Meh-hee-cooooo!!!

The following week my Belizean “boss” took me and the intern to Chetamul, Mexico! My first time to Mexico ever!! It was so cool! He brought us in to Belize City and put us up in a hotel. I hung out with the Belize City PCVs all day because I almost never see them. I also tried Lebanese food, which was awesome, for the first time! Early the next morning, Shawn picked us up for our big Chet excursion! Lucky for us, we got to take his car across the border, which was the best way to experience Chet for the first time. (Otherwise, you take a bus). On our way to Chet, we passed through OrangeWalk and Corozal, picking up other staff members for the journey as well. This was my first time in all these northern towns! I had never been past Belize or Cayo! Every minute was exciting! At first I was a bit skeptical about going to Mexico with work people, who I barely knew and didn’t have much in common with, but it ended up being such a fun and awesome day!

Once we crossed the border, we had to fill out all the immigration stuff and exchange some money. Then Shawn just drove us around Chet to see the general feel of the city. It was so clean!!! Much cleaner than I imagined Mexico to be! And it was so….westernized! So unlike Belize, basically!

Our next adventure was…brace yourself…Sam’s Club!!! I was in awe!!! I felt like I was at home!! Craziness!! It was fantastic! I got so excited I almost forgot I was in Mexico! The walked in and was like “Hey!!!” And he said Buenos Tardes and I felt stupid… Sam’s Club was so awesome! Except everything was in Spanish and in pesos, so it seemed ridiculously expensive and I was confused most of the trip. I got overwhelmed with my options and ended up coming out of there with only a bottle of conditioner to show for it.

After Sam’s Club, we went to the actual MALL!!! Hello, USA!!! I literally felt like I was at the Galleria at Crystal Run. Oh man! But I embraced the familiar environment! I bought a pair of earrings and a headband. I shopped! Oh man! I even ate a Big Mac at McDonald’s in the food court! (Which I can officially go the next 2 years without! My stomach hated me!) It was madness! After a fun afternoon of Americanism, we headed to the Free Zone to make some last minute purchases—mostly everyone wanted to get liquor, hahaha. And the guys bought Mexican beer. But I was able to buy a cute dress for cheap! It was a great day!

On the way home we belted out some Celine Dion: It's All Coming Back To Me, (I thought of Britt and Converse soccer bus rides--oh, and i DID the choreography!). It was really fun… I bonded with my Belizean co-workers. Sadly, the trip ended and I was back on my way to PG on the 5:15am bus the next morning.