Just Jump!— A Leap Into Ancestry

by Maira Hernández (United States of America)

A leap into the unknown Mexico

They say when you visit ancestral lands you should wear white because it is a cleansing and healing experience to be in the land of your ancestors. I had just bought the perfect white Mexican embroidered dress, one that caught my eye as I was walking the streets in Mexico City a few days prior, and that dress was perfect for today— a nice and sunny day in the middle of January in the Mexican Caribbean. My family and I were getting ready to visit Chinchén-Itzá. It was a beautiful moment to have my entire family here and share this experience with them. Just before arriving to the Yucatan and passing through México City, I had spent several months living in the small humble ranch town in Michoacán, México where my parents were born. Now my entire family, all 10 of us, were standing in front of the Kukulkan Pyramid taking a family picture, but now as American tourist. What a sacred place to reflect on the trajectory of my ancestry and our journey through immigration. I was feeling powerful and ready to take on the world! We then made our way to our next stop, the X’toloc cenote— one of the biggest natural water sinkholes near Chinchén-Itzá. It should be known that the Mayan believed that cenotes were passageways to the afterlife. I was ready to take a dive in the “agua dulce”, these natural sweet waters and enjoy this wonderful experience. As we made our way to the cenote we could see how the sunlight glistened in the clear water below from the viewing dock at the top of the stairs. It was beautiful seeing the green leaves and vines trickling from the top and down the sides of the stone walls and watching people dive in from the highest ledge, fifteen feet above water, and hearing people say “I’m not diving off of that”. My brother and I agreed we were both going to dive from the highest ledge, we were feeling powerful and courageous, and we were going to do it without a life vest— did I not mention that we really don’t know how to swim? We made our way down and it was exciting seeing so many people enjoy themselves jumping into the water all around the cenote, swimming a bit and then jumping in again. I felt brave! Until I got to the edge of the water— not the fifteen foot ledge, but the ledge next to the stairs where you can ease your way in. I decided I was going to do a practice jump before I mustered up the courage to make my way to the high ledge. Then I froze, I froze for at least 15 minutes as I saw a 7 year old girl dive in at least 5 times before I decided I was going to do it. I must have counted “1, 2, 3, Go!” several times before I finally said "It’s now or never!” and finally jumped in. I felt fear in every fiber of my body, and did it anyways. It felt like I was drowning for a couple of seconds but I made my way to the surface and I was fine. I finally jumped! I didn’t make it to the highest ledge that day, and I spent most of my time in the water in fear of drowning because I didn’t have a life vest. Of course the sign that said the cenote was 150 feet deep didn’t help. But what did happen was this experience allowed me to continue facing my fears. I spent an extra week in Quintana Roo in a solo trip, and when I was doubting attending a social gathering of fellow travelers I told myself— Just go! When I was invited to go salsa dancing, I said again—Just go! And when I found myself on the ledge of another cenote I told myself— Just jump! So I stood on the ledge again, in fear, and decided to run. As I neared the edge I hesitated and because of my momentum and the slippery surface I “jumped” into the cenote— feeling brave and alive again!