I am a person that is focused on security for my family and self. I am not a risk-taker. When we planned our trip to Central Mexico, I had some concerns for our safety. I had not been to Mexico before and had little knowledge of what to expect. My picture of Mexico was formed by movies and news stories.
Fortunately, the knowledge I gained outside of that was from two sources I trusted inexplicitly. One was the owners of the Guesthouse we were staying in (they were also friends from way back). The other were two friends that visited them last year. It gave me assurance that my wife and I would be safe.
When we told people were we would be going, some showed the same ignorance that I had about Mexico. That got me thinking, “What is safe?” I consider myself a good driver. But with all the traffic deaths each year, am I putting myself at risk when I get behind the wheel? I like taking long hikes in the mountains, with bears and cougars, steep cliffs, and drastic weather shifts. Is that safe?
When we first started planning for this trip last year a gunman shot several people in a grocery store near us (King Soopers of Boulder, CO). Should I take Boulder off my destination list? We haven’t stopped shopping at King Soopers. The week before we left, 3 people were killed and 5 more injured at Michigan State University, (our Alma Mater). Does this make it an unsafe college to attend? We often visit campus when we are back in Michigan. These deadly attacks can happen anywhere.
We are now halfway through our week in San Miguel de Allende Mexico and enjoying every minute of it. We have been careful when walking to the center of town, smart about where we eat, and who we converse with. Just like we would do back home.
I am glad we took this opportunity to explore this beautiful destination and catch up with some good friends. I might add that I still had some anxiety doing something new after 34 years of heading to Florida every winter. I will have much less when we come back here in two years
Photo Credits: Photo 9597575 / Safety © Michael Rosenwirth | Dreamstime.com
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