Lights, Cars, & Plumbing: 5 Differences Between Mexico and America

I recently spent a few days in Los Angeles, and after I spending a month in rural Mexico, I felt very much out of place.

I expected experiencing some difficulties adapting back to Western culture, but I never anticipated it would happen so soon.

In light of these recent events, I figured I would share with you what now stands out as foreign to me.

1. Roads.

By Western standards, the only road in our town in Mexico is our one one-lane highway. That’s it. There is a stark contrast between the five-lane Los Angeles freeways and our one-lane highway. 

2. Cars.

Of course there are cars in Mexico. What I mean to say is that what stood out to me in America was the amount of cars on the roads and the modernity of them. Coming home to Montreal rush-hour traffic will prove to be quite the adjustment.

3. Buildings.

Driving up, I saw a massive IKEA building. My friend and I just couldn’t fathom why it needed so big. We started comparing its size to the size of the community we worked in and even the town we lived in. Needless to say coming back home to the city will feel very disconcerting.

4. Lights.

We work in a lot of communities that don’t even have electricity. So seeing neon signs lit up everywhere and night being nearly as bright as day was shocking, and a little upsetting. It’s frustrating seeing first-hand the enormous amount of disparity in the world.

5. Bathrooms.

Finding a free, public washroom in Mexico with fully functioning facilities, toilet paper, soap, and something to dry your hands on is like winning the jackpot. I really love Mexico, but sometimes I miss my bathroom. And after a month of throwing toilet paper in the garbage (you can’t flush it because the pipes are smaller), it felt absolutely exhilarating to toss ‘er right in the toilet and flush. Oh the little things in life…

Don’t get me wrong, I truly love being in Mexico. There is so much about the culture I admire and wish I had back home. For example, I like how everyone is relationship-oriented instead of being task-driven. This list of comparisons merely serves illustrates the differences between Mexican and Canadian/American culture. It really can seem like two completely different worlds.

Lots of love,

Meagan <3