Nine weeks ago, I set foot on Mexican soil for the first time in my life. I spent the next two months discovering a small part of the country by traveling, exploring San Miguel, and trying to understand daily life and culture here.

Now it’s time for me to head back to the United States and embark on my senior year of college. I’ll go back feeling like the same person, but with a fresh perspective on life in another country.

Here are my 10 reflections as I end my summer internship with Mexico News Daily.

1. From what I saw, Mexico is nothing like how it is often portrayed in the United States. The only people I saw holding guns were police. I never felt unsafe or witnessed any drug use. What I found instead was gorgeous cities, incredible nature and a warm, friendly populace. I was here in the summer, and it was not even that hot! Mexico gets a bad rap and some of it is justified, but like any large place, the reality is more complicated than any single narrative. Mexico has some of the best destinations in the Western Hemisphere that get overlooked because of its perception in American media.

2. Mexico did not change me, per se. I’m going back to the United States next week feeling like I’m still the same person I was when I left. Would six months in Mexico instead of two have changed that? I don’t know. I could have gone out and interacted with people more. I could have drank more margaritas or gone out of my comfort zone, but I chose to be myself. I still had amazing experiences, travelled around the country and ate some amazing food, but I could have done more to give myself a truly transformative experience.

3. Nothing demonstrated the immaculate vibes of Mexico quite like El Tri’s loss to England in the round of 16. Given soccer’s culture of hooliganism and frequent riots after big game losses in North American sports, I expected a similar reaction from Mexico’s famously passionate fans. But after the final whistle grew, music started blasting out of speakers and people began dancing. I was shocked. This was a monumental opportunity for Mexico soccer and they lost. Most fans would be crushed and would let it ruin their week. But the Mexican fans danced and sang.

4. Mexico has lots of scary bugs. I hate bugs. On the couple of excursions I made to San Miguel de Allende’s botanical gardens, I witnessed some of the creepiest looking beetles I’ve ever seen in my life — never mind the giant hornets, massive red ants, or constant threat of scorpions (which I’m thankful I never saw.) Coming face to face with freaky bugs may have been my least favorite part of my Mexico experience.

5. Catholicism is visible everywhere in Mexico, but it does not create a society as conservative as one might think. While in San Miguel, I attended the local pride parade and in Mexico City I saw pride flags everywhere. Many people take their religious beliefs seriously, but Mexicans are generally understanding and welcoming.

6. The lack of polarization was a breath of fresh air. While riding on a long bus to Mexico City, I was getting to know my coworker and travelling companion, María. We disagreed on a lot of political issues and even on ideologies, but it never had any effect on our relationship. I can be “woke” while she is not. With the extremism ever-present in the U.S., this might be a dealbreaker. But in Mexico, it’s just differences I have with a friend.

7. This one may be obvious, but the food lives up to the hype.

8. Mexico is generally more laid back than their northern neighbors. As a night owl and a late riser, I tended to like that. But when I had to wait a long time for food at restaurants and there is less urgency in customer service, I sometimes found myself missing American customer service. Even the local McDonalds felt like it took forever.

9. As a massive introvert, I really enjoyed living by myself away from almost everyone I knew, but it had its drawbacks. I was too shy to go to bars most of the time, even though the bar scene in San Miguel is active late into the night. Most nights I did not have many regrets, but by the end, part of me wished I had made more friends.

10. Mexico may not have changed who I am, but it has had a major impact on my life. Living in a different country taught me new ways to communicate and new ways to think. I got a front-row seat to the lives completely different from my own, which was equal parts fascinating and harrowing. I’ll never forget Hierve el Agua or Monte Albán in Oaxaca, or witnessing Mexico beat Ecuador with hundreds of thousands of people in the Zócalo in Mexico City. I’m going back the same person, but these nine weeks will have a lasting impact on me.

Jared Tucker is a summer intern at Mexico News Daily in San Miguel de Allende and a rising senior at the University of Washington in Seattle, where he is the sports editor for The Daily UW. He was previously a fellow at TheFulcrum.us, where he covered public participation in American democracy.