Mexico, I Love You: Part 3

*This is the final part of my Mexican adventure. Enjoy!*

Saturday, August 13, 2011

 This morning I had to say goodbye to the Caribbean Sea. It was sad but it was also quite joyful. I miss P., I miss my friends, I miss being around people who understand me without judging me, and I miss being spontaneous. I was sad to leave the beautiful waters of Mexico, but I was not sad to leave the resort. Honestly, I’ve had enough resort to last me a lifetime.

After bidding farewell to the Caribbean, I began mentally preparing for a typical day of travel; standing in line, going through security, waiting at the gate, flying (which is stressful enough for me), driving, unpacking, and recuperating. And the morning went as expected- I felt like a sheep being herded through a foreign airport and running around like a chicken with my head cut off.  I may have possibly drenched my shirt in sweat from all that running. Sick.

So as we begin boarding, I realize we don’t have our seats assigned. Well, great. I didn’t prepare myself for this. As they walk away to reprint boarding passes with assigned seats on them the only thing keeping me sane is a mantra of “Please don’t let me have a nervous breakdown right now. I don’t want to be hospitalized in a Mexican hospital.” And as I get handed the boarding passes, I keep repeating the mantra and fail to realize that we have been seated in Business Class. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, my crazy hippie self got to enjoy the luxuries of Business Class sipping on unlimited free cocktails while listening to Radiohead’s King of Limbs and typing up this blog entry. Did I mention I’m sitting Indian style?

 It must be my good karma. Seriously. I knew generously tipping the overworked Mexican staff would pay off.

 I’m going to switch gears now. I wouldn’t want you all to jinx my awesome karma with your envy. Just kidding. Maybe. Sort of.

 I realize that I haven’t given much insight into my daily activities at the resort. Well that’s because my daily routine consisted of a few essential every single day

1.     Wake up

2.     Go back to bed for another hour

3.     Get my ass out of bed, put on my bathing suit, and stumble to the breakfast buffet

4.     Eat

5.     Go to the bar and get a drink

6.     Get in the Caribbean with drink in hand

7.     Swim

8.     Go lay on the outdoor beds

9.     Roll over into the shade when noon rolls around

10. Get another drink

11. Eat lunch

12. Go back to the room for a nap

13. Wake up from nap

14. Go to the bar and get a drink

15. Get back in the ocean

16. Walk along the boardwalk, drink in hand

17. Go back on the outdoor bed and lay around

18. Go back in the ocean

19. Back on the bed

20. Back in the ocean

21. Go back to the room, take a shower

22. Get dinner.

23. Go to sleep.

And that was my routine every single day, except for when we went to Chichen Itza (which means ‘Nest of Snakes’ according to the Mayan friend we made).  It’s a very relaxing routine, but being a person of adventure and spontaneity, I was over it after the first day.  I hate feeling stuck, and I definitely felt stuck at the resort. So all in all, great learning experience, beautiful beaches, amazing Mayan ruins, and fantastic memories. Would I do it again? Absolutely. Would I stay at a resort when I do it again? Absolutely not.  But that’s just my opinion and my preference.

(P.S. I just found out we have our own bathroom and she refilled my Jack and diet coke without even asking. Perfect timing cause I feel some turbulence coming on.)

 So, since I don’t have very many details of my daily routine in Mexico, I will let some pictures speak for themselves. Enjoy amigos!

Also, I get to see P. in roughly 3 hours. And that makes me very, very happy. Not as happy as I am sitting in Business Class, but pretty close. Just kidding. For real this time.

I like to climb things. (Photo credit: Iryna Sazonova)

Super awesome wave shot!

Iryna and I at dinner the night I arrived; hence the super tanned Iryna and albino Yelena.

I didn't feel too bad not finishing everything on my plate at this resort...a bird's gotta eat, right?

I like to climb things, Iryna likes to chase things. I climb everything (see first picture and picture below) and Iryna chases everything; peacocks, giant lizards, crabs, even fish in the water. There's nothing that girl can't catch. In fact, I'm pretty sure if I let her continue, she would be holding this peacock 2 minutes after I snapped this picture. But then there would probably be blood involved; and no one likes blood on vacation.

