Travel to southern Mexico and falling in love w/ the Yucatán re-set my compass. Several years later my husband and I moved to a fishing village on the Mex-Caribbean coast where we built a house and opened a bookstore.
That’s awesome and timely! My wife and I are traveling to the Yucatán next week. Haven’t been before. Some friends are getting married there. We were in Mexico City last year and loved our time there. Looking forward to the brief return. Thanks for sharing Jeanine!
The Yucatán is mesmerizing/ Merida or the QRoo coast? Either way, you'll love it. If you get to Puerto Morelos stop into Alma Libre Libros bookshop. We founded it in 1997, now sold, still going strong. And as a budding archeologist, are you planning to see a pyramid or two?
Ah, so dreamy. I'm sure there are challenge in owning a bookshop, but *sigh* moving to the Caribbean and opening a bookshop sounds just about perfect. Well done! —Mel
Update: I just Googled your shop, and it is SO cute and Puero Morelos is beautiful. Love everything about this.
We’ve sold but it’s still going strong with Caleb and Nicole. The little bookshop that could. I’m condense-serializing my travel memoir on my stack, Mexico Soul. And the latter chapters will go into setting up the bookstore in Puerto’s Morelos. Quite a feat as bookshops are few and far between in MX. And now we know why!! Hope you check it out.
The QRoo coast. We’ll be short on time but will absolutely make the effort. That sounds wonderful. Unfortunately I don’t think we’ll be able to see any archaeological sites either but if the opportunity presents itself I will be there. Visiting Teotihuacan last year was incredible and I’ve been to Tikal as well. All about it! Thanks for the recommendation Jeanine!
The first time I went abroad, I compared everything to “how we do it in America.” But the more I’ve travelled and lived abroad, the more I’ve come to see ways of being without this value comparison in the back of my head. Long story short, travel has made me more open to different ways of operating in the world; approaching problems differently and hopefully find more creative solutions than I would without this perspective.
Well said Margaret. I think that is one of the keen insights that both anthropology and travel can teach us all. Thank you for sharing your thoughts! :)
Traveling in other lands where English isn't the predominant language has helped me become more sensitive at home to the challenges faced by those who don't speak English.
I have a tendency to tackle most things I do with a 'get it done as quickly as possible' attitude. Around 2010, my husband and I (in our 40s then), made a promise to each other that we were going to travel more. And then in 2017, we moved from the US to Prague. The biggest take-away for me has been to slow down, be present, and savor what I'm doing when I'm doing it. I've been practicing yoga and meditation for decades, too, but it took the joy of, say, sitting in a cafe with a coffee and a pretty view, or spending a leisurely day on a train looking out the window, so slow down and chill out. So grateful for that. —Mel
That’s wonderful! I’ve been similarly wired to want to get things done asap too and I’ve also been practicing meditation for over five years now which has likewise taught me the value of slowing down and being present. Prague sounds amazing and has been high on my travel list for a while. Hope to make it there sometime. Thanks for engaging and sharing Mel!
Meditation feels like a brain vacation, right? But it took me a while (years?) to give myself over to it. Now I'm, like, IS IT TIME TO MEDITATE YET? Give me all the oxygen and quiet ;-)
Prague is a wonderful place to visit and has been an excellent place to put down roots, too. If/when you come, let us know! I'll share my list of favorite things.
One of life’s greatest pleasures is food and drink. To appreciate coffee in such a way that it becomes a ritual is something I could have done (but didn’t) because the aroma holds lots of family memories for me. Lovely post once again, Justin. Enjoy the magic moments in life. ☕️
that photo of you becoming a coffee snob is everything. i too appreciate the subtle ways travel changes us. you return home and home is the same....but you are different in a few small ways. And i love that.
This is a fun article. I especially like the following:
"Despite those who are anti-travel and say travel doesn’t change us, those of us who have been changed by travel—even in the smallest of ways—know how deeply wrong they are."
Whether it is in small ways or large, I believe that travel inevitably changes us and opens our eyes to new ways of doing things. For example, I now eat soft boiled eggs in antique egg cups I bought in Vienna. (As an American, I had never used these before.) I also met and married my first husband--a Dutch citizen--when I was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Afghanistan--which completely changed the trajectory of my life. (You can find my Afghan memoir here: https://claricedankers.substack.com/t/memoir.) We never know what will happen when we travel, which is part of the fun!
I can so relate to this…I’ve travelled in Italy and apart from the historic-cultural side, I love the slowing down for enjoying espresso, cappuccino, some tramezzini, and later in the day, dinner. Taking time to eat, lovely antipasti, even a simple pasta pesto, talk with people (sometimes strangers sitting at the next table), have some wine, continue to eat. It’s a return to base, to enjoy, to take time for, well Life.
Absolutely! When we were hiking the Cinque Terre, I would find a cafe for an espresso in each of the five towns we passed through there. My wife Hilary still playfully rolls her eyes when we recount how often I was forcing her to watch me sip espresso during our time in Italy but I was doing my best to soak it all up and Italy had a big impact on having me to slow down and cherish the small moments. Thanks for sharing Joyce!
I love to try to incorporate at least 1 dish from each place into the cooking rotation. Tonight I made (a version) of Chilean empanadas de pino. Last week I finally made a true Bolognese sauce. It helps mix things up and when done right helps transport me back to those places.
Travel to southern Mexico and falling in love w/ the Yucatán re-set my compass. Several years later my husband and I moved to a fishing village on the Mex-Caribbean coast where we built a house and opened a bookstore.
That’s awesome and timely! My wife and I are traveling to the Yucatán next week. Haven’t been before. Some friends are getting married there. We were in Mexico City last year and loved our time there. Looking forward to the brief return. Thanks for sharing Jeanine!
