Mexico Part 1

I had the incredible opportunity to visit Mexico in July, my first time using my passport, my maiden voyage out of the country! We flew into Cancun and stayed at the lovely Playa del Carmen. We visited the awe inspiring sacred, ancient Mayan ruins at Coba and Tulum, swam in the beautiful cool water of the Cenote, enrobed in an intriguing cave of eroded limestone and echos from the past, snorkeled with the sea life in Cozumel, and swam, body surfed and frolicked in the gorgeous blue green waters of the Caribbean.

Aside from it being an absolutely spectacular location, I have to say that what made it remarkable for me was the group of beautiful friends that I got to travel and spend time with.

Experiencing significant health issues and never having done this before, I was apprehensive, but everything in me knew I was meant to go. I also knew I would have to pay attention to my limitations and how my body would respond to our various activities, and I was very mindful that with a group of 8 people I did not want to hold anyone back. It was so important to me that everyone get their fullest experience.

I was reassured before we even left, that they were aware I would have needs and that they wanted me to lean on them for support. That alone was enough to take my breath away, because to have these challenges and require significant help from others is very humbling. I will tell you that I literally felt grace from them, in a very personal way, on a daily basis. It was as second nature to them as breathing, to steady me, provide assistance, take my hand, offer me respite.

Even though they could do everything with more vibrancy than I could, their eyes were always on me, their hearts always with me. I had expected to not be able to do some things, watching from the sidelines, and I was okay with that, but because of their goodness and patience, I experienced every amazing thing I set out to do!

Perhaps the most memorable and empowering activity was that I was able to climb, more like a crawl at a snail’s pace, the 120 stone steps up the Pyramid of Coba. I remember vividly arriving there and being struck by the overwhelming grandeur of it all, breathing in all the beauty of the verdant jungle landscape surrounding this mammoth structure. You could literally feel the spirits of the inhabitants that previously dwelt there. I also recall watching my friends eagerly, energetically attack the climb, and being determined that I would not miss this once in a lifetime opportunity to at least go part of the way. It was daunting just to look at it. I was acutely aware that however far I went up, I had to have the strength to come down, and that whatever else I did, I could not look from side to side, because the height was terrifying to me. I felt completely unprotected and vulnerable, but oh, you’d better believe I was going. So I forfeited my dignity, lowered myself to a squat position, looked down, put my hands flat in front of me and moved up one step at a time, then another, then another. At about the point where I thought I would need to stop and turn around, I heard cheering above me. I couldn’t look up, and wasn’t even sure how far I’d come, but I could hear my name being chanted and shouted, along with whoops and hollers! My people were at the top cheering me on and suddenly, I had an imaginary rope pulling me to the finish line! I crawled faster, still not averting my gaze, until I arrived at the summit and could clearly see their beaming faces welcoming me!

As I tremored and shook from the exertion, they gave me water, abundant love, huge hugs and shared with me the most extraordinary views I have ever witnessed in my life! Like a lush, green carpet, it was a feast for the senses, breathtakingly stunning, easily one of the greatest vistas in all of Mexico’s Yucatan! We basked in the cool breezes and savored our time at the top of the world, learned more from our wonderful guide, laughed a lot, and of course, posed for plenty of pictures. And they would not let me go down the steep steps alone, even though there was a rope to hold onto, which made me feel incredibly safe and cherished. I think that climb was the single most fulfilling victory I have ever experienced!

The best part is that these lovely friends of mine insisted that it fortified them. I will tell you that grace is a shared reciprocal experience, flowing through our souls by giving and receiving. When we allow ourselves to be vulnerable, we are connected by our humanness, by the knowing that we are all at our core, the same. Because all of us need help in life from time to time. We all need to ‘lean’. And I truly saw the beauty for them in giving to me. For 8 people that started out not knowing much about each other, there was so much mutual respect in this group. We all allowed room for what the other needed, be it physical or emotional. There was no drama, zero bullshit, and a camaraderie that grew as time progressed.

Charlie and Emily, thank you for making this happen, because you are generous and you get shit done, and to all of you, Kam, Lyndee, Kristin, Rob and Stephen, I love you, with my whole heart, and I could not have lived this dream without you. And wouldn’t have wanted to.