I Didn't Seek Out a Fellow Latino - but I'm Glad I Found One ~ health and fitness,celebrity news,fashion blog,beauty women,whole foods,quotes about love

jeudi 29 juin 2017

I Didn't Seek Out a Fellow Latino - but I'm Glad I Found One

Before I met my now-fiancé, who was born and raised in Monterrey, Mexico, I'd never seriously dated a fellow Latino. In fact, I could probably count the number of dates I'd had with Latinos on one hand. A fellow Latino was never something I specifically sought out - in fact, it was a turnoff for me to learn that someone was pursuing me specifically because of my background. My fiancé and I were actually initially drawn to each other because we shared a common interest in long-distance running. But I eventually came to see that being with someone from a similar culture definitely has its perks.

We get to introduce each other to new foods

My fiancé is a total Mexican restaurant food snob, which can be both a blessing and curse. I haven't mastered the art of Mexican cooking, and he doesn't cook at all, which means that if we want to eat Mexican, we're going out. We've found some truly authentic new favorites together despite living in Houston, where Tex-Mex is everywhere. And I introduced him to Peruvian food - he even went as far as trying roasted cuy (guinea pig) in the Sacred Valley last Summer.

Speaking Spanish is now a regular part of my life

My mom was a native Peruvian who passed away when I was 11 years old. From then on, I pretty much only used my Spanish in my high school and college classes. But once I was done with my schooling, I rarely used it at all. Predictably, my Spanish conversational skills became a bit rusty. My fiancé decided to try speaking Spanish to me on our second date, and ever since then, it's been like second nature. We often speak Spanish to each other more than English at home, and we text each other in Spanish all the time. Yes, he still often corrects me, but in a nice way, of course.

Planning a wedding is infinitely easier

With my family spread out across the United States and Peru, it made the most sense to have our wedding in Monterrey, Mexico, because my family would have to travel no matter what. And getting married in Latin America has plenty of benefits: our reception venue's package is significantly less expensive than it would be in the States and includes several things we would have had to pay extra for otherwise.

I also can't say that I hate the tradition of having "padrinos," or family members designated to help with an aspect of the wedding in lieu of traditional American gifts. Since we already live together and don't need more kitchen gadgets, I am more than happy to pass on creating a wedding registry. Finally, my one must for our wedding was to keep it small and simple, with just our family members (which are fairly large groups on both sides), and I'm happy to report that I've received more support than pushback from the Latino sides in this respect.

jeudi 29 juin 2017