Whenever I would play the classic game of “Never Have I Ever,” my go-to statement when it was my turn was always “never have I ever been out of the country.” It was useful for the game because it got many people out seeing as most people have traveled out of the country. However, it has always been a goal of mine to take a trip out of the country as soon as I could because I was eager to explore other countries and cultures. Well, I am happy to say that I officially cannot use my go-to statement when playing “Never Have I Ever” anymore! This past week I officially checked an item off of my bucket list by traveling out of The Unites States for the first time!
In dire need of a fun, relaxing, tropical vacation, I decided to venture to Cancun, Mexico for my first trip out of the country. I stayed at an all inclusive resort, Secrets Capri, and felt as if I was truly in paradise. I was slightly skeptical at first going to an all inclusive resort because many told me that they are very Americanized and I wanted a taste of the Hispanic culture. After all, if I was traveling to Mexico, I wanted to feel as if I was there and not at a nice resort in America. Luckily though the skeptics were wrong because I could see the differences as early on as when we started flying lower over Mexico.
The first aspect I noticed in the different landscape of the country was the perfectly aqua color of the ocean. As we got closer to the ground, I noticed the dry, brown, and almost dehydrated landscape. Yet as the plane began becoming parallel with the ground, I noticed that the land was in fact very lush, covered in tropical green and brightly colored plants, the classic palm trees, and various fruit trees. What also amazed me is that I could truly feel a difference in the strength of the sun’s rays the second I stepped outside. In that moment I was very glad I packed plenty of sunscreen and my sunglasses!
Stepping into the Cancun Airport, I was a little overwhelmed at how foreign everything looked. Thankfully, my travel partner had traveled before and knew what he was doing. The culture was well represented throughout the airport as I walked past several shops and decorations. Finally, as we made the drive to the airport, I really got to see all the differences up close. The smallest things amazed me such as the speed bumps being small ball shapes lined up in a row rather than the traditional solid, bump. All of the street and highway signs were different as well. Even the driving, rules of the road, and traffic lights were all so different compared to America. The default beach screen savers and google images I saw my entire life did not disappoint as it realistically looked like that paradise.
The experience I received from staying at this resort was beyond amazing. Every person I met was nothing less than polite and helpful. I liked talking to the natives and comparing cultures. Not only were they nice, but very friendly and funny, making the experience even more enjoyable. I never felt more like royalty in my life. One difference I noticed in their vocabulary was instead of saying the phrase, “My pleasure,” after someone says thank you, they said, “It is a pleasure.” This is not a huge difference in language by any means, yet when they simply changed a few words, to me the phrase became more polite and sincere.
If you are considering traveling to a tropical destination, I strongly recommend doing an all inclusive resort. While they are expensive, once you start your vacation, there are no expenses you need to worry about. The stress of money can be left at home. You also truly get what you pay for while staying at these resorts as the service, amenities, food, and beverage are amazing. Not to mention the culture is evidently present throughout including the food, music, dance, and so much more. I also strongly recommend staying at any Secrets Resort locations as their service is superb. They go above and beyond to ensure you have a wonderful stay and they certainly did for me. Now that I have experienced traveling out of the country, I cannot wait to travel to even more foreign destinations and eventually return to Mexico for another trip to paradise.
