Life Lessons & Reflections in Playa del Carmen | Day 320 of my 2023 Journal

Farewell Playa: a confession

I have been unfair.

I have been complaining a lot about Playa del Carmen.

But really. For realsies.

What I like the most about this place is it gave me precisely what I was looking for. A full stop. Soon, we will leave, and staying here at the American Playground, aka Playa del Carmen, stopped us in our tracks and saved us from ourselves.

The Unexpected Pause in Playa del Carmen

When we initially booked this place, we were walking the Camino, not yet in that place of peace the Camino finally took us to, still in the overwhelmed place our XL year had taken us to. And we knew we needed to stop, breathe, think, and relax. We needed a pause from being on an adventure to focus on health, education, and work.

Playa has been perfect for that. Having Kenia and Sophia for the first half of the time and staying here “alone” for the other two weeks was exactly what we needed.

Insights from the American Playground

Had we had a car, we would have been out on day trips all the time. Had we been in a cultural powerhouse, we would have been absorbed in museums and theatres and architecture, so being a little “stuck” was the glue that made us stop for a while.

Watch out for what you ask for. You might very well get it. A life lesson I have learned several times.

At the same time, we have enjoyed the experience. This, too, is part of The World. The overpriced organic cafe, MORE expensive than in Copenhagen, was a nice hangout with Silke, and the extreme tourism was interesting to observe. I am trying to understand. The wild animals in the NO PHOTO place on Fifth must be highly illegal, the tired salespersons in the stores, the desperate mothers selling little things - I want to give them all money, but I know I can not.

I could, before I leave, buy a bracelet I don’t need.

With love

Cecilie Conrad

Thank you for reading
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