Our Everly Mag Writing Leaders were asked to write about a place they’ve visited that changed their life in some way.  It can be a place they’ve visited on a vacation, summer camp, school trip, family reunion, or anything else.

This article was written by our writing leader Jenni.  Get to know our Summer 2018 Leaders here!

Last summer, my family and I decided to take a trip to Mexico. I had not been out of the country since I was 6 years old, so I was so excited to leave the States. I didn’t realize that this particular trip was going to change my life. After all, a cruise just means sun and food right?

As I was boarding the ship, I remember feeling claustrophobic and lonely. I was so worried that I wouldn’t have anyone to talk to for 7 days. I knew my parents would be near the adult lounge, and my brother would be hanging out with his friend that tagged along with us. But what about me? Where would I be? I couldn’t just stay in my family’s suite the whole time. I remember feeling so shy and introverted, but I knew that this would be the worst vacation ever if I had this attitude. So, the minute the ship embarked and safety procedures were over, I went straight to exploring the ship. That is when I met them.

They were a bunch of teenagers who were on a senior trip. They were around my age. They saw me standing alone and decided to invite me over. These people were just like me. They were college bound, planning to make the world a better place. For the first time in the longest time, they made me realize that there was life going on outside my hometown. They made me realize that it’s not a bad idea to step outside your bubble. They offered me tons of school advice and invited me to explore Mexico when the ship arrived at the next stop the next morning. We exchanged numbers and said goodbye for the night.

The next morning I woke up to a text inviting me to get breakfast. They told me they booked a tour of the area we were stopping at and they bought an extra ticket for me. People that I had known for years wouldn’t even do that for me. I had just barely met these people but I knew that they our friendship would last a lifetime.

The tour we took went up high into the mountains. Whenever you looked down, you would be able to see the beautiful waters with people swimming in them. When you looked up you could see the never ending blue sky with the sun smiling down on the earth. Looking around, I could see the laughter of my new friends and the beautiful environment we were in. I felt so stress free and happy. I had forgotten the feeling of being happy and carefree. For once in my life, I learned to forget about my worries for a day and lived my life. The rest of my trip went by so fast. By the end of trip I was sad to say goodbye to my new friends. We promised each other that after the next school year, we would all get together again and go vacation somewhere. Guess who’s going to Florida this summer?!

Today, whenever I hear the word Mexico I remember the great memories I had while I was in Mexico. To me, Mexico was the place where I learned how to live. It was the place that made me feel the best I had I felt in a while. It just goes to show that sometimes when you step out of your comfort zone, great things happen. I am so happy that I stepped out of my comfort zone, or else I would have never met my vacation buddies.

Have you ever met a new friend in an unexpected place? Comment below!  

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