Taste of Independence

I’ll never forget the day that I was able to travel on my own. The year was 2006 and I was 15 years old heading to Monterrey, Mexico. The main purpose of this trip was for me to take care of my aunt who was recovering from a severely twisted ankle. Let me inform you that she had already been recovering for about a month now and was perfectly capable of taking care of herself; it however became a great excuse for me to visit her. She picked me up at the airport, and after a long hug, we were on our way to the most important thing a person should do when they first land: eat! While my aunt has a very posh essence to her, she knows good food can be found in the most unlikely places. We ended up at El Pollo Loco, a franchised chicken restaurant where we were served rotisserie chicken, tortillas, and an avocado salsa. I don’t know if it was the lack of food I had consumed that day, but it was the most delicious meal I’d had in a long time. The second day there I was introduced to three nieces of my aunt’s friend, all who were relatively close to my age, and with whom I became good friends with during my trip.
My aunt suggested that I go out with them that night, which I was opposed to at first, but eventually warmed up to the idea and did. After having dinner with our respective aunts at a local taco stand that served the quintessential Mexican staples of memelas, tacos, and quesadillas, we took off on our own. The feeling of adulthood overtook me as I was walking around the streets of Monterrey with these girls I had just met. Our destination was a house party, which I was not aware, stood for a local band’s rock concert in a house located in the modern neighborhood known as San Pedro Garza García. The house was packed, people jumping up and down, bottles and cans everywhere. I felt like a rebel, like a cool kid, hanging out with new friends and having my first taste of independence. I was able to see my friends one last time the night before my takeoff from Monterrey to continue vacationing with my aunt in Mexico City and Puebla. They gave me a pair of earrings as a going away present and it still resides in my mind as one of the kindest things anyone has done for me. I only knew them for about a week, but whether they know it or not, they played a major role in the establishment of my independence. I still have those earrings, though I’ve never worn them, they serve as a reminder that I once felt the independence and freedom one should feel when traveling.