The guard held out his hand before I even reached the ticket window. Not for my entrance fee — for my sunscreen. I’d driven ninety minutes from Playa del Carmen through the jungle heat, windows down, cumbia crackling on the radio, mentally preparing myself for the famous beam of light at Cenote Suytun. And this … Read more
I was standing in the middle of Oaxaca’s Central de Abastos market at 2 p.m., sweat running down my temples, holding a paper cup of agua fresca that a vendor had just prepared in front of me. The drink was electric pink, impossibly cold, and topped with what looked like crushed ice. I was thirsty. … Read more
I have a confession: I have never once planned a trip around a museum, a beach, or even a particularly stunning mountain view. Every single itinerary I’ve ever built starts with a question — what’s being eaten there, and when? If you share this particular affliction, then November in Mexico is basically your Super Bowl. … Read more
I spent fourteen months putting money into a travel fund that everyone else called frivolous. When it finally had enough zeros in it, I spent about forty-five minutes looking at destinations before I bought the ticket — a Mexico cruise with stops in Cozumel and Cabo San Lucas, two ports I’d been quietly obsessing over … Read more
After two years of looking at the same four walls, I made a list of every place I’d told myself “I’ll go when things settle down.” Then I started at the top — and somehow, Sayulita, Mexico was waiting right there. I showed up with zero surfing experience, a slightly sunburned nose, and no idea … Read more
My father worked for 38 years saying he’d travel when he retired. He retired and then kept finding reasons not to go. I watched that happen and promised myself I wouldn’t do the same thing — so when the pull of the Pacific finally got loud enough, I booked a one-way ticket to Mexico and … Read more
I’d never traveled alone before this trip. The thought honestly terrified me — no one to split decisions with, no one to blame if something went sideways. That was also exactly the point. So I chose Mexico — a country I’d written off as “too risky” based on headlines alone — and what I found … Read more
We’d been saying “we should all go somewhere together” for six years. After the fourth postponed trip and two weddings that got in the way, we stopped talking and just bought tickets — to Mexico. It turned out to be the easiest decision we ever made, because Mexico has this rare ability to be everything … Read more
