Ahhh… our Puerto Vallarta trip was a blast!
I now have my first stamp on my passport. Yay!
During this week-long vacation, I picked up random bits of wisdom mixed with humor…
“The most important word in the Spanish language is cervezas (beer),” our hotel concierge insisted upon our arrival.
“Water is known as Corona Light,” the bartender told us.
“Everything in Mexico is slower than the U.S… due to ‘Mexican time.’ So be patient with everything,” said an article I read on the plane before arriving.
I thought we were gonna DIE in the taxi rides, as there seemed to be zero rules on lane-changing, signaling, and speeding.
Nonetheless, Dan and I enjoyed the perfect trip. Even with a few bumps, we succeeded in creating a beautiful overall experience. Minimal drama, no fighting, and conquering every minor problem (I lost a wheel on my suitcase). We drank too much one night, I drunk-dialed the doctor… and proceeded to boldly refuse every prescription drug she recommended for my intoxication.
“She only does organic/natural stuff,” Dan explained, and the doctor rolled her eyes. (Hey, western medicine is bullshit even in Mexico.)
Other than that, it was a success all around. We spent our days lying on the beach, soaking up the sun, using boogie boards in the ocean. I got pretty good at riding the waves.
We even went snorkeling. I loved being in the ocean. Fish swam beneath our feet.
Being in another country opens you up like a flower, petals stretching towards the sun… you want to soak up every ounce of awesomeness life has to offer, while filtering out any BS.
Entering into a different culture is pretty exciting, a little intimidating, and life-changing if you allow it to be. You realize how big the world is, how infinite the possibilities are to experience whatever you want.
Our hotel room had beautiful ocean views… the pics we snapped looked so good, they almost looked fake or Photoshopped. But they weren’t.
The 87 degree weather was a nice break from Colorado’s cold-as-fuck nights. It felt like summer again!
We ate amazing Italian food, splurged on authentic Mexican food, went sailing, and got into some adventures. I got a few shades darker in the sun.
As promised, I didn’t do a single ounce of work!
By the end of the trip, we were ready to go home.
Dan and I are already brainstorming where to go next…
Weirdly enough, I found myself wanting to speak German while in Mexico. I dusted off my distant memories of three college semesters of German. “Ich bin eine Schriftstellarin,” I declared (“I am a writer”). I pretended I was a fluent German speaker, unleashing all of my known phrases on Dan…which he found amusing.
I also threw in the only line of French I knew, for good measure. “Voulez-vous danser avec moi ce soir?” (or “Do you want to dance with me tonight?” – courtesy of an Abba lyric I’ve always remembered.)
Meanwhile, I was amazed at how quickly two semesters of high school Spanish came flooding back. (Yes. High school Spanish. I didn’t grow up speaking the language. Nor did anyone in my family. Never assume anything about a person based on their last name, or their looks.)
There are so many languages in the world. But the best language is always simplicity.
(Simple nouns and verbs go a long way in your anti-marketing content.)
Our trip was a success because we kept everything simple. We didn’t over-complicate a thing. And now we’ve got memories to share for a lifetime.
Michelle Lopez Boggs is a copywriter, copywriting mentor, and author of "The Anti-Marketing Manifesto: How to Sell Without Being a Sellout." She's helped her clients sell millions of dollars' worth of products and services online by using the MEI(S) principle — motivate, educate, and inspire, and sell. 