To live and die in Tulum

by sadie hebeler (United States of America)

Making a local connection Mexico

When I was 19 I traveled to Tulum for the first time. I was taking time away from school, avoiding responsibilities, and listening to way too much tropical house music. In fact, I didn’t travel to Tulum for normal purposes such as jungle massages or Instagram photos. I traveled to Tulum to follow a DJ, however, I disguised my fangirl purposes of travel in the form of a yoga retreat. The pilgrimage from the airport in Cancun to Tulum is so common a bus leaves around every 30 minutes now. When I arrived at the hostel (which was one of the only affordable places to stay directly on the beach) I found a handsome boy sitting across from two American girls who looked about as pleasantly surprised as I was that the “night boy” was so cute. The palapa of a hostel was intimate, wooden curved tables, and windowless yoga studio up top that allowed for the stunning view of the stars. Although it was a yoga retreat, I immediately went next door to a bar which is now considered legendary by the name of Euphemia. Three short chubby men played a variation of reggae and hip hop. I ordered “anything with tequila” and started a conversation with the owner of the bar. He was smoking a joint and petting his dog who the bar is named after. One of the boys behind the bar managed a passionfruit margarita after about 20 minutes. Something I later learned about Tulum is that most of the service staff community is under the false perception that Tulum is an island, thus they interact on an island timeframe. The owner of the bar asked me what had brought me to Tulum and I sheepishly explained I was trying my hand at fangirling a “tropical house” DJ. The owner laughed, but also acknowledged that tropical house sounded like an excellent representation of Tulum. Today I still believe that to be true, a jungle aesthetic with a vibrant party atmosphere. Tulum’s business owners use a collaboration of contemporary design with natural elements. As a designer, it is inspiring, and as a lover, it is a mecca. The next morning I awoke to different staff, a girl was setting up the beach furniture. I went outside excitedly, not only was I ready to indulge in the calm ocean waters of Tulum, but she looked like someone who I would get along with. I asked her, “Como te llamas?” and she told me in English her name was Mavi and she was from Argentina. Every journey has an unexpected turn, and Mavi was mine. Mavi to this day is one of my best friends. During my first conversation with Mavi, I found that she was still practicing her English. I don’t know if it was the open skies or the humid warmth, but at that moment I was compelled to know Mavi in a way that does not require language to understand. During the week, I would wake up and go to yoga with an adorable ex-circus performer named Luna. After, I would run around the casita to find Mavi sweeping sand or making Mate. I would practice my Spanish, and Mavi would continue to excel in her English. I found that without the unlimited bank of English words to utilize mindlessly I began to focus on simply being present with Mavi. We would sometimes walk along the road that guides you from the playa to the pueblo (town) there are wooden signs with hand-painted words such as “be present”. Tulum has become somewhat of a dreamer’s playground in this sense. Yogic thoughtfulness has engrained the infrastructure of the community. Mavi even told me that it is a law that the highest building cannot exceed the height of the trees. On our walks, although Mavi couldn’t speak English we observed the colorful world of Tulum together. Looking back I see how Tulum represents authentic love in my heart. I had traveled to fulfill an immature fantasy of being seen by a DJ, and I ended up with one of the most spiritual friendships of my life.