¡La Güera baila!

Querétaro is a serene city nestled in the heart of Mexico. Filled with beautiful weather, dry heat, fragrant spring flowers, and delicious cuisine, it was hard to control how quickly my 20-year-old heart fell in love with the Mexican city. During my three month study abroad to learn Spanish I was quick to discover my love for salsa dancing, slowly through classes with friends from the US, and new friends from Querétaro.
I have always been a believer that the only way to truly discover a new place is to use your own two feet, and though this is not a particularly new idea it is one that can easily be forgotten in a world of buses, metros, taxis and cars.
When I arrived in Querétaro I was ready for my own adventures on two feet - before the trip I dreamt of lazy days getting lost along the cobbled streets and making friends where I never would have looked. I never would have guessed how right I'd been, except my two feet were dancing along this city with a community.
Learning to dance in Mexico was probably one of the best decisions I ever made, but at first it started off slow. The social co-ordinator, Luis, organised small dancing classes for us every afternoon after our much needed siestas, and helped myself and three other students giggle and stumble our way though cumbia steps, merengue phrases, and syncopated cha-cha-cha steps. Those first three weeks were painful. But after learning the basics, Luis thought we'd be ready for a salsa club, with courage from some tequila.
Quickly it became clear that dancing was not only a fun past-time in Mexico, but a bonding experience for friends, and a way to develop community. Growing up in a society were dancing consists of two-steps and finger pointing, I felt overwhelmed but welcomed whole-heartedly into the hearts of my new friends. The funny thing about dancing is that you can develop a deep bond with someone, a knowing that your bodies read the music and each other well, without ever really knowing each other's names.
Dancing in Mexico is without stigma as it has in other countries were dancing is reserved for dark nights in loud, crowded clubs. It is about celebration and expressing happiness. At a fiesta, it is typical to see everyone dancing from two-year-olds barely walking to 82-year-olds shuffling about. Mexico made a big impression on my heart, and I forever treasure the memories I made there, but my time left the biggest impression on the soles of my two feet. I haven't stopped dancing since.