Again, I like to climb things. (Photo credit: Iryna Sazonova)

Vanilla and Chocolate.

Magical full moon two nights before we left. (Photo credit: Iryna Sazonova)

Howling at the moon. (Thank you Iryna for catching this moment.)

Rainbow on our last day there. (Photo credit: Iryna Sazonova)

Thanks for reading! Can't wait to share more stories and pictures with all of you!

Mexico, I Love You: Part 2

 *This is a continuation of yesterday's post*

Also, this post is flooded with pictures. If you haven't figured it out, I love love love photography, and thankfully, Iryna does do. A decent amount of our shots end up looking like this:

(Photo credit: Iryna Sazonova)

 Anyways- back to the original post...

Thursday, August 11

This is what yesterday consisted of

Looks like the Mayans discovered tic-tac-toe before we did.

Amazing how these carvings survived thousands of years.

Carvings of human skulls on stakes.

A Wonder of the World.

This is also what yesterday consisted of:

As you can tell from the first set of pictures, Chichen Itza was absolutely amazing, powerful, and unforgettable. And as you can tell from the second set of pictures, it was anything but serene.  As soon as you step foot through the park entrance, you have vendors running up to you, completely oblivious to the fact that you’re trying to listen to a tour guide and enjoy the experience, holding souvenirs while yelling “One dollar! Only one dollar! Diez pesos! Si? Si?” I mean they literally get in your face and yell over the tour guide. If you say “no thanks” that will be an invitation for three more vendors to walk over and try to change your mind; and if you ignore the vendor they will stand there yelling “one dollar” in your ear over and over and over again. And if the wasn’t bad enough if you actually see something you like and want to buy it for a dollar the conversation will go something like this-

“Only one dollar for that?”

“Yes.Si.”

“Okay. I’ll take it!”

“Si? Okay, twenty dollars por favor.”

“But you said it was only one dollar.”

“Yes, it’s one dollar off the price. This costs twenty-one dollars but I give it to you for twenty. Si?”

“No, I’m not interested anymore.”

“Okay fifteen dollars. Look how beautiful. Si?”

“No.”

“Okay fourteen dollars.”

“No thanks.”

But at this point it’s too late. You are now surrounded by at least 10 other vendors trying to sell you the exact same thing, you lost your tour guide, you are in a foreign speaking country, and you have no idea how you’ll get back to your resort. Game over.

(Photo credit: Iryna Sazonova)

A little more annoying than the vendors themselves are the merchandise they were selling. For instance, take the jaguar whistle. Apparently it's supposed to sound like a jaguar in the wild. Kind of cool, right? It is, unless you have to listen to it all day long. Every vendor was selling one and as soon as you passed by, they all thought you needed to hear it. Over and over and over again. If I never hear the sound of that whistle ever again, I will live a happy life. 

Tired after a long day of walking, absorbing, and picture taking. (Photo credit: Iryna Sazonova)

Aside from the vendors though, Chichen Itza was an incredible place. I could feel the power of the people vibrating in the stones and walking on the same ground the Mayans did was magical. It really was a beautiful experience. 

Walking on Mayan ground.

Chichen Inza also consists of a giant sinkhole that we were able to swim in. It was beautiful! Definitely an experience of a lifetime. We splashed, we swam, we floated. 

Kind of like frogs in a pond, right?

A little blurry, but hopefully you can tell that's me!

 And after getting out of the water, feeling rejuvenated and blissed out, we had the pleasure of finding out that the Mayans used the sinkhole to dump dead bodies into. Seriously. They found bones and skulls at the bottom, some 150 feet down.  Sick, right? Naw. I think it’s pretty awesome. I mean, who can say that they swam with the greatest warriors, sorcerers, and magicians known to man? Yes, ladies and gentlemen; I swam with the Gods and Goddesses, the objects of myths and legends, the stars of fairytales and folklore, our ancestors of the ancient Mayan civilization. I mean, who can say that, right?

