Further Afield - Mexico

It has been over 30 years ago and yet I remember it like it was yesterday.  The sights, smells and tastes of my first trip to Mexico.  I had never been out of the country before and spoke very little Spanish but I couldn’t wait to go.  My hotel was beautiful – it was an open air, old fashioned Mexican style right on the beach.  The first thing I had to learn was how to say “please remove the lizard from my room”.   I was enchanted beyond belief.

My first night at dinner I was very nervous and trying to order my meal in Spanish was a bit of a challenge but everyone was so polite and helpful I quickly felt at ease.  That was my first experience with people being so curious about the American woman traveling on her own.  The hotel staff made it a point to give me special attention and I felt so welcome and safe with them.

Later that evening I met a group of Canadians and we hit it off immediately.  This was their annual trip and they asked me to join them for some of the activities they had planned.  We spent the next few days swimming in the ocean, horseback riding and of course lots and lots of fiestas, it was so amazing I couldn’t believe I had really done this.  I had come to this foreign country all by myself and it was incredible.  The food was fantastic and the people were so warm and gracious, it felt magical.

I was so proud of myself and felt very brave.  That trip changed my life and gave me the confidence to go anywhere in the world and all I could think about was where I wanted to go next!