Viva Mexico

I lived in Mexico during college so it feels like a home away from home. Mexico is a huge country with a diverse landscape, so you can visit over and over again and always see something new, but always experience the best of the familiar things, like the food and culture. On this trip, Julian and I went to Jalisco and then drove cross-country to San Miguel de Allende, where neither of us had been before, and it ended up being one of our top two favorite trips of all time. 

JALISCO

Jalisco is seaside, and the climate tropical. We spent our time, in exactly this particular order, drinking Micheladas, speaking Spanish, eating fresh fruit//tortillas//guacamole//seafood, lounging on the beach and poolside, exploring the colorful architecture, snorkeling, horseback riding, climbing gigantic art instillations, picking mangos and bananas fresh off the trees (beware, mango sap can be poisonous!), flying (and crashing) Julian's new drone and drinking tequila. Nothing could be better (except for the drone).

COSTALEGRE RESORT LIFE

Jalisco is actually home to some pretty phenomenal resorts. Usually in Mexico, I prefer to spend time in town, at the markets, eating street food and pretending I'm local. But on this trip, we took a little detour and indulged in some of the amazing Costalegre seaside resorts that Jalisco has to offer. Costa Careyes in a little-known, private community of ocean castles, villas, casitas and bungalows that come together to create its own little town. The Careyes community eccentric and artistic, and draws many ex-pats from Europe and the United States alike. 

HORSES, TURTLES & BONFIRES

Not what you'd expect when visiting Mexico! We took an amazing horseback ride at sunset on a never-ending expanse of private beach, through banana and mango groves and through fields where zebra roam freely (no, zebra are not indigenous to Mexico!). 

We woke up one morning to find a mother sea turtle, who had laid a nest of eggs on the beach, making her pilgrimage back to the ocean. Julian insisted that I leave her alone, but when an enormous wave knocked her on her shell and she couldn't turn herself back over, I made the executive decision to turn her back over so she could safely finish her journey to the sea. Because #WOMENHELPINGWOMEN

We also had the magical experience of eating a private dinner on the beach under the stars, with beautiful glittering lanterns surrounding us and a ten-foot bonfire roaring in front of the crashing waves. 

Magical would be an understatement! 

ROADTRIP TO SAN MIGUEL

After Jalisco, with me in the passenger seat and in tears (did NOT want to leave!!), we drove cross country to San Miguel de Allende. San Miguel is a beautiful city with colorful walls, doors, and a vibrant zocalo. We tried all of the local foods and visited nearly every single market in town. We came home with so much stuff that our New York apartment is looking pretty Mexico-inspired.

TEOTIHUACAN

Just before flying home we made a very worthwhile stop in Teotihuacan. I visited in college when I studied so much about the history of the Aztecs, but had not been back since, and Julian had never visited. Teotihuacan was considered a holy city and means "the place where the gods were created" in Nahuatl ("näˌwätl"), the language of the Aztecs.  This ancient city dates back to the 1st and 7th centuries A.D., and its monuments are magnificent. In homage to the ancient gods of the Aztecs, the Temple of Quetzalcoatl and the Pyramids of the Sun and the Moon are laid out with geometric and symbolic signficicance. Only about 1 hour from Mexico City, this day trip is a must for anyone visiting central Mexico!