2 Weeks ’til Tulum: Hopes and Fears

Two weeks. The trip that I was supposed to go on a year ago before the world shut down, the trip that I casually bought plane tickets for in November, not sure if it would even be possible, is finally only two weeks away.

How long has it been since these pre-flight jitters? The excitement and fear that comes with facing the unknown and getting to cross so many things off my bucket list? I haven’t been out of the country since September 2019 and this is the first time that I’m ever going truly solo– no friends waiting to welcome me to their apartment or meet me at a destination further down the line. And I. Can’t. Wait.

This solo trip was planned by design. I had a friend interested in coming– he has the time and money, he speaks fluent Spanish, and we’ve had a great time travelling together before, but as he delayed getting his ticket and finalizing plans, I started to realize that this trip has been my baby for so long that I’m not willing to compromise on any of it. I don’t want to have to check in and see what anyone else wants to do. I don’t want to navigate around someone’s preferences, or mood, or lack of a SCUBA diving license. I want to follow my every whim. Even after all my careful planning, if I wake up one day and feel like saying “fuck it” to my plans to get up at 7 AM and drive out to the pyramids, I want to do that with no guilt and no shame or cajoling from other people. And that, I can only get alone.

Not to mention, although I originally saw his ability to speak Spanish as a plus, is it really? After a year and a half of studying I can read decently well, but I have never had much practice speaking or listening. It’s going to be challenging in the best way– and I’m not so sure I would rise to that challenge if I knew I had a completely fluent companion to save me the effort. Making this a solo trip will force me to seek out interactions and make new friends, and put my Spanish to the practical test of getting my needs met. (I am aware that many places in the Yucatan will have plenty of English speakers but that’s not the point, is it?)

The only thing that has me a little scared still is the police. I have been scouring forums and blogs and Facebook groups to learn everything I can about the unfortunate fact that some police officials in Mexico seem to be regularly collecting bribes from tourists. The main issue seems to be getting pulled over while driving rental cars, whether you are following the posted speed limits or not. From what I have read, if you do not give them some sort of monetary bribe, they will take your driver’s license down to the police station forcing you to come pay to retrieve it (and begs the question, how are you supposed to get there with no drivers license?). I have heard that the best way to get out of such an encounter is to have $20-40 US dollars visible, in the cupholder maybe, and to just be polite and hand it to the officers as if it is all you have. Plenty of tourists have rented cars in Mexico with no problem whatsoever and I dearly hope that I will as well, but especially as a sola rubia, I’d be remiss not to do my research and learn all I can about the risks. From what I’ve read, these interactions are not violent, just scary, and avoidable with a hired driver or good Spanish, but as neither my workbooks nor Duolingo have prepared me for shakedowns by la policia, I think I’m better off accepting the potential loss of a few bucks and playing it safe.

Other than that, I am pure excitement! I shared my rough itinerary here a few weeks ago, but other than my lodgings and my ticket to Xel-ha I have left everything open and flexible to follow my whimsy every day. I know that I want to scuba dive, and preferably in a cenote, but why book an excursion through a tour guide months or weeks in advance when I may discover somewhere in my travels that feels like a can’t-miss opportunity? I have a long list of interests and attractions and my Google My Maps is full of pins, but what I actually end up doing each day will no more or less than exactly what I feel like doing. I hate the idea of planning a trip so extensively that if I make friends at a hostel or a beach bar who invite me to something fun that I will have to decline because of some ticket bought months ago because of a TripAdvisor review or a rec from some influencer who was probably paid for her positive opinion. I have left ample room for adventure!

This is the first trip I’ve ever taken where I’m living off much more than a shoestring budget. This is also the first trip I’ve taken where I’ve saved up money in advance and even did research into which of my credit cards has no foreign transaction fees. I even opened up a Charles Schwab account to be able to pull out money with no ATM fees all over the world. It’s my third international trip and I’m finally becoming a little more savvy about some things.

Of course COVID is still a concern, but I have watched people travel domestically, internationally, and up and down my state for a year now with no consequences. People pour into Disneyworld from all over every day. I received my first 2 injections in a vaccine trial and I check my temp at the same time every day. I wear a mask, I wash and sanitize my hands, and I stick to outside venues even though Florida has been 100% open for over 6 months. They now offer testing at airports and hotels since you need a negative test to return to the US. I’m being selfish, I know, but I’ve done my risk assessment and made my choice. As a teacher who has worked every single day of this pandemic (when it started I was still at a preschool which never shut down and did not even allow us to wear masks at work until June) I am ready for a well-deserved break, taking what precautions I can to keep others safe, of course. I know other people would make different choices, but this is mine.

All that said, I absolutely cannot wait! It never feels real until I’m sitting on that airplane preparing for takeoff. Only 10 more work days. Two more weeks. The though of this trip has gotten me through some really dark times the past few months. What a dream come true!