Getting blown away by Mexico

I’m not going to get shot in Mexico.

During an upcoming trip to a major Mexican city, I plan to tour, shop and eat - but not get shot. It’s not on the itinerary.

That’s what I have to tell my mom and a few friends every time I head into Mexico’s interior for a trip. Certain people in my life tend to freak out a bit over Mexico and that’s okay. Their concern is appreciated. And maybe they’re even a little bit right.

But I love Mexico.

I can’t imagine not taking every chance I get to explore that magical country. Ever since I first walked across that border in 1996 I haven’t stopped going back.

Every spring I study Spanish just south of Mexico City in Cuernavaca. The colonial city is famously known as “The City of Eternal Spring” in honor of its perfect tropical climate. We spend our mornings studying Spanish in open-air classrooms surrounded by lush colorful vegetation, then head out for afternoon trips to local pyramids, cathedrals and museums. Evenings typically end at hacienda mansions that are now grand restaurants serving up fantastic gourmet food.

That’s the Mexico I know.

But I can’t deny that news out of Mexico has been filled with violence during these years I’ve visited. So many people have died - and in such gruesome ways.

What bothers me, though, is that instead of ever telling Americans about the beauty of Mexico, the media is always tallying up the killings and kidnappings. Coverage seems so one-sided. The violence is just part of the story.

But it is true.

Mexico is being marred by a very bloody chapter in its history, all because of a lethally lucrative drug trade. The surreal scenes of tortured bodies hanging from freeway overpasses are horrifying.

Thank goodness that has not been my experience in Mexico. The same can be said about the other Americans I travel with to Cuernavaca. For all those folks - the majority in their 60s and 70s - Mexico has been the site of so many great and grand adventures. Many have driven their RVs all over Mexico, camped in Mexico, studied in Mexico, lived in Mexico - all without a problem.

I just hope that like those people, I too have many years ahead of exploring Mexico. I’m not ready for this particular adventure to end any time soon.