May 15, 20215 min read

6 lessons Mexico taught me about travel

Two weeks ago, this was me:

The scene:

My best friend from high school and I. Tulum, Mexico // April 29 - May 2. Birthday celebration + post-pandemic reunion.

1. A lot can be done in 72 hours. Do I wish I had more time in Tulum? Yes. Was it still worthwhile? Absolutely. I guess what I'm saying is, don't underestimate getting away, even if for a short time. Rarely do work, family, financial, or other obligations line up to give you the perfect vacation at the perfect moment, especially when traveling with others. And if you wait to have the time or the money, you might never go anywhere! So just say yes, and figure the rest out later. By the way, in about three days, we:

Visited Mayan ruins
Swam in a cenote (a deep, water-filled sinkhole in limestone that is created when the roof of an underground cavern collapses - Tulum is famous for them!)
Relaxed on the beach
TACOS
Got a massage
Got another massage (more on this below)
Caught some live music
Enjoyed several wonderful meals
Swam in the pool
Biked around Tulum Town, also known as 'Pueblo'

No tan mala, eh?

2. Give yourself permission to change your plans. On our last day, my friend and I had a snorkel adventure planned through Airbnb Experiences. Communication with the host was spotty leading up to the trip, so we were a little hesitant about it even before arriving in Mexico.

Once there, we quickly discovered that getting from the "Hotel Zone," where we were staying - to town or anywhere else not in walking distance - can be a challenge. There is one road to and from the beach, and it's barely wide enough for two cars, let alone walkers, bikers, etc.

With the snorkel adventure being in Akumal, about 45 min. north of Tulum, we were concerned about getting stuck in traffic on the way home. Just not the way you want to spend those last precious hours, especially for a quick trip, and a host in which we weren't sure we could have full confidence. We debated what to do, but eventually overcame our 'Midwest Nice' and requested to cancel the tour the evening before. Thankfully, our host responded and provided a refund, but I think even if he hadn't, it may still have been worthwhile. [I acknowledge this may not always be possible...just something to consider!]

Maybe it would've been amazing, but at the time, we were craving relaxation and spontaneity. So make 'em and (occasionally) break 'em, folks!

3. Really great things can come out of not so great things. Given the above, Saturday was a blank slate. We lounged on the beach for a few hours, fresh juices and books in hand. It was heavenly! One of the staff assisting us suggested a beach club a short walk from our hotel, as we had mentioned needing a good spot for lunch and had wanted to check out that scene. However, when we got there, we were turned away because we didn't have a reservation (or the willingness to pay $300 for a cabana).

Feeling pretty dejected about the "tip," we stopped for ice cream to figure out plan B. This could be a lesson in and of itself - never make decisions hangry! But I digress. Admittedly, we didn't really come up with one, but in walking a bit up the road my friend recognized the name of a restaurant and off we went. The setting at Raw Love was idyllic, and the food fresh & dietary-friendly. Our day turned around in an instant! Not to mention, the restaurant had beach access, and we stumbled upon a concert kicking off at just that time. Can't beat front row seats, in the sand, with a Corona in hand. [Pardon my rhyme!]

Unintended outcomes on vacation are inevitable; it's really about attitude. Which is a great segue into the next lesson...

4. Have an open mind. After checking in to the hotel on Thursday, we went for a walk along the beach to get the lay of the land. We stumbled upon a massage parlor of sorts on stilts, just steps from the ocean. That evening we had an early dinner reservation, but promised to come back the next day. I wondered how good it could be, with a location like that (prime for tourists!), and suggested to my friend that we see if they could do 30 minutes instead of the advertised 60 minutes. Well, I regretted that decision about two minutes in! It was the best massage I've ever had. So much so, that we decided to go back the next day. This time, for an hour :)

5. Know the currency conversion and ask for pricing up front. The practical nugget. This likely would've saved us $20 for a coconut water, $40 for three small juices, and $60 for two cocktails.

Though we did our research, I think excitement just caught up with us and we weren't really prepared to manage this on the ground. It was one of those situations where in the moment, I thought, 'wow, that's expensive, but okay?!' and my friend thought 'wow, that's expensive, but okay?!," but in the middle of an interaction, you just kind of roll with it not wanting to be difficult or rude.

A question doesn't hurt, but what's even better is to know your stuff.

6. Commit. I don't know about you, but on vacation, indecision tends to seize me. Given the limited amount of time you have in the destination, you want every activity, every meal, every day to be perfect! This isn't realistic, but it's also pretty unforgiving. Two days could go in slightly different directions and still be wonderful. Point being, I think my friend and I had better times when we made a decision and committed to that place or thing, rather than searching for the BEST one.

Friday, for example, we didn't have a dinner reservation. Admittedly, we did a Yelp search to find a restaurant, but we didn't agonize over the list; just picked one of the first options that was nearby with good reviews. This is where we ended up (right on the ocean!), which is to say nothing of the homemade guacamole, which we both will be dreaming about for some time:

Same thing happened Saturday night. Looking for somewhere to cap the evening, we walked by a bar we hadn't stumbled across in our planning. A bit of added pressure since it was my friend's birthday, but we both just shrugged and headed in. It ended up being a really amazing cocktail bar with some pretty serious jungle beats being cranked out by local musicians.