Emily in Tulum
So I did something a little crazy and unintentionally moved to Tulum, Mexico. I bought a solo one way ticket from NYC to Cancun in October 2020, and I ended up calling Mexico home for seven straight months.
A lot of people ask “How did this happen?” How did I end up living in Tulum (as well as Mexico City) and travel the country with new friends I made while there?
Almost eight months after abandoning my apartment in NYC and quarantining at home in New Jersey with my parents and sisters, I needed a change. I needed space to focus on me, work, and some of my goals. I had come up with an idea to head to the Caribbean for a month or two on my own, but with COVID restrictions that idea was crushed. Meanwhile, Mexico was essentially completely open. There were no travel restrictions flying from the U.S. and within the country. I had heard that a ton of people had relocated to Tulum during the pandemic, so I decided to try it out and head to this place that had been on my vision board for years. I work full-time in finance in New York, so I spoke with my boss about me working from Mexico for a week to see how it would go (and hopefully stay longer if it worked). He gave me his approval, I packed a suitcase of bathing suits and cover-ups, and I booked the one way flight.
I met so many interesting people along the way, and have been very lucky that I’ve met more than a few now very close friends too. If you’ve never traveled solo, you should try it. I wrote a post on solo travel, here, that includes how I got started and a bit of my timeline from then until now.
If you’ve seen my posts/stories on Instagram, you may have gotten a flavor for what life was like for me in Tulum. I’ve tried a bunch of the restaurants, stayed at a few hotels, got around on the adorable baby blue scooter I purchased, met friends that live in Tulum and others from all over the world, and I tried to live every day being so grateful that that was my life. Now, we all know that “insta vs. reality” exists. Contrary to what you may think from my photos on Instagram, I was not truly on vacation. I worked full-time while living in Mexico (here’s how I did it). I just tried to do as much as I could to make the most of the experience when I wasn’t working, because truthfully I had no idea if I had a few days, a week, or a few months left there. My time in Mexico was dependent on when I needed to return home to Manhattan to be in the office. That day eventually came and I went back just in time for Memorial Day weekend in 2021.
Other than Tulum being “on my list” for too long due to the gorgeous beaches, boutique hotels, cenotes, and jungle aesthetic I had seen on Instagram and Pinterest, I knew nothing ahead of arriving there on October 24, 2020. I thought it could be helpful to share some of the basics that I’ve learned about Tulum in case anyone is planning to travel there. Spoiler: I highly recommend you do - solo or with a partner, family, or friends. Maybe you will fall in love with the place and end up staying longer than anticipated too.
Tulum 101: Getting around Tulum +pesos, packing, phrases, and parasites
Other Places to Visit from Tulum: Bacalar, Holbox, Mexico City
If you can’t tell, I’m more than a little bit in love with Tulum. I am beyond grateful for the life I lived there and for the people I met. The experience taught me so much about myself and I still try to live every day with the mindset I embraced there.
I hope to be back to visit often and maybe even find another place in the future to call home like I did Mexico, who knows when or where that could be, but I’m just embracing the uncertainty and look forward to whatever comes next.
xx Em
