On a recent trip to Merida I have discovered that writing on the road is actually very interesting. This summer I went to Merida, Yucatan, Mexico with three of the students from the Hong Kong exchange program at TAMIU.
Writing on the road is always difficult because of all the elements that interrupt the senses. Traveling brings many adventures that one would never think possible. The trip came to our mind out of the blue. One has to seek out opportunities that can be taken advantage of while in school.
The students figured that they have three weeks left in the United States and are trying to take advantage of the fact that they are so close to Mexico.
Stephanie Wu was the one that asked the students to take a chance on Mexico.
“At first it was difficult to decide whether or not to go to Mexico since Swine Flu was really an issue. Especially coming from Hong Kong we were not sure what to expect. Luckily we were able to go and experience such a magical place,” Wu said. At the airport in Monterrey we needed a taxi and the price was $123 dollars for four people directly to Nuevo Laredo. The price was a bit steep, but the car was a brand new 2007 Dodge Charger (wow V.I.P.). The car had great music which allowed me to use as motivation for my piece. The paper I started writing never got done because the car was fast and the distractions from looking out the window and having a conversation with the students about the fascinating landscape. So now that I have down I write a piece about the road and the problems one faces with trying to write. It’s a slippery slope in that curvaceous highway.
There is something about the road that inspires one to write, whether it’s the beauty of the city or the one too many beers drank. Everything has a brighter meaning and inspiration waiting to be explored.
I think I might start doing this more often. I found out that even though the world is changing and policies are being created in order to make stricter boundaries; the world as a whole has no limits. One can simply book tickets and find ways around the city by doing simple research online. It always helps to have the company of great friends on such an adventure.