Paddling fast to catch this wave, I hear Nacho yelling at me.

“Paddle paddle paddle Kaisa, come on you can do this.”

Wanting the approval of the attractive Mexican surf teacher and wanting to beat my sister, I paddle as hard as I can. Trying to push myself up to a standing position my legs are wobbling and I realize how easy it would be to give up but not wanting to, I finally reach a standing position. Hearing lots of cheering, I look up to the road and see four jeeps passing by honking their horns and yelling, just as excited about me standing tall on my surfboard.

Riding the wave all the way to the shore, I jump into the ocean and feel the salt all over my face. I look over to our group and see them cheering me on and taking pictures. I am filled with an exhilarating feeling. I just did something I never thought I would have the opportunity to do, let alone succeed at it. Looking up to the sun, closing my eyes, I feel the sun shining down on me almost as if in approval. Like the sun is proud of me, too.

Getting on my board, I start to paddle back out to where Nacho is waiting.

“Buenos Kyza, that was great,” he says with a big smile on his face. He pronounces my name more like Kysa, instead of Kyza. It normally bugs me when others do it, but I don't mind the way it sounds from him. All the ladies in our group have a crush on him.

“Be a part of your board when you surf, don’t think you and then the board, think you and board together. What you do, the board does,” he says.

After getting up the first time, Nacho’s instructions make sense and it became so much easier. After surfing for about two hours, my sister and I walk up the beach where everyone is sitting. Sitting down feeling exhausted, I look around and take in my surroundings. I start to feel so grateful to be able to be here, with these amazing people, on this amazing island. I dig my toes into the white sand which is like a soft blanket on my feet. To my left there's a cove which goes into the ocean that has more waves, which is where I just surfed. In front of me is a Mexican family playing beach volleyball, laughing and enjoying the beautiful day. To my right is another beach with calm waters where a lot of families are playing in the ocean. Behind me is the bar/restaurant “Chenrio.”

I hear a Bob Marley song playing in the background. Our waiter walks up to us, dancing and singing along with the music, making a smile come to my face. He sets down my garlic shrimp and my mouth starts to water from the smell. It looks so amazing I don't wait for him to leave, I just dig into the best shrimp I have ever had in my life. I savor every bit of my food.

Just like I have been savoring this whole trip, never wanting to leave or forget.

Most of my favorite memories are from Mexico. If you ask any of my friends or family members they will say that I talk about Mexico all the time. I am so grateful that I have been able to spend some time of my life there. It’s made me want to live there in the future. I love the vibe of the warm climate. I love the people, food, weather, clothes, music, and culture. I have been heavily impacted from their lifestyle. I notice that the people of Cozumel don't have much compared to the people in my life. They have the water and each other and that is enough for them. This has made me more easy going because I realize how happy they are without irrelevant things in their life so why should the irrelevant things in my life matter to me when I have so much more to be happy about? It’s eye opening for me to see how happy people can be with so little.

My family always tells me that my personality fits the vibe of Mexico and I couldn’t agree more. I feel like myself when I am down there. It seems so rare to get the feeling of comfort yet adventure all at the same time. However, that’s exactly what I feel. My experiences in Mexico make me want to travel, soul search, learn about other cultures, and to always have adventure in my life. I realize that the world has many amazing places to discover and I look forward to the adventures that lie ahead.