Miss Mexico, but why?
Yes, I miss Mexico a lot. I miss my friends, and not being able to graduate with them. I miss not being able to say goodbye to those I loved. – Maiky Vidals  Sanchez

Missing one’s home country as a migrant is a common experience, part of what is known as “migratory grief.” This grief involves psychological reactions to leaving home, family, friends, customs, and one’s native language, among other things. It is a complex experience that can generate feelings of sadness, loneliness, nostalgia, and loss.

Currently in the Mixteca there is a lot of corruption and it is becoming more and more dangerous since in the Mixteca there is the Los Rojos cartel led by “El Pelle” a very powerful man since he is well known for having a lot of military weapons, being in collusion with the government, he has bought all the law, he is in charge of selling and distributing drugs, collecting protection money, stealing cars, looting houses and kidnapping people.

Two years ago, I left my town to head to the state of Chihuahua and cross the border. On the way, I thought about all the things I wouldn’t miss, and the only thing that came to mind was the constant violence in the country and the extreme heat.

But on the other hand, my mind was already on the United States and what school would be like, the new people I would meet, and how safe everything would be.

The United States is the perfect place to start a new life full of opportunities. There’s always good-paying work. It is a way to find a new way of life with material things that couldn’t be found in my country.

In Connecticut I couldn’t stand going out because it was unbearable for me since my bones hurt horribly with the cold and I arrived in cold weather, I think it was because of the big change I had from a place where we sometimes reached 130.00 Fahrenheit where we didn’t have air conditioning and we only slept with the window open, what I longed for with all my heart was to be in my hometown since I still miss that heat that I called unbearable eating a delicious mangonada with a lot of chamoy and lemon to cool off, its price is approximately 50 cents in dollars and for us when it was cold we were at 50 to 70 Fahrenheit we already considered cold.

My Mexican food is widely considered one of the best in the world, and in the latest TasteAtlas rankings, it was ranked third. This recognition is due to the rich diversity of flavors, ingredients, and culinary traditions that characterize Mexican cuisine.

And what can I say about missing my food? Besides being unique, it’s part of the intangible heritage of humanity. I was saddened by the fact that I couldn’t find food identical to that of my country, but over time, I resigned myself to the knowledge that, until I returned home, I would continue to experience the same flavor.

The day I found a pitaya, I was almost jumping for joy, even though the pitaya was already a little ripe and very small. But as they told me the price, my excitement subsided since it was the equivalent of 300 pesos, when in my country it usually costs only 5 pesos,and in dollars 25 cents.

In the entire world, there is no greater warmth or support than Mexicans can offer, and even if you’ve only known them for a day, they tell you, “My house is your house.” It’s not that I didn’t feel welcomed in the United States; quite the contrary, they welcomed me with open arms. It’s a country full of opportunities and advantages. I think they know how to take advantage of and exploit every situation that arises. Plus, even though they’re not as warm-hearted as we Mexicans, they’re conscious enough to take care of the environment, work, health, family, and themselves.

Anyway, yes, I really miss my country where I grew up, when every dish included corn and spicy food. What I still haven’t gotten used to is the food from this country, which is based on pasta and hamburgers, and how expensive it is to buy food from your country so you can eat familiar dishes.