Mexico in June
Spending the day at our secret beach in Playa de los Muertos
The intensity with which I miss what I experienced in Mexico is so strong that I would drop everything right now if given a chance to return tomorrow.
I was greeted with a welcome as warm as Guadalajara itself, an amiable hello at the airport followed almost immediately with a shot of tequila. The rest of my days there followed the rhythm of the first; moments filled with introductions, dancing, and tacos, all led by the celebration of life and the Mexican heat. Tania, who was kind enough to let me stay with her and her family, was incredibly successful in her eagerness to make my experience as abundant as possible. During my stay, she welcomed me into her home and introduced me to a world full of enriching people and places I will cherish for the rest of my life.
With a trip as immersive as this one, it’s almost impossible not to find gratitude in every instance of the time spent there. While reminiscing, I think about the hand-pressed juice stand we stopped at before Tania did my nails for the first time and how you could taste the dedication in every sip. I think about the wedding I crashed and how welcome I felt in celebrating love while everyone danced freely under the moon. I think about shrimp tacos and the walk through the plant nursery we stopped at on the way home. You can find bits of my heart in all that I experienced in the corners of Guadalajara, the streets in the center of Tlaquepaque, the ranches of La Joya, and spread entirely across my true love, Sayulita.
Making lunch at our Airbnb in Sayulita
We spent four full days in Sayulita, and it was an absolute babe. I fell in love with the small surf town immediately after getting off the bus.
After a short walk to our glorious Airbnb, we reset for a few minutes before getting ready for the day with music and bikinis, a routine we followed for the rest of our stay. Because Tania and Chuy had already been there once before, they had a few secret spots that they acquainted me with during our time there. After a short climb to the secluded beach, we were completely present in the water, releasing everything weighing us down and allowing the currents to sweep it into the ocean's depths. The entire atmosphere of this trip was incredibly recharging and replenishing. I always feel like my best self sitting in the sea and soaking in the sun, and the companionship I was graced with played a big part in the grandness of my joy.
We went out every night that we were there, routinely calling it a day with a walk down the beach. Our days were spent sunbathing, sitting in trees, climbing rocks, making friends, petting dogs, walking through markets, and trying not to get beat by the waves while taking in the ocean's magnificence. Filled with connection, gratitude, memorable interactions with surfers, new tanlines, and passionate conversation over passion fruit margaritas, the appreciation I feel for our time on the West Coast is a feeling that will never entirely leave me.
I spent my last few days in Mexico much like my first, with a Quinceanera immediately after we got home from the beach, a day trip to Chapala, and a night of driving around La Joya while making deeper connections and soaking in my last few moments in the country. The time I spent venturing on this trip, I have surpassed the enjoyment of new experiences. I could expand my understanding of different cultures and perspectives through my time there. I am incredibly inspired by the philosophy of Mexico’s people. Every day is painted with an appreciation for the wealth of life with energy so grand you couldn’t escape it even if you wanted to. In all that I was immensely blessed to experience, I now hold a collection of new memories to cherish and tremendous admiration for daily living.