Xcited for Xcaret?
I got a text from my dear friend, Gemma, who was with her family on vacation in Playa del Carmen at this place that sounded too good to be true - Xcaret.
“We’re coming back next year - you should come!”
“What dates were you thinking?”
“Thanksgiving Week, next year, and there’s a sale right now on booking.com ”
We hadn’t been on real, not family-event-related vacation since way before the pandemic, and the last time we traveled outside the country was 2014. I checked the deal Gemma told me about, and the cancellation policy was something like a full-refund if we canceled up until a month before our arrival date. That felt commitment-ish, adjacent to a solid decision, with plenty of time to suss it out.
“OK! I’m booking it!”
So, I booked it. And then I kind of forgot about it. (That’s on brand for my brand of ADHD.)
Gemma and I are the kind of friends who might not speak for a month or two (hashtag Mom life), and when we do have time to speak (text), it’s often questions about school, updates on kids, work, husbands… Xcaret just didn’t come up again until August.
“You guys getting Xcited for Xcaret?!” (See what she did there? I didn’t, yet.)
My brain, rapid-fire: Oh shit, I booked a trip to Mexico, didn’t I? How much did I put down? How much do I owe? The passports. Are everyone’s passport ok? Where even are the passports? Are we gonna get covid? What are the covid numbers? Where even in Mexico is this? Cancun? No, Playa del Carmen. We need to get boosted. Did I book flights? I think we still need flights. Did I even tell <my husband>? I must have. If we need to get the passports renewed, we need to know where the birth certificates are - do I know where they are? STOP - first things first - text Gemma back.
“Yes! I think so… Yes, but I think I’m anxious? But also excited?”
I was anxious. Really anxious. We hadn’t flown out of the country since 2014. We hadn't flown at all since before the pandemic.
“I’m going to send you a packing-list of things you’ll need. Don’t be anxious, it’s going to be great!”
She was right, the trip was great. It was better than great. But, I was really, really anxious in the months, weeks, days, hours leading up to leaving (🎵 on a jet plane 🎶). When I’m anxious my self-soothing is usually hyper-fixating on preparation. So, I researched - I researched flight costs, about each Xcaret park, reviews about Xcaret Hotel Mexico (where we were staying), reviews about the resort restaurants. And then I started planning - planning what I’d order at restaurants (found all the menus), what I’d wear to the Xcaret Parks (this was crucial for the kids and me and our sensory challenges), what I’d wear to the various Xcaret restaurants, which Xcaret shows were must-sees . Then, I ordered. I ordered everything on the list Gemma sent me and things rando-people-on-the-internet suggested in Xcaret Facebook groups (yes, they exist - there’s actually a bunch!). And, before hitting the “order” button, I researched each one of the things in my cart to make sure they were the best options.
My anxiety is your gain! (And mine, too really because, we were VERY prepared for our trip. Sometimes, well, most times, I’m grateful for this wild brain.) I’d like to offer up my fear-fueled, hyper-fixated, preparation research on visiting Xcaret and my learnings after a week there, as a resource. Hopefully it will be helpful for someone out there - anxious or not.
And if you are anxious, I get it. It’s a lot of planning and prepping. It’s a leap of faith with the cost and the time. It’s tough leaving what you know and getting out your comfort zone. I could go on, point is, there’s a lot you could find to worry about. Goodness knows I did. But, just like Gemma said, it’s gonna be great!
Have you been to Xcaret? How was your Xcaret Xperience? Planning an Xcaret vacation now? Have any questions? I’d love to hear from you. Comment your questions, concerns, or tips if you’ve been before below!
