Year on the Road

Leaving California was, in many ways, the best decision I've made in a long time. It's been about one full year since I bought a one-way ticket straight to Mexico and I could still remember how nerve racking it was boarding the plane. I didn't have any clue on how it was gonna work out or how long my stay abroad would end up being. Thing was, I'd only been to Mexico one time with my family to the most touristy island of Cozumel for a week vacation. Although it completely changed my perspective on the country, I really didn't know what I was in for. As a born Mexican-American, I was ashamed of how little I knew about the motherland that it provoked me to venture out and learn about my ancestral roots.

On April 6th, 2021 after multiple trials and failures, and yes during a pandemic, I began my journey as a nomad abroad. Luckily at the time I held a position that I could work remotely, so the first spot I stayed was Playa Del Carmen. It was a place I had stayed one night after visiting Xcaret with my family on the visit before. Figured this would be a good place to start my new "lifestyle." I've moved around different cities in the U.S. before, but not like this. In fact, my biggest worry was that I would be alone and unable to communicate with anyone due to not knowing enough Spanish...

That fear evaporated when I met a fellow American living out the same dream. Then quickly that turned into meeting more new friends, many from the United States. I realized that I wasn't the only one who had this idea of working out in paradise. In fact, PDC was a hub for digital nomads from many countries, especially since Mexico stayed open while most of the world had closed.

These new friendships helped pave the way for a path I never would have tried without them. Basically, on a whim, I tried scuba diving mostly because I wanted to hang out with new people. Then in a short period of time, I received my Open Water Certification for diving that changed the way I saw the world and myself. Within the period of a year, I'd dive about 12 times. Not too many, but enough to want to chase after my Master Diver certification, and maybe one day teach others of what has continued to inspire my travels.

In the span of a year, I've visited 11 Mexican states, including Mexico City, and the country of Guatemala. Each place had its own unique type of traditions, culture, and food. Starting a blog has not been a priority of any kind, however it's hard to share with my friends and family back home the cool stuff I've seen and experienced just by talking about it. So, to streamline the question, "What have you been up to?" I'll be writing about my experience in each location and what it has to offer.

Within my year of traveling abroad, I've learned a handful of lessons I'd like to pass along. Just some lil nuggets to help ya out when you get here.

Top Lessons:

• English is common in tourist areas
  • Outside of the tourist areas you'll often find that no one speaks English, which for many travelers can be tough. Folks here are proud of their culture and welcome every chance to speak with travelers. Many encourage you to speak Spanish which makes it easier to practice.
• Mexican people are super friendly (expect when driving)
  • Mexican people are super friendly and often times will open their doors to strangers for food or some coffee. The saying "Mi Casa es tu Casa" really rings true here. That being said, all of that niceness fly’s out the window when they step into the driver’s seat. Call it suppressed rage or whatever, its advised that you always drive defensively here!
• The Mayan language and it's people still exists (with many variations)
  • This was something of a surprise to me when I first arrived to the Yucatan. Apparently, there are large communities of Mayan people where Spanish is their second language. It's interesting because Mayan's are not all the same. Each subset of folk has their own distinct dialect, making it hard to even communicate within each other's communities. For example, the Mayan people of Palenque, Chiapas are different from the coastal Mayans from the Yucatan. Depending on who you ask, the people of Palenque's astronomical charts are far more accurate. Worth some investigation.
• Cash is king
  • I'm sure this is an easy one for most travelers but spending down pesos will take you farther than your average dollar. Exchange rates play a big part in this. If you're out spending U.S. dollars, you'll find that individual shop's exchange rates change, making it a bit unpredictable to know the true cost of something. Do yourself a favor, get pesos. Just don't do it at the airport.
• Resourcefulness goes a long way here
  • In much of Mexico, you'll find yourself in awe of the rigged together contraption used to carry out a function. These are a people that use whatever they must solve a problem. Electrical lines here look like a mess, sidewalks and roads are often terrible and zoning doesn’t seem like an issue here. That being said, you'll be surprised to find some lovely home interiors inside what looks to be an abandon home from the outside. Never judge a book by its cover is indeed true here.
• Public transport is the best form of transportation
  • Unlike the U.S. where you need a car to get everywhere, Mexico has a great public transportation system. From taxis, combies, and even metro trains, you could get almost anywhere for a cheap price. Cool thing is that taxis are negotiable so always ask the price before you jump in... or else your subject to whatever they'd like to charge. Sometimes you'll find domestic flights are cheaper than taking the bus. Awesome.
• If you're not early, you're late.
  • This is a basic one and really applies to most things... However, I'm putting this one down mainly as a reminder for myself because wow... I've made some close calls on things by not planning. Look, here in Mexico, there's always something that gets in the way of arriving on time. Plan accordingly folks.

Still here?... Wow thanks! Still figuring out this blogging thing so feedback is much appreciated. If you haven't already, please consider subscribing to the blog for insights on travels through the perspective of a nomad!