connected very well with my partner.  Even though we couldn't always understand everything, we were patient and pointed to things and drew pictures.  When two people speak two different languages, flexibility is very important.  Doing HATB this year helped me realize that everyone is different, but it's okay to be.  Being yourself is way more fun than being the same as everybody else.  If you are happy with who you are yourself, you are happy. Most Mexicans aren't very rich in our mind, but it is just us thinking so.  They have their own definition of rich and poor.  To us, rich is living in a mansion, but to them rich is living in a one bedroom house with 5 kids.  They are rich in so many other ways. At first I was really nervous and homesick, but I realized that I would never have this experience again.  I really wanted to make the best of it.  In the end, I learned to be more relaxed and to have fun.  This experience has changed my life and my outlook on life! When we first got there, I felt like I was out of my comfort zone, but I found that my comfort zone expanded with every day.  My partner taught me how to be a little more outgoing, and less shy.  I had so much fun, and HATB is one of the best experiences of my life. I learned to never judge based on outward appearances.  As we got in my partners run-down car I began to feel homesick for the first time in my life.  By the end of the week, it felt like I had been reminiscing with old friends. My partner's family was so warm and when I told them I didn't speak much Spanish, they told me that they loved me anyway.  That made me so much more comfortable and welcome. I loved the idea of a town center (la plaza) where everybody hangs out and that everyone knows where everyone else lives. I had a wonderful partner who treated me like a sister.  I learned life-long lessons and will never ever forget it! My partner's brother gave up his room for me.  I thought that was very kind.  On the last night, her mom, her brother and her all played games with me.  It was so much fun!  In Mexico, the people make you feel so welcomed and safe.  I learned that people are people no matter where you go.  Comments from students from Kyrene Akimel Middle School