We were also able to drive through some villages along the route. And let me tell you, it's quite a humbling experience. However, our guide made some really great points; he said

"You have to have an open mind when driving through these villages. These people live in a way that most Americans are quite unaccustomed to. But these people don't know about money, vacations, fancy gadgets, luxury departments stores, and all other modern day conveniences. And because they don't know about them, they don't miss them. You don't miss what you don't have and what you don't know about. These people experience very little stress and they are happy. And even with all the luxuries of U.S. life, most Americans cannot say the same."

Our guide was awesome. He also said something powerful when it came to buying souvenirs from the vendors at Chichen Itza. He said

"These people will try to sell you fake things. And yes, everyone needs to make a living but not in this way. Because when you go home and realize what you bought is fake, you won't say 'Those damn vendors at Chichen Itza', you will say 'Those damn Mexicans'."

Powerful words. Very humbling, also. 

The white embroidered dresses are traditions Mayan dresses.

As you can see, yesterday's adventure was just that- an adventure. A once in a lifetime adventure. And this morning I got to experience something just as powerful.

Sunrise. Bliss. Bliss. Bliss.

 *Check back tomorrow for the final part of my Mexican adventure*

Mexico, I Love You: Part 1

I decided that I would attempt to do semi-regular updates from Mexico. Yes, they will all be posted at once as soon as I get back, but they will have some sort of chronological organization. However, since I have so many pictures and stories to share, my Mexican adventure will have to be split into multiple parts. Enjoy!

Saturday, August 6, 2011.

I hate flying. I would rather get my teeth pulled at a dentist’s office than board a plane. But…here I am. And you know what? I actually did good. No cocktails for me on this flight!!  I think the little personal T.V. built-in the seat in front of me with all the free movies, music, and games might have had something to do with it.  I was totally distracted playing “Bookworm” and when turbulence hit, I didn’t grasp my arm rests in sheer terror but got irritated at not being able to navigate the touch screen in front of me.  I can hear the little voice now, “Nice job, kid. Nice job.”

But while the flight filled me with a sense of confidence, it quickly dissipated as soon as that plane door opened. We were herded onto a bus like a flock of sheep and then spent 2 hours trying to get through customs and another hour getting our baggage and dodging locals attempting to sell you things at ridiculous prices.  Finally, we found our “guys in navy pants and flower print shirts” (that’s what we were told to look for. Awesome.), boarded our little van, and spend the next 2 hours being chauffeured to our resort.  Lucky for me, I got the VIP seat (shotgun!), and didn’t have to cram in with the other vacationers. Unlucky for the driver, I fell asleep and may or may not have snored. A little.

When I opened my eyes and wiped the drool off my face (maybe),  I decided to get to know this little man next to me playing Bob Marley on his crazy looking IPod while restraining from driving like a local.

“Hola.”

“Hola. Como te lammas?”

“Yelena, y tu?”

“Pedro. You speak some Spanish?”

“Un poco.”

“(Some really fast crazy Spanish words that sound like gibberish)”

“Ohh…I don’t know those words.”

Laughter.

I learned that Pedro has lived in Playa del Carmen all of his life, his mother was part of the Mayan lineage, he played pro-soccer for a little while, he’s never been outside of Mexico, and he gets to swim in the ocean everyday if he chooses to. Tough life, I tell you. But as soon as that thought crosses my mind this happens-

“So you said you live in Michigan?”

“Yes.”

“How is the winter? It’s beautiful?”

“It is. Well, until January hits and you’re ready for the snow to melt.”

“Ooohhh. Snow. It’s beautiful?”

“Yes. But it does get difficult driving through it sometimes. And you have to shovel your driveway, and hope that the roads are shoveled, and pray that your shoes stay dry as you walk out to your car.”

“But it’s beautiful?”

“Yes. It is.”

“I’ve never seen snow.”

And at that moment my heart broke just a bit and I found a new appreciation for snow… Ask me again in January and I may have changed my mind.

“Well, maybe one day you will Pedro.”

“Yes. Maybe someday.”