The Yucatán is mesmerizing/ Merida or the QRoo coast? Either way, you'll love it. If you get to Puerto Morelos stop into Alma Libre Libros bookshop. We founded it in 1997, now sold, still going strong. And as a budding archeologist, are you planning to see a pyramid or two?
Ah, so dreamy. I'm sure there are challenge in owning a bookshop, but *sigh* moving to the Caribbean and opening a bookshop sounds just about perfect. Well done! —Mel
Update: I just Googled your shop, and it is SO cute and Puero Morelos is beautiful. Love everything about this.
We’ve sold but it’s still going strong with Caleb and Nicole. The little bookshop that could. I’m condense-serializing my travel memoir on my stack, Mexico Soul. And the latter chapters will go into setting up the bookstore in Puerto’s Morelos. Quite a feat as bookshops are few and far between in MX. And now we know why!! Hope you check it out.
The QRoo coast. We’ll be short on time but will absolutely make the effort. That sounds wonderful. Unfortunately I don’t think we’ll be able to see any archaeological sites either but if the opportunity presents itself I will be there. Visiting Teotihuacan last year was incredible and I’ve been to Tikal as well. All about it! Thanks for the recommendation Jeanine!
The first time I went abroad, I compared everything to “how we do it in America.” But the more I’ve travelled and lived abroad, the more I’ve come to see ways of being without this value comparison in the back of my head. Long story short, travel has made me more open to different ways of operating in the world; approaching problems differently and hopefully find more creative solutions than I would without this perspective.
Well said Margaret. I think that is one of the keen insights that both anthropology and travel can teach us all. Thank you for sharing your thoughts! :)
Exactly!
Traveling in other lands where English isn't the predominant language has helped me become more sensitive at home to the challenges faced by those who don't speak English.
I have a tendency to tackle most things I do with a 'get it done as quickly as possible' attitude. Around 2010, my husband and I (in our 40s then), made a promise to each other that we were going to travel more. And then in 2017, we moved from the US to Prague. The biggest take-away for me has been to slow down, be present, and savor what I'm doing when I'm doing it. I've been practicing yoga and meditation for decades, too, but it took the joy of, say, sitting in a cafe with a coffee and a pretty view, or spending a leisurely day on a train looking out the window, so slow down and chill out. So grateful for that. —Mel
That’s wonderful! I’ve been similarly wired to want to get things done asap too and I’ve also been practicing meditation for over five years now which has likewise taught me the value of slowing down and being present. Prague sounds amazing and has been high on my travel list for a while. Hope to make it there sometime. Thanks for engaging and sharing Mel!
Meditation feels like a brain vacation, right? But it took me a while (years?) to give myself over to it. Now I'm, like, IS IT TIME TO MEDITATE YET? Give me all the oxygen and quiet ;-)
Prague is a wonderful place to visit and has been an excellent place to put down roots, too. If/when you come, let us know! I'll share my list of favorite things.
Oh awesome! I will keep that in mind. Thank you! 😊
One of life’s greatest pleasures is food and drink. To appreciate coffee in such a way that it becomes a ritual is something I could have done (but didn’t) because the aroma holds lots of family memories for me. Lovely post once again, Justin. Enjoy the magic moments in life. ☕️
Thank you Yasmin! 😊
that photo of you becoming a coffee snob is everything. i too appreciate the subtle ways travel changes us. you return home and home is the same....but you are different in a few small ways. And i love that.
Haha thank you Kristin! I make no apologies. Coffee snobs of the world unite! Thanks for your thoughts! 😊
I haven't even read the article yet but I'm awarding you a gold star for the best introduction headline on Substack this year. 😃👍
I am honored and accept! "On behalf of all my fellow coffee snobs out there, I'd first like to thank the academy..." Lol! Thank you Ross!
This is a fun article. I especially like the following:
"Despite those who are anti-travel and say travel doesn’t change us, those of us who have been changed by travel—even in the smallest of ways—know how deeply wrong they are."
Whether it is in small ways or large, I believe that travel inevitably changes us and opens our eyes to new ways of doing things. For example, I now eat soft boiled eggs in antique egg cups I bought in Vienna. (As an American, I had never used these before.) I also met and married my first husband--a Dutch citizen--when I was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Afghanistan--which completely changed the trajectory of my life. (You can find my Afghan memoir here: https://claricedankers.substack.com/t/memoir.) We never know what will happen when we travel, which is part of the fun!
Thank you Clarice and thank you for engaging and sharing. Excited to read more of your work. Cheers!
I can so relate to this…I’ve travelled in Italy and apart from the historic-cultural side, I love the slowing down for enjoying espresso, cappuccino, some tramezzini, and later in the day, dinner. Taking time to eat, lovely antipasti, even a simple pasta pesto, talk with people (sometimes strangers sitting at the next table), have some wine, continue to eat. It’s a return to base, to enjoy, to take time for, well Life.
Absolutely! When we were hiking the Cinque Terre, I would find a cafe for an espresso in each of the five towns we passed through there. My wife Hilary still playfully rolls her eyes when we recount how often I was forcing her to watch me sip espresso during our time in Italy but I was doing my best to soak it all up and Italy had a big impact on having me to slow down and cherish the small moments. Thanks for sharing Joyce!
Thanks, Justin. It does have an impact, doesn’t it? 💙💫
I love to try to incorporate at least 1 dish from each place into the cooking rotation. Tonight I made (a version) of Chilean empanadas de pino. Last week I finally made a true Bolognese sauce. It helps mix things up and when done right helps transport me back to those places.
I imagine the members of your household are quite thrilled to have your travels inspiring your cuisine. 🤓