The Yucatan

Twelve years ago, 5 days after we graduated from high school, I forced my best friend onto a packed flight to London. Not that she didn't want to go on that trip, but more like was an overbooked flight and they offered a free roundtrip ticket in addition to getting rebooked for the next day.

I had just gotten into a stupid fight with my mom that morning as she dropped me off and I was just absolutely convinced that if I didn't get on that plane, I would never be able to.

So for 10 hours I sat with my spine pivoting at a 45 degree angle, arms so far in front of myself that my elbows touched, all so I could avoid touch the hairy, bare arms of the overweight men I was sandwiched between, instead of sitting with my friend. 

I cringe a little, thinking of it, but I don't regret it.

30 is quite literally around the corner. I'm not freaking out (too badly), because I'm almost a person that I kinda like. But I do wish I could relive my 20's, knowing what I know now. I'd still make a bunch of mistakes, but first, I'd slap my younger self, for not taking the free INTERNATIONAL flight. 

Seriously kids can be so dumb.

I reminisced with my best friend over that trip as I packed for this one. She almost forgives me for being such a green and dry wet blanket. Silly me only drank beer when it was cut with lemonade, and only wanted to go see old things inside even older buildings. At least the beer thing changed!!!

Traveling itself has changed majorly too. I'm blogging miles above the Gulf of Mexico, on a phone, that has color, and more importantly, WiFi. Gone are the days when I had to research SIM cards in addition to addresses of internet cafes; I got off the phone with Sprint an hour before I boarded, to be told not only was I set up for unlimited free calls and text, a special promotion was going on so that I could have free unlimited data!!!

The last time I was abroad, smart phones were just starting to be a thing, and my flip phone still didn't have a camera, and I definitely still used internet cafes.

The world is more connected than ever, which is wonderful and horrible all at the same time. I can assuage all fears my family has, because I'm a phone call away, and probably trackable via GPS. But... 

It's okay. I tell myself that I've watched enough spy movies and shows that the day I really want to get off the grid, I will know how.

That being said, the Yucatan isn't really off the grid anymore. A coworker lent me a copy of The Lost World of Quintana Roo to read before the trip. I didn't have time to start it, but also I thought I'd be sad that his world wouldn't be there anymore.

When I told a friend I was going to hike to temples in the jungle, she compared me to Indiana Jones. 

No.

Indy is Indy, who I didn't have any exposure to until college. No, I wanted to be Tia Carrere from Relic Hunter.

Take a second and remember the awesomeness of that show. (While you are at it, think about the selection of programming on UPN...) An ass kicking woman of Asian descent, who was also a brilliant professor? How much this affected my decision to double major in anthropology, I don't know. 

Anyways, I'm going to try to get another G and T to help with filling out custom forms.

More stories to come!