¡Que chido! Texcoco calls Lisbon

A smile of saudade draws on Litzy’s face as she talks about her University in Texcoco de Mora, Mexico. The Chapingo Autonomous University has its origins in the National School of Agriculture, that was founded in the 19th century with the objective of finding effective ways to feed the growing local population. The historical link with agricultural and forestry resources is clearly visible in the logo of the University, as Litzy proudly points out.

The campus where Litzy studies lies on the fertile plain that separates Mexihco Hueyaltepetl (aka Mexico City) from several 5000+ m high active volcanoes. This plain is a sedimentary basin that used to be covered by the natural Lake Texcoco before European colonization. Volcanic and lacustric sediments: it is not a coincidence that Litzy is studying soils here. She started her bachelor’s degree in Engineering of Renewable and Natural Resources in 2020. At the same time, she took advantage of the several lockdowns and started to learn Portuguese, a language that she always fancied. During her 4th and last year, Litzy joined the Department of Soils, where she is learning all about soils, irrigation, groundwater, ecosystems modelling and GIS software. 

For her mandatory curricular experience abroad, Litzy wanted to go where she could practice her already excellent Portuguese. Portugal and Brazil were both on the top of the list, but she admits that the idea of the European summer was the tiebreaker. In the process of proactively browsing for hosting institutions that could enrich her academic journey, CERENA looked like a perfect match. Litzy arrived in Lisbon just in time for the Santos Populares (the festivities that color the city in June), and she will stay until the enf of August. Here, she is working on the physical characterization of wine-producing soils in Portugal, under the supervision of João Narciso.

Litzy admits that the challenges of moving to a new country on her own are not easy. Getting to know other international students on campus during the summer term is not that easy, and it’s one of the things that make her miss Latin America the most. However, the saudade fades away as she shares the excitement of this new adventure: living in a vibrant city, meeting different people, trying new food, exploring the country doing field work… ¡Que chido! (= how cool!). In the end, what are international experiences if not a sum of moments that soon become cool anecdotes and sweet memories?