When we got to the resort, aside from checking in and dropping off our luggage, I threw on my bathing suit, grabbed a Margarita, and bolted for the ocean. Did I mention that my lovely friend Iryna made a few friends for us? (A little back story: Iryna arrived at the resort a week before me and then we met up for another week of relaxation).  Four margaritas and 6 hours later, I forced myself out of the luke warm waters and into my bed.  I have to say; I don’t understand why people choose the pools when there’s a whole ocean in front of them. You definitely won’t find me in a pool this week. Until next time!

Our Beach!

Resort at night (photo credit: Iryna Sazonova)

 Monday, August 8

Yesterday I spent the whole day on the beach. Seriously, from 7am-7pm (excluding a 2 hour nap from 3-5pm), I had a very efficient routine of swimming in the ocean, drying off in the sun, getting a drink, and starting all over again. Ocean, sun, drink, repeat. I even took an ocean kayak out with Iryna; but when we saw a huge mass of “sea turtles” only to realize that it was a huge mass of rocks, I knew I probably had a little too much sun that day. Well, a little too much doesn’t even begin to explain it. The backside of my body looks like an overripe tomato and any fabric that touches it feels like thousands of needle pricks. My number one goal on this trip was not to get burned. And I failed on day 1. 

   Now before you get on my case about sun block, I should mention that I wore SPF 85. But I guess SPF 85 doesn’t shield you from 10 hours of intense Mexican sun exposure. And having the sensitive, fair Baltic skin I happen to have doesn’t help either. So today, I’m hanging out in the hotel room. No ocean for me today. And as much as that sucks, I’m actually kind of looking forward to it. And I know my body will be grateful; maybe it will even forgive me for frying it and stop hurting by tomorrow. I’m also keeping it light on the food, so that my body can focus all its energy on healing my skin and not digesting food. Lots of rest, lots of water, and lots of quiet time.

            That is actually one thing I’m really starting to miss- my alone time. I’m the kind of individual who requires at least an hour of quality alone time every day. And at an all-inclusive resort, it’s very difficult to find that. There is absolutely no escape from people, staff, and the noise. It’s quite overwhelming, actually. So I’m looking at my bed-ridden day as a blessing; I’ll get to journal, read, watch some movies, and just spend some quiet time with my Self, by myself.

Tuesday, August 9

I realized last night that ever since I got to Mexico I’ve been in a funk. And I didn’t realize this until I snapped out of my funk. And I snapped out of my funk by taking a little bit of alone time to soak everything in. I like to be alone at times. In fact, I need to be alone at times in order to unwind and put everything in perspective, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

So yesterday after lying in bed and resting until 5pm, I decided to roll out of bed and hit the beach.  So I put on some pants and a long sleeved shirt (I wasn’t risking doing more damage to my skin than I already have), and just walked along the coast with Iryna and our friend Sean to get away from the resort circus. And just being away from that craziness quickly lifted my mood. In fact, it wasn’t long before I was the same ‘ole Yelena my friends were waiting for. 

Our friend, Sean. He's French. Maybe that's why he said me and Iryna are two of the nicest people he's ever met. I think he's nuts. Well, maybe not. We are pretty awesome. (Notice the long sleeved shirt).

Iryna and I. Notice the long sleeved shirt again. I wasn't kidding. No more sun damage for me!

After the long, rejuvenating walk, Iryna and I soaked in the ocean until the sun was well past the horizon. I can’t put into words how magical it was. The sun turned beautiful pastel colors and the water vibrated with turquoise waves. I couldn’t fathom getting out of the water to take a picture. But maybe later in the week I will. I did get a shot of our little crab friend, though. Ain’t he a cutie?

Finally out of the water; well after the sun went down!

The night consisted of some dinner and tarot card fun. 

Perfect night. It feels good to be back.

Today I’m gonna try and stay out of the sun and make sure my back is covered up really well. I’ll probably grab a Corona and sit in the shade reading, enjoying the singing of the ocean. And of course, as soon as the sun isn’t deathly, I’ll be the first one in the water. Tomorrow, we’re going to Chichen Itza (ancient Mayan ruins, now a Wonder of the World). I can’t wait to feel the vibrations of the Mayans and enjoy the serenity of the landscape. Updates coming soon (but of course you’ll be reading them all at once)!

