Have you ever heard that saying “what you speak is what you get”? Well, I totally believe it is true! To get through the stressful days at the dreaded last job, my buddy, Cool Guy and I (known to him as Cool Girl, go figure since I totally am!) would talk about how we were going to move to Rosarito, Mexico and commute to San Diego! We checked out apartments on the beach (cheap!) and daydreamed about our new life. We happened to sit across from each other so when things were particularly frustrating we would yell “Rosarito here we come!” across the aisle. I even made us signs to put in our cubes. At Christmas, I was supposed to go to San Diego and was going to include a trip to Rosarito, but those plans got pushed aside as I entered a new “serious relationship” phase of my life – woo hoo! Anyway, the yearning for the warm sun never went away.
After I shined that heinous job action late March, I got online and low and behold there were some Cancun deals going on. Could I? Would I? Heck yeah! I booked my flight and all-inclusive hotel and two weeks later took off on my first solo vacation. I wasn’t worried about the actual traveling as I’ve been doing that my whole life (the majority in my early teens) but more the wonderment if I would FEEL alone and isolate myself, as I have been known to do in the past.
I guess the details are for me (what happens in Cancun, stays in Cancun – ha ha) to relish in, but suffice it to say, I had a great time with myself. I am a great traveling companion! I never knew it because I always had someone else to focus on!! I did what I wanted when I wanted – pure selfishness, quite a new thing for me! I shopped, got a seaweed wrap at the spa and a massage, saw beautiful sunrises and sunsets, stared at the ocean and solved the world’s problems, met cool people, listened to cool music and I swam with the dolphins! Oddly, I wasn’t very concerned with getting tan lines (what? I know, total crazy talk!). It was a very enlightening week for me.
While I was in Mexico I got an email response from my best friend, Lia, of 24 years ago. We were nutty thirteen-year-olds who found each other while living in Alexandria, Egypt. We talked upon my return home and I learned that her mom and step-dad, an Egyptian, were going to rent a condo in Cairo for two months and that all the kids were invited. Lia told me she was planning on going and taking her 3 kids. We had planned a trip before – in 1999 we talked about ringing in the ever so scary (NOT) Y2K at the Pyramids with the Paris Philharmonic Symphony. I think she wimped out on flying and I was worried about how much the plane ticket would cost – soooo silly, but what did we know back then? Anyway, it wasn’t until Lia started talking about how she wanted to visit the school we went to (Schutz American School) and make the trek between our apartments (we spent much time on those streets walking back and forth to each other’s ‘flat’) that I had the bottom of my heart pangs to go too! I think I blurted out, “I want to go too!” and she quickly said, “you should come!” Really, I can? And so it progressed. The more we have talked, the more excited we are about sharing in the adventure together. We both went through a lot there and a lot after we left. How fitting to go together and face our Life, so to speak.
I’ve been looking into Visas and whether or not we need immunizations (we don’t). I’m trying to get her to settle on some dates since she is the one who has to juggle more. She is still worried about traveling there. Her mom travels there once a year (at least) and says not to be worried. I am not worried. It is a great opportunity and…. Why Not??? I spoke Mexico (granted, didn’t end up in Rosarito but somewhere way better and exactly what I needed at the time!) so here you have it….
I’m going to Egypt in August!! Woo hoo!!
