Remember a couple weeks ago when I vented to you all about an awful experience with my Mexican neighbor?  I felt kinda bad about unleashing my neighborly angst, and I worried that I may have left a bad impression of Mexico for my fellow Yankees.  Thus, I wanted to share 5 things I have come to love and appreciate in the land of the Mayans and the Aztecs.  I think so highly of these 5 things, in fact, that I wish I could bring them across the border and have them in my home country forever.

1. Restaurants with kids’ areas.

I realize we have this in McDonald’s, Chick-Fil-A, etc, but in Mexico, they have them EVERYWHERE.  Even in NICE restaurants.  Sometimes, wait for it, they even supply a nanny so you can truly shirk your parenting responsibilities for the evening and enjoy a practically childless meal!  It’s brilliant, and it helps so much when we take Cora out for a meal after one of Orlando’s games.  She burns off the energy from sitting in the stands for two hours, we get a meal that doesn’t involve french fries, and everybody goes home happy.

This is Asadero Cien.  See that giant area of light in the back? That's the HUGE kids area! Photo Credit: asaderocien.com

This is Asadero Cien. See that giant area of light in the back? That’s the HUGE kids area! Photo Credit: asaderocien.com

 

2. Alto 1X1

This one is a little hard to explain, but I shall try.  Here, at four-way intersections, they have stop signs that also have the symbol 1X1.  This means that if there are people waiting at both sides of the intersection, one side goes, then the next goes.  So on and so forth until everybody’s on their merry way.  But the best part is yet to come.  If there’s nobody at the stop sign except for you, you don’t stop!  You just sail right on through like it never even happened and your brakes thank you for it.  Granted, I asked one of my friends here if this was legal, and apparently you’re still supposed to stop.  I’ve never seen anyone actually do this, though, so I’m going to keep on loving my 1X1 stops, or lack thereof.

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3. Green areas throughout the city

I can’t speak for all of Mexico, but Xalapa in particular is filled with parks, lakes, and green areas for its residents to enjoy.  All the parks bring their own unique value to the city as well.  There’s one with paddle boats, there’s one with ponies to ride, and there’s another with trees so big you will feel like you’re straight up in the movie Apocalypto.  When my mom was here she just kept gasping and pointing at different plants, exclaiming how each one would only grow *this* high in Indiana, or, holy cow, this would be a house plant in the Midwest!  I am continually amazed at how Xalapa lives up to its name of the “City of Flowers”, and I’m glad Cora can experience so much unbridled nature at her fingertips.

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4. Gas station attendants

There may be places in the U.S. that still do this, but by far most gas stations are self-service, and it is a SHAME.  How many times have you had a sleeping baby in the car, only to be awakened by the sound of your slamming car door as you brave driving rain all for the sake of a full gas tank.  Not in Mexico, my friend.  They will pump your gas, wipe your windshield, check your oil, gage your tire pressure, just about anything you want and there’s no need to leave your glorious heated seats.  They won’t, however, run in to the gas station and buy you a Twinkie.  They’ve gotta draw the line somewhere.

Photo Credit: acrosstheborder.wordpress.com

Photo Credit: acrosstheborder.wordpress.com

 

5. Family time

The very first time I visited Orlando (then my fiance) in Xalapa, it happened to be over my Christmas break and we would be celebrating New Year’s Eve with his teammates.  We were looking forward to a crazy club or a sultry salsa joint (we were young and childless, obviously), but all we could find was a sad little bar with maybe four people in it.  When we asked the nearest local where the raging end-of-year celebration was, they simply replied that most people spend New Year’s Eve with their extended families, at home.

This trend of valuing family over just about anything continues on a weekly basis.  Every Sunday, if you drive through our neighborhood, you will be able to glance through the windows of the houses into warm dining rooms filled with the love and laughter of family.  Here, spending time with the ones you love is just a way of life, its not out of the ordinary.  They don’t wait for a holiday to have a family get together, they just do it without even realizing it.  It’s one of the things I see in Orlando’s family back in San Antonio as well, and it’s a beautiful way to live.

That’s how I will remember our time in Mexico.  Yes, there are plenty of times I miss Target, and a dishwasher, and many other nuances of life in the States, but living in another country has taught me to appreciate the little things in life.  Things that aren’t found on an iPhone or at a club on New Year’s Eve.  The Mexican people are proud, happy, loving people, and it’s been an honor to live among them for the past five years.  Who knows how many more years are in our future, but until then I am going to keep running my stop signs and living it up!

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XO,

A