Forgetting about the seeming limitations and worries of time and money and making a trip to Mexico happen for myself 
was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. It started this summer when my CIT Co-Director, Arturo, and I talked about me visiting him. Besides just thinking about his hometown of Culiacan, we fantasized about doing a road trip to many cities to visit others that we knew and were friends with from camp. Many months later when I had actually bought my tickets and it sunk in that the trip was really happening, I was couldn’t contain my excitement.
I arrived in Culiacan on December 29th. The next day we jumped into activities by going to the Imala Hot Springs, and then exploring downtown at night, which included seeing two cathedrals and a beautiful view of the city from one of the highest points. The next day was church, followed by lunch and games as a congregation afterwards, seeing many camp friends including July, Kevin, Katia, Brenda, Mike, and Gisel. That night was New Years’ Eve when we danced, played games, and ate lots of good food. For the next couple of days in Culiacan, we did things like exploring parks, going to the movies, and hanging out with family.
On Wednesday Arturo and I left for Guadalajara. During the 8-hour drive we stopped in the beautiful city of Mazatlán and walked along the beach and boardwalk. The next day we explored downtown Guadalajara and spent time in the beautiful Parque Colomus. That night, we met up with camp friend Lucia and one of her siblings and some of her friends. The next day we drove to a town called Tecamac outside of Mexico City and stayed with Rosario and Jesus’ family. The night we arrived, we went straight to a Three King’s Festival in the neighboring town of Reyes. There we enjoyed some rides at a carnival, walked around the market, listened to music, and ate food.
The next day consisted of experiencing the amazing archeological site of Teotihuacán (Pyramid of the Sun and Moon). We climbed the steps, enjoyed the view, and visited the museum. We then drove in to Mexico City and saw sites like the Monumento a la Revolucion, the
Zocalo, and the Catedral Metropolitana. Because the country was still celebrating Three King’s Day, downtown was covered with festive Christmas decorations, including huge signs on buildings that said “Feliz Navidad” and “Prospero Ano”, as well as an ice skating rink and a giant Christmas tree in the Zocalo.
The next day we attended the Mexico City church for the Sunday service, then drove to the town of Queretaro for a quick dinner stop. We walked around the town and experienced a beautiful sunset and more Three King’s festivities. We continued to Guanajuato, stopping in San Miguel de Allende to take a picture of the city at night. Guanajuato the next day was a very cultural experience, feeling the young vibes of the town and going on a singing tour through the alleys that night. We also visited the Mummy Museum that showcases historical mummies found in the town that are centuries old. The next day we drove back to Culiacan, and enjoyed a last day with family and attending an intimate Wednesday night testimony meeting.
I am so grateful for the many demonstrations that we had on this trip, and being protected at all times. A few examples included needing to change rental car companies at the last minute, being provided for when we didn’t have access to money for a short period of time, figuring out how to get into the place we were staying late at night when we thought we had tried everything, and being unexpectedly delayed many times but always being where we needed to be. I fell in love with Mexico, and feel so grateful that I got to experience the amazing country with close friends who could show me around. I truly only have CLC to thank for introducing me to amazing friends from around the world, and giving me opportunities like this one.
Logan Landry is a senior at Principia College.
Share this Post