**Check back tomorrow for Part 2**

Frequent Flyer

For those of you who've had the pleasure of flying with me know how absolutely awesome it is....

not really...

unless you enjoy being in the company of a 23-year-old throwing 3 year old fit.

Every time I book a flight, I get really giddy and excited and can't wait to arrive at my destination.However,  I purposely block out the flying portion of the trip to avoid having a melt down and a potential heart attack just thinking about it. Not kidding, it's really that bad. Which is really surprising because a little over a year ago I did this-

So I can jump out of a perfectly good plane, but I can't fly in one?

Yup.

It usually goes a little something like this..

I tend to book most flight early in the day, just like most people would. I tend to travel light and usually don't have any baggage to check saving me a bit of time. (This may or may not be a subconscious way of spending less time at the airport. )  I am also a pro at going through security; I've got my sweater off, my shoes off, everything put appropriately into the plastic bins (laptop goes in by itself without the case, everyone), and boarding pass in hand. To a stranger, I look like a chill passenger ready to take a nap or pull out a great book upon boarding. Little does this stranger know...

As soon as I get through security, I bolt for the bar.

"Hi. Can I get two shots of Jack, please?"
"Umm...miss, it's 6:45 in the morning, we don't start serving alcohol until 7."
"But my flight boards at 7am, could you please make an exception this one time?"
"Sorry miss, it's company policy."

And as I sit down to wait the extra 15 minutes, I notice an elderly couple starring at me while eating their cereal. At this point, I don't care. My palms are sweating, my heart is racing, and I NEED MY BOOZE TO CALM ME DOWN. (I'm Russian. Don't judge me. It's either that or buying a Xanax from a strung out hipster living across the street. ) My leg starts to shake and I close my eyes in an attempt to calm myself. I try yogic breathing. Doesn't work. Damn it. I try to think of a calming chant, some sort of visual meditation, or anything from my spiritual knowledge bank to calm me down. Nothing. Instead my mind is yelling "You are going to die! The plane won't make it! Don't get on it! Call your mother and tell her you love her!" Seriously. Even if I'm traveling with other people, I have a mental panic attack.

Usually, as I near my ultimate breaking point, 7am rolls around and I order my two shots of Jack. I like to think it's the Universe's way of taking care of me. The Universe is like "Alright! She's about to lose it! Speed up time! Damn it, there's children staring at her asking what's wrong with the woman shaking uncontrollably at the bar stool. Speed up time, NOW!" Thanks, Universe.

So I pay an obscene amount of money for my shots, down 'em like a tailgating MSU student (which, I am by the way), and run as fast as I can towards my gate so I don't miss boarding. Boarding usually goes smoothly since my head is slightly buzzing and I don't really care what happens to me at that moment. I settle in and close my eyes. I'm sure that the person sitting next to me is sighing a breath of relief; thanking the stars for a quiet passenger instead of a screaming child. Little do they know...

Of course, there is always a hold up.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are 107th in line for take-off. We will be taking off in approximately 17 hours. So hang in there, and please keep your seat belts fastened."

Shit. Shit. Shit. I see a flight attendant and quickly make my move..

"Excuse me. May I get a cocktail, please?"
"I'm sorry, we don't start serving drinks until we are in the air and at a cruising altitude."
"Oh....okay. How long until we take off?"
"Well, it looks like the time just increased to 49328578 hours, but we'll be up and cruising in no time!"

Now at this point, I tend to have a lapse in memory which I am extremely thankful for. Cause the moments I do remember involve me clutching the arm rests like a possessed person, screaming in terror at every instance of turbulence, and stalking the flight attendants for ridiculous amounts of alcohol. And I may or may not kiss the ground the moment I get off the plane.

Tomorrow I embark on my journey to Mexico. Wish me luck. Have a few morning cocktails for me.

Also, I'm not sure if I'll be able to blog while I'm in Mexico (I need to save my life savings for the airplane alcohol, won't have enough for Mexican internet), so expect a fun post in a week or so! Until then-

Eat Well, Sleep Well, Be Well, Live Well.

