This and That

Just a few observations from me.  I know Adam's been doing most of the posting, but I have a few things I wanted to say :).  We're (he's) still working on posts for Chichen Itza, Ek Balam, and Merida - the pictures are the hardest part!

  • Driving in Mexico was better than I expected.  I was the driver, Adam the navigator, as will probably be the case for most of the times we drive over the next few months (anyone who knows us will not be surprised by that.  It's the reason I think we'd do great on The Amazing Race - usually the man wants to drive AND navigate).  The only time I felt nervous was in Cancun, where the drivers are insane and there are no lines on the road to designate specific lanes, so usually people kind of create their own lanes when they feel like it.  Because it went so well the first time, I'd prefer not to drive in Mexico again and ruin the good vibes I had.
  • Our Airbnb in Merida is incredible.  It's an old mansion with 8 different units to rent.  We stayed in one room for 3 days that had two queen beds, which was incredible - we both got to sprawl as much as we wanted.  When we wanted to extend, we had to switch rooms - this one has one king, which I swear seems bigger than most king beds.  It's about a 20 minute walk from the main squares.
  • Merida is HOT.  It gets to about 100 every day, although today was better - probably only 95 or so, and you can tell the difference.  Humidity is pretty high as well.  There's a reason siestas are popular - it's so damn hot.
  • Merida is beautiful.  It's the seat of the region of Quintana Roo, about 4 hours from Cancun.  It's the largest city in the Yucatan, and has a ton to see and do and eat!  Aside from the incredible heat, it's wonderful and we are loving it here.
  • The food!  While I love Mexican food, the best thing about Merida has been the variety of food!  While Mexican places are still without a doubt the most abundant, there are other options.  We've had Mediterranean food (falafels and Greek salads) that were great, German food that was okay, and Italian food that was AWESOME.  Maybe it's because it'd been a good month since I had real Italian food, but our Airbnb host recommended this place and said it wasn't just good Italian food for Mexico, but it would be good for New York, Paris, London.  While I was skeptical, she was right.  Homemade pasta and sauces, salads, desserts.  I left that restaurant so freaking happy.  Oliva Kitchen.  They actually have two of them in downtown, and the one we went to first (the larger, more expensive one, apparently) was closed for renovation.  So we walked two blocks to the much smaller, cozier one, which was amazing.
  • I had to get my eyebrows done.  Badly.  I get pretty particular and attached to aestheticians when I find someone I like (hi, Fabi!), so I always get my brows done before I travel.  However, being gone for 3-6 months meant that I was going to have to chance it a few times.  So, looked online, found a nice place that had prices online (!), and went there this evening.  It was about $6 after tip.  I still haven't actually looked to see what they look like - she gave me a mirror after she finished, but I was lying down and it wasn't well lit (spa atmosphere) so I just nodded and said, "Si, es bien."  I figured if they looked awful, Adam would've noticed and said something.
  • Our next stop is going to be San Cristobal.  We went back and forth with how we were going to get there, bus routes, stopping along the way, etc., but we found pretty cheap non-stop flights, so we're going to fly there on Monday and base there for a week.  We've heard great things about it - and it's at altitude, so the temperature can actually get chilly in the evening.  Not sure how I'm going to deal with that.
  • On a related note, I don't understand why Mexicans don't seem to sweat.  It's 100 degrees, they're in long pants, and they're fine.  I guess you get used to it?  I'm in shorts and a tank top or t-shirt, and I'm disgusting.  As Adam keeps saying, if sweating out "toxins" actually was true, we'd be the healthiest people in the world right now.
  • It's been just about a month since we left the USA, and it's been an interesting month.  Times have been great, times have been rough, times have been fun.  There are times where we feel like we're doing something wrong because we're not on the go everyday and maybe aren't getting as much out of the trip as we feel like we should be; and then there are times, like when we're at Chichen Itza, that I'm so thankful to have this opportunity to be looking at one of the Wonders of the World.  I'm learning that I do much better when we're somewhere for a longer period of time and can kind of settle in.  I like luxuries that we take for granted in the US, and that's okay.  It doesn't make me a bad person that I prefer air-conditioning, and my own room, and my own space.  I like having a home.  We've stayed at more Airbnbs than hostels, definitely more because of me, and we'll be at a hostel in San Cristobal (and for the last two nights in Merida, actually).  I know Adam would like more social places, so I'm working on that.  I'm always perfectly happy staying in and relaxing by myself.
  • As someone who loves television, I surprisingly really don't miss it much at all.  I'm pleasantly surprised by that.  Same with my phone.  I love wifi and the internet, but it's kind of nice to not bring my phone with me most of the time.  It's also why I rarely post on Instagram - Adam takes 99% of the pictures.
  • I have no concept anymore of dates or days of the week.  I pride myself on being great with birthdays and dates and always remembering this stuff, and I actually asked my mom today to text me on Fathers Day and on July 2 and July 15 to just remind me of the date (sorry, sister.  Love you).  Mom, give me until about 11am on those days to see if I remember on my own.
I think that's enough ramblings for now.  Like I said up there, it's been about a month, and I feel thankful to be doing this with someone who I love and trust and who I know has my back.  We're still speaking, and the biggest disagreement we keep having is how many spaces belong after a period when typing.  Anyone reading this will know where I stand.

6 comments:

  1. Great post, but it was so hard to read with all the extra spaces jumbled in there

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  2. OMG, it's one space. Jesus. How have we never had this conversation... I'm not sure I really know you anymore.

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  3. Ugh. If anyone, I'd think you'd agree with me. So far, it's five people for two spaces, three for one space.

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    1. 3 against 5? Far from insurmountable odds. The truth is not always popular.

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    2. Next thing you'll be telling me you support usage of the Oxford comma...

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  4. Ummmm, I typically do support the Oxford comma. While I occasionally don't use it, I'd say 90% of the time I do, and I definitely support its use.

    How did we ever become friends?

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