5th Place Winner, 6th Grade - Mexico

Congratulations to Alejandra from a middle school in northern Utah. Alejandra is a first generation American who wants to get in touch with her roots and visit Mexico! This is a delightful essay. Alejandra, I genuinely hope one day you get to meet your Grandma!

If I could visit anywhere in the world, it would be the wonderful country of Mexico. My parents grew up in Mexico, but I've never seen it for myself. I have listened to stories about Mexico since I was little, and I would love to see what life was like for my parents when they were my age. Unfortunately Mexico is ages away and I don't want to be in a hot, stuffy van that smells like cheese for a few days.

I hear from friends who have been to Mexico that it is very tropical there. My mom has told me that close to where she lived there were a bunch of grapefruit trees, and when the fruit ripened all she had to do was reach out and grab a free snack. My mom loves grapefruit and her favorite drink is grapefruit soda. However, grapefruit is the last thing I would eat on a deserted island; I prefer oranges. If oranges were the last fruit on earth, you wouldn't hear me complain.

Many people grown their own food and raise their own animals in Mexico. I wouldn't mind working for my food, so long as it's fresh and tastes like Mexico. I love Mexican food, my mom cooks it everyday. My sister hates onions, so there isn't much she can eat without grimacing. My parents claim that if we ever have the opportunity to visit Mexico, I would enjoy the food, but my sister would suffer. I love tacos with lots of hot sauce. My sister would rather eat a raw onion that eat tacos with hot sauce.

I would like to visit Mexico because my parents say the sky shines with bright stars all year long, a treat that an astronomer can't see in the United States. Mexico also has beautiful sunsets. You have probably seen the beautiful lightening storms in Utah...well, our lightening storms are NOTHING like what they have in Mexico. Their storms are fiercer. In the winter it doesn't snow, it rains, and it rains hard. My mom says that when she was little she would play out in the rain, it was as warm as a sunny day.

Mexico has beautiful tropical forests to explore. I'd better bring some sunscreen lotion and insect repellent! I wouldn't want to get sunburned or bitten to death on my trip.

Mexico is notable because it is where the majority of my family lives. I would like to visit my grandparents. They live so far away I haven't had the chance to meet them yet, however they are really nice on the phone. I would also like to visit the rest of my family in Mexico. It is really hard to make a living in Mexico, so I'm glad I don't live there.

When arriving in Mexico, the first thing I would do is meet my relatives! I want to see my grandpa, and I want to see where my mom and dad lived when they were kids. I want to find out more about my ancestors (I suspect I'm part Aztec, part Mayan). The Aztec were complete savages, but I also want to find out of my family came from Spain, or if Aztec blood runs through my veins. I could also be party Mayan! My dad claims we are both, but I'd like to learn which part I am most of.

I hope one day I am able to visit Mexico to discover where I am from.

Alejandra, your parents should be very proud of you! The sacrifices they've made to make a better life for you are definitely paying off! Your essay was so well written, it was very entertaining and you have a cute sense of humor. I hope you enter the Kylie Klein Writing Competition again next year. Nice job!