“Tranquila” my Mexican friends always tell me….take it easy, embrace tranquility.

Let’s face it: everybody wants tranquility but never seems to get it-especially during the holiday season. Is it because of our extremely ambitious culture? Maybe it is the desire to get more? Perhaps we allow our troubled pasts to hinder our present and blacken our future? Also, I believe the US culture encourages this type of lifestyle. Stress and over ambition makes the world go round it seems. Isn’t the constant overworking and worrying to be more and more successful the way of life? I mean the Jones’ family and all their stuff is looking better and better every day. A Christmas and New Year’s in Mexico taught me an important lesson in that.

Casandra preparing the dressing for the turkey we all made for our New Year's dinner.

My holidays were spent in the sunny state of Oaxaca located in the south of Mexico in the capital city (also named Oaxaca). During a total of two weeks, I stayed with two dear friends and their families. We often went to the center of Oaxaca city. The center was always dressed up in golden lights with loads of poinsettias everywhere you could imagine. Musicians played lively music while tourists and Mexicans sat in the cafes conversing or walking around the center soaking up the peaceful beauty of Christmas.

Without a doubt, it was the most relaxing Christmas ever. Although we did many activities such as putting up decorations, preparing food and going to dinners, I found myself taking time and doing things slower and actually enjoying the activity. It was a change from the usually rushed way of doing things in the US. On Christmas Day, when I spoke to my parents, I mentioned that although I am proud to be an American, it bothers me how competitive and over-ambitious we are with our celebration of the holidays. It’s like we have to have the best light decorations on the street, the best and most expensive gifts-it all becomes a competition and a sad one at that.

In the center of Oaxaca city...a peaceful beauty.

It is true that materialism is strong in Mexico like it is in any country but there’s more of simplicity and tranquility here. It was a good lesson for me not only during the holiday season but for the normal days as well. Being ambitious is good and needed for success. However, when we start overworking and being too ambitious with ourselves, it kills our inner serenity and hope for the world. Our inner light (or the presence of God or however you wish to think of it as) is crushed and demolished and we get blandness for life like a box of rocks.

Basically, it’s time we take a breather. Like the people in Oaxaca, enjoy your holidays and the normal days too. Be ambitious and be competitive-just not to excess. Tranquility is possible in this world if we allow ourselves to embrace it-even the Jones’ can’t compare to that.

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This is the final blog post on the “Holidays in Mexico” series. More posts coming soon on my second semester here in Mexico. Here’s wishing the best to you and your loves ones.

Saludos!