For junior Patricia Ortiz, going through tunnels and traveling long desert-like terrain for two days is a "long and exasperating experience." Photo Provided By: Patricia Ortiz
By Michaela Moreno
Every year during the cold, joyous time of winter, students are allowed two weeks of break. Many of Plymouth’s Hispanic students visit many parts of Mexico during this time of year.
Going to Mexico is one thing, but getting there is another. Many of the students travel down south in vehicles. Whether truck or car, driving to Mexico takes about two days according to freshman Guadalupe Ortiz. Others have taken to the sky when traveling to their destination. Sophomore Yesenia Garcia, for example, would usually travel by car but not lately. “We are not liking how the situation is down there at the border so we have been traveling by plane,” Garcia stated.
Junior Patricia Ortiz, among others, travels to Mexico every year for winter break. For them, it is a good time to not only see their family, but spend the holidays with them as well. Besides spending the holiday with her family, Garcia finds other reasons to go during this time of year. “There are a lot of parties going on to welcome the new year, and its always fun to go and see famous people perform live,” Garcia said. Patricia Ortiz, however, can only go during this time of year because her parents’ work is busier during the summer season.
Some of the Hispanic students have only gone to Mexico once or twice in their life during winter break. Junior Paola Moreno is one of those few. Moreno, as well as Senior Gabriela Ramirez, typically go to Mexico during the summer time. Moreno went to enjoy herself and experience new things. She found that going in the winter was different from going in the summer, but had fun with her family just the same. Ramirez went mainly because she is not a big fan of snow. So she thought to herself, “Why not go to Mexico where it’s warmer?”
Santiago Capitiro, Guanajuato, Mexico is one of the most common destinations for students. Descendants of that area call the location Capy Ranch for short. Conception De Buenos Aires, Jalisco is another town that students travel to. These are just two of the dozens of towns that Plymouth High School’s Hispanic students descend from.
The small towns that students travel to do not necessarily have hotels. Many of the students stay in their relatives homes. “My uncles all made their own houses attached to my grandparents, so there is plenty of room for us all to go at the same time,” Ramirez clarifies. Sisters Patricia and Guadalupe Ortiz have their own home in Mexico that they stay in.
Whether it is driving hundreds of miles on endless roads or looking down from the clouds at any time of year, all the Hispanic students look forward to their time in Mexico with their families.
In the town Victoria, during celebrations, the citizens decorate the streets with handmade decorations of all designs and colors. Photo Provided By: Patricia Ortiz