I Bought a One-Way Ticket to Mexico

Mexico. Image by Eduardo Chavez.

Yes, it’s true.

I bought a one-way ticket to Mexico.

On December 12th, I’ll be flying from Brussels to Cancún to begin my solo journey across Mexico and Central America!

I’m incredibly excited to start traveling again. It’s been over a year (19 months to be exact!) since I returned from my last backpacking trip, a solo journey through Southeast Asia, where I traveled by myself for ten weeks.

Since coming home, I’ve gone on a couple of quick solo trips within Europe, but I haven’t been on a real adventure.

And I have to admit: I’ve missed it.

I’ve missed strapping on my backpack and hitting the road without a planned itinerary. I’ve missed meeting new people from different backgrounds every day. I’ve missed trying to find my way through a strange and unfamiliar country. And, more than anything, I’ve missed the sense of adventure and freedom I always feel when I’m traveling long-term.

That’s why a couple of months ago, I decided to finally take the leap: I quit my job and booked a one-way flight to Cancún.

I can’t believe that in less than three weeks, I’ll be boarding a plane to Mexico – without a return ticket!

In this post, I’ll explain why I choose to travel to Mexico and Central America and which countries I’m hoping to visit. I’ll also tell you a little bit about my personal challenge to learn Spanish, and what you can expect from my brand new blog, Echoes from Elsewhere.

Palacio de Bellas Artes, Mexico City. Image by Victor Mattei.

Why Mexico and Central America? 

Since returning from my trip to Southeast Asia, I’ve gone back and forth trying to decide on a destination for my next solo backpacking trip. I spent hours upon hours reading travel blogs, scouring the web for cheap flights, and researching the best time of year to visit each country on my wish list.

Which took a lot of time, because, well… my wish list encompasses approximately half of the world.

Finally, last summer, I settled on a destination: Central America! 

I decided I would travel to the northern part of Central America, as well as Mexico (which is officially part of North America, not Central America). Besides Mexico, I would visit Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua.

So why did I choose to travel to these five countries, and not somewhere else?

Well, they’ve been near the top of my wish list ever since I visited another part of Central America, Panama and Costa Rica, almost three years ago. I remember falling in love with Central America’s natural beauty – its lush green jungles, stunning mountain vistas and perfect white sand beaches – as well as its abundance of wildlife. I’ve always longed to someday return and explore more of the region.

Besides, it’s very easy to travel independently and safely through most of Central America, which is something I always take into consideration as a solo female traveler.

Like Southeast Asia, the region has a well-worn backpacker trail, with lots of backpackers all traveling a similar route, making it easy to meet other travelers. This also means that, in most of Central America, you’ll find lots of hostels and other affordable accommodation, a well-organized public transport system, and a host of day tours and activities you can join as a solo traveler.

Sounds perfect to me!

The Mayan ruins of Tulum, Mexico. Image by Chambly1236.

The Spanish Challenge

My initial plan was to start in Nicaragua and travel north, all the way up to Mexico City. But when I began narrowing down my itinerary, a thought occurred to me: If I’m going to travel through Latin America, why not spend some time learning Spanish?

I only speak a few words of Spanish, picked up during a university language course seven years ago. I remember how frustrating it felt not to be able to understand the locals while traveling through Panama and Costa Rica back in 2015. I could barely ask for directions, let alone have an actual conversation. If someone spoke to me in Spanish, I would usually just nod and smile, and occasionally say the word ‘sí’ – even though I often had no clue what they were talking to me about.

That’s why I decided to spend at least one month of my trip studying Spanish. 

I would love to be able to communicate with locals in Central America – not only because speaking the local language will be useful in case I find myself in need of help or in another difficult situation, but also because it will make the experience of traveling through Central America that much more rewarding. By talking with locals in Spanish, I can gain a better understanding of their culture, history and customs.

Besides, I like setting myself a challenge now and again, and learning Spanish will definitely be a challenge!

The city of Antigua, Guatemala. Image by Victor Hugo Cardenas.

Choosing a Spanish school

To my own surprise, I didn’t have to spend a lot of time researching Spanish schools in order to pick one. Most of the travel blogs and online guides I stumbled upon conveniently pointed me in the same direction: Guatemala!

So why did they all recommend Guatemala? Apparently, the cost of living is very low, the Guatemalan accent is clear and easy to understand, and most importantly, Guatemala boasts a large number of quality Spanish schools that offer affordable private lessons.

Yes, private lessons. The school I ended up choosing – San Pedro Spanish School, located in the small town of San Pedro La Laguna – offers four hours of private lessons a day, from Monday to Friday, for only 220 euros a week. That includes accommodation (usually a homestay with a local family) and three meals a day.

There’s no way I would pass that up!

Lake Atitlan, Guatemala. Image by Lukáš Jančička.

My itinerary

Once I’d chosen a Spanish school, I was ready to narrow down the rest of my itinerary.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a cheap flight to Guatemala, but I did find a one-way flight to Cancún for only 320 euros, so that will be the starting point of my trip.

I’ll most likely travel around Mexico for a month or so, then cross the border into Belize. After a two-week stint in Belize, I’ll head south into Guatemala and travel to San Pedro La Laguna for my Spanish lessons. I’m planning to spend at least one month studying Spanish. Hopefully, it will be enough time to learn conversational Spanish!

When my lessons have ended, I’ll pack my backpack again to travel around Guatemala for a couple of weeks. I’m not sure yet where I’ll go after Guatemala – I could continue traveling south and head to El Salvador and Nicaragua, I could visit another region of Mexico, or I could catch a flight back to Europe (if I’m done traveling by then).

All I know is this: it’s going to be an amazing trip and I can’t wait for my flight on December 12th.

Curious to learn more about my itinerary? You’ll find more details in my next blog post!

Mexico. Image by Heidi Ziller.

What to expect from Echoes from Elsewhere

So, that’s my plan!

I’m looking forward to sharing my personal experience as a solo backpacker in Mexico and Central America with you, and to introduce you to this beautiful and fascinating region of the world.

As I travel from place to place, I’ll post updates and photos of my journey on my social media channels, so be sure to follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

As for my blog, that’s where you’ll find more in-depth articles, including travel stories, destination guides and solo travel advice.

I’m planning to share stories and advice from my upcoming trip, as well as from my solo journey through Southeast Asia and my trips around Europe. In the meantime, if you want to learn a bit more about me and how I started my solo travel journey, check out my about page.

I hope you’ll enjoy reading about my adventures!