January 27, 2026 by Cassandra Johnson
Travel in what pictures cannot capture.
Travel in that, from which pictures can just borrow a piece.
When I first landed in Merida, I did not expect to stay so long, though I thought it efficient to run out my tourist Visa. (180 days).
I look at my photos, yes picturesque, yet they do not capture all the beauty and anguish interwoven into the weeks. They don’t match the ease I felt sitting in the sun after a long project and drinking agua fresca. Salsa in the bar. Daily free performances. Restaurant stands. Cute shops. The pictures do not capture the taste of a good Mexican meal, only the appearance and sometimes, they mistakenly highlight a tasteless Yucatecan one.
The pictures are graciously appreciated yet also inconsiderate of the anxiety I felt leaving a nice Merida neighborhood for an inconvenient one.
Pictures borrow a piece from the scenery, they borrow a piece from the nostalgia, they borrow a piece from the senses that engage in the moment. They borrow from the delight and sometimes veil the anxious spirit. They borrow and allow a revisit to the places, to the feelings and sometimes uplift a moment that was not uplifting and alternately dull a moment absolutely beyond exhilarating.
The experiences were unimaginable. I am glad I tested out a desire to see the Mexican city among the many, and look forward to soon seeing if the feelings, both okay and good, are still there. Yet, short, round-trip ticket, this time.😊
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