Jessica Hearne

Well, I spent the first three weeks in Mexico. I flew into Mexico City, then took a bus to Tepic in the state of Nayarit. There, I stayed with a nun (in the small town of Santa Maria, near Tepic) and learnt about natural and alternative medicine. I also brushed up on my spanish, and tried lots of lovely Mexican food! During my free time, I went down to the lake in Santa Maria, which was a little hidden gem!

After 3 fabulous weeks in Santa Maria, I then travelled back to Mexico City where I took a flight to Bogota, Colombia. My stay in Colombia was organised through a company called ICYE. Through ICYE, I was able to stay with a Colombian family in Bogota, which was a brilliant (but difficult, due to my very basic Spanish!) experience. I spent 5 weeks in Colombia. I worked in a social centre for children - the centre provided meals and activities for disadvantaged children. I learnt a lot about eh Colombian way of life. I worked Monday to Friday and then was able to do a bit of travelling at weekends.

At the end of my trip in Colombia, I travelled to the coffee region and the coast. I spent just a few days in these regions, before flying home to the UK!

Overall, I had a brilliant experience both in Mexico and Colombia, and I am very grateful to Santander for offering the scholarship which enabled me to have this trip of a lifetime!