My name is Keara Moore and I was lucky enough to spend 3 weeks and intern at the Gran Museo del Mundo Maya in Mérida, one of the most important museums in the southeast of Mexico. I’m 22 years old, I’m from Virginia, USA and I recently graduated, I have a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology and Spanish.
I decided to participate in the internship program in Merida because I wanted to practice my Spanish. I like to connect with people and also learn about what goes on inside a museum and what a curator does
While I was collaborating at the museum, I learned many things professionally, like the curator is a very lonely and isolated job. I’m a very active person, so I also noticed I’m an extrovert. I learned a lot about Mayan culture, how to develop and organize a museum tour and how a museum works.
For me it is very important to learn how people react and their behavior, especially with my experience with public transportation here. The first time I took the bus I got lost for 2 hours but I was able to ask for directions, people were very nice with me, I think the daily experiences taught me a lot. I think the most important transformation I experienced was related to independence. I now feel I can do more things than before the trip, like when I got lost and was able to go back home and survive! This experience helped me think what I want to do with my life, about my personality, career and work.
What I like the most about this experience were the interactions with people because I like to talk to people, learn about their stories and daily behavior. I like anthropology, I like to observe how people interact among each other. In my opinion, in the northern part in the US, people do not want to talk, they don’t connect with others, people are harsh and don’t wish to interact. In my experience here, people want to interact, they are more social and kind and I like that.
I would definitely recommend this program because we can all learn from ourselves. I think living in a different culture is an Independence gift and it helps you to learn about your career and what you want to do in the future.