“Cass! Cass! I just bought my plane tickets. I’m coming to visit you next week!!”
“Next week, as in 5 days from now?!”
“Yeah! I’ll see you soon:))))”
This is the text chain between my best friend from high school and I days before she landed in the Meridian airport. Though surprised, I could not have been happier to receive Rachel’s text. Besides it being wonderful to reconnect, Rachel’s impromptu visit allowed me to play tour guide, forcing me to reflect on my favorite experiences in Mérida and figure out how many of those I could squeeze into our two days together.
Rachel at her hostel
Without a question, priority number one was that Rachel meet my friends here. The other IFSA students have made my time in Merida the amazing experience it has been. They have quite literally provided shoulders to cry on, hands to hold and smiles to laugh with. My friends have been by my side to initiate, witness and encourage all the incredible adventures and shenanigans that I have been lucky enough to experience so far.
So, like the good gringos we are, I recruited a bunch of IFSA friends for a fabulous beach day just 30 minutes outside of Merida. We spent the day chicken fighting in the water, reapplying sunscreen too infrequently, building sand castles like the children we are, and eating our weight in Mexican Cheetos – significantly better than the US version.
Rachel and I spent the following day walking around el Centro, checking out art galleries, cafes and enjoying the vibrant contrasting colors that make up the houses and buildings of Mérida. We walked around Paseo de Montejo, (a breathtaking avenue modeled after Paris’ Champs Elysees), admired the remaining posters and banners from the International Women’s day protest the day before and soaked in the (slightly too hot) Mérida sun.
A beautiful antique shop Rachel and I stumbled upon in el Centro. (Photo credits Rachel Nguyen)
While the brilliant buildings and incredible food have become quotidian to me, Rachel’s awe with the city reminded me how lucky I am to be in this tropical paradise, surrounding by wonderful people, for the semester.