Experiences in Mobility: A Window to the World

Experiences in Mobility: A Window to the World is a compilation of 24 texts written by students, graduates of the University of Colima, who share their experiences as national and international exchange students. Through their letters, we are able to travel to different destinations, taste Spanish paella, Korean kimchi, walk through the streets of Veracruz or through the snow-covered paths of Canada, among many other experiences. In these unfiltered tales, each student lets us see, through their eyes, what its like to become immersed in in other cultures, evaluation systems, climates, and life with people of different countries. With an honesty that is worthy of recognition, the texts are plagued with nostalgia for Mexico, of recognizing and longing for home being thousands of kilometers away; they invite us to be willing to continue becoming surprised by the adventures and they emphasize the enormous opportunity that this experience represented. The common denominator of these stories is gratitude, not only towards their alma mater, but also towards their parents and to a country that has let them train and prepare for their academic development in places within Mexico or in countries such as Peru, Chile, Italy, India, Germany, Spain, South Korea, Canada, and Thailand. For the first time, we can hear the voices of students who share their feelings on personal, academic, and cultural levels. It’s a book that invites us to reflect on the importance of opening one’s mind to what is new, what is unknown, to observe without judgement and to enjoy life in multicultural environments.