What I've Learned So Far...

1. There will always be something to worry about.

Once the big stressors are resolved, the little ones hiding in the back of your mind will take their place. So learn how to let go and stop worrying. Everything will work out. It always does.


2. Money will come and go.

There will always be expenses, expected and unexpected, that will cause worry. But there's nothing you can do about it at the moment. So just roll with it.


3. The people you want to keep in your life are those who understand when the unexpected arises and forces you to cancel plans without making you feel guilty.

Sometime things come up. Sometimes you just want to lay in bed all day cause you're having one of "those days". And sometimes there's just something else you'd rather be doing. Real friends will understand and honor where you're at. Those are the ones you want to grow relationships with.

4. There's a huge difference between knowing things and feeling things.

I have always known the truth of the three things mentioned above. But now I really feel them to be true. Big difference. We have to learn how to tell the difference.

New Set of Eyes

 Side Note-

***My goal for this blog is not to boast about all the incredible places I've been or the ones I will be going to. Of course, some posts will be written in that light, but the purpose of this blog is to document the raw emotions, doubts, euphoria, feelings, and struggles that come with living life on the road. It's very easy to stray from such a purpose, especially when you're facing a rough day full of worry and doubt and all you want to do is put on a fake front of happiness and confidence. I don't want to do that. I want to be real, honest, and I will work hard to be so. I would also like this blog to be a place of tips and suggestions for future travelers. So anytime I come across something that may be useful or worthy of sharing, I will. ***

So what have I been up to? Well, I'm back in Kalamazoo but this time as a visitor and no longer a resident. And I have to admit, the shift in mentality was almost instant. A place that I was very much attached to last week is no longer a place of attachment this week. Last week I was complaining about the dreaded mornings of stumbling into work, the routine of coming home and collapsing on my bed, and of always being tired, exhausted, and depleted. Well this week I feel excited, calm, and truly at peace. You know that feeling you get when you visit a new town and everything looks intriguing and you want to explore every nook and cranny? Yea..that's the way I'm feeling right now. I feel like I'm living in the moment. And I guess I kind of am. I don't know what the next hour will bring, or the next day, or even the next month. Yes, I have a plan- an idea of what I would like to be doing. But I also know that I am not committed to any of those plans or ideas. When I was working, I was committed to my job. I was committed to my house and honoring my lease agreement. But now, I feel freedom. I can do what I want, when I want. It's that feeling you get when you're on vacation or on a road-trip. It's almost a child-like innocence. I'm curious about everything; I'm in tune with my feelings; my intuition is a little louder; I'm not attached to anything...except Marty. Marty's the only constant I've got in my life right now and fortunately he's on wheels. 

It's funny to me how I've lived in this town for the past year, and only now I'm truly noticing it's charm. I think the difference is being able to choose where I am. I moved to Kalamazoo because of a job, and if it wasn't for the job I probably wouldn't have moved here. But now I am choosing to be here and spend time here. I don't have to be here if I don't want to. I didn't have to be here 6 months ago if I didn't want to, but there was a guilt associated with that thought. I had a job and a home, and if I left I would be letting people down and turning my back on responsibility.  But now, if I leave at this moment I wouldn't be letting anyone down or breaking a commitment of some sort. And that sense of freedom is so liberating.

So this week, I'm going to enjoy the feeling of liberation and non-attachment. I'm going to explore Kalamazoo with a new set of eyes and a fresh perspective. I'm gonna take cat naps in the park without setting an alarm, I'm gonna spend the whole day reading at my favorite coffee shop without the guilt of doing "more responsible" things, I will lay around in my pajamas on a weekday until dinner time, and I will have a beer at lunchtime without worrying if "management" will find out. (And I may or may not unpack all of P.'s boxes and set up his new room). 

What I truly know and feel is that you don't have to go very far to gain a sense of liberation. You just have to view your surrounding from a different angle. It may involve changing some things in your life that make you unhappy, but it's possible. And it's totally worth it.