Travel That Transformed Me: Celebrating Day of the Dead in Mexico City

Guest blog written by Megan Schmeerbauch—winner of our free trip to CDMX giveaway.

To say my trip to Mexico City was unforgettable, doesn't even begin to cover it. Of course the city itself was truly captivating, with all the colors, the history, chaos, and warmth, but it's also one of those places that makes the whole world feel bigger just by being there.

Visiting during Día de los Muertos and being a part of such an incredible celebration made the trip even more meaningful. I was surprised to feel uplifted—not sad—witnessing their culture's perception of death. It was just so moving seeing countless people celebrating their deceased loved ones, not mourning them. Even so, I continued to feel uneasy at the thought of us creating our own ofrenda. When the time came, I placed my dad's picture next to his favorite cigarettes and was surprised to feel a sense of calm and peace, rather than sorrow like I had been anticipating.

Proudly donning our traditional catrina face paint.

This moment was the most personal shift I experienced on the trip, but it was far from the only one. So many other experiences added enrichment or growth for me on this trip, from the growth I experienced while eating all sorts of foods that were touching other foods (most of which I could not identify), to the gift of feeling light as air after being blessed by a (very accurate) shaman, or the fact that I went on this trip at all when I refuse to even eat at a restaurant solo. And, most notably, battling my fear of heights literally in front of the entire group while riding in a hot air balloon over the ancient pyramids of Teotihuacán.

Before the hot air balloon ride—early and cold!

I got to discover some amazing foods—the most life-changing being 'marigold' any-and-everything. I got to let the world speak to me through the wind, and I experienced one of the most beautiful sunrises over ancient pyramids.

But the biggest eye-opener for me was the fact that I would have missed visiting this incredible city and consequently, so many other places if it weren't for Laura Ericson Group Trips. Yes, I am a pretty adventurous traveler. I am not a "resort person," and I love unexpected adventures, the local finds, and experiencing authentic cultural moments.

I love the idea of unconventional travel, but I would never have booked a trip to Mexico City on my own. Not because I didn't think it would be interesting, but because choosing an international destination—especially one so large and vibrant and complex—is simply something I didn't feel confident doing alone, and that limited me. People have many general misconceptions about certain places and it stops even adventurous travelers from taking some of the most rewarding trips.

Mexico City showed me that the world is bigger and more welcoming than society wants us to believe, and Laura's knowledge of these locations is a game changer. She removes those limits, weeds out the tourist traps, and finds the pieces of the city that truly matter. The whole trip felt effortless, safe, and most importantly– possible.

The Mexican flag flying above us while exploring the city.

This trip held more surprises than I ever expected. Traveling with so many other people who have a confident, adventurous relationship with travel was enlightening. Oftentimes I feel like I need to take care of the people I travel with or try to keep them occupied or entertained, and none of that felt like my job when traveling with Laura's group. It was very freeing to just take in the city with no one to worry about except myself and with someone else leading the way.

The craziest part is I realized that I enjoy traveling that way again—a conclusion that caught me off guard. Meeting our group members and all the local people, exploring the city, and navigating the subway together was so much fun. Leading up to the trip, I had worried that a group trip would be too confining for me, but Laura builds in the right amount of explore-on-your-own time. I thoroughly enjoyed wandering the neighborhoods with no rigid plan with multiple new friends during our free time. It was heavenly.

Looks like some fruits and veggies that are begging to be turned into salsa!

Overall, this trip has shown me not to look past the not-so-lovely looking things, the silly things, or even the super scary things when I am deciding what to see or do. As a picky-eater, I was definitely prepared to suffer and starve the whole week but instead, I discovered so many incredible foods that I can't wait to find again! So many tacos and sauces, the carajillos, pan dulce, omg the chicharon and trompo! There were so many delicious things I would have never ordered on my own or would have skipped out on if I knew I had other options.

Street food was a trip highlight.

But the biggest life-changer for me was eating the marigolds! Give me all the crushed up yellow-flower-everything, please! Not everyone loved it, but to me it was nectar of the gods. Going forward in my travels, I am definitely going to be as adventurous with my eating as I was in CDMX.

Marigolds hanging over a walking path.

The fact that Laura has already scouted out these trips and has discovered the "must-dos" and the "skip-its" is an invaluable perk. She has weeded out the underwhelming and uncovers the authentic, local gems worth seeing. Lucha Libre, for example, was probably the most fun I had. It was rowdy, colorful, loud, and something I have always thought was ridiculous. But it wasn't ridiculous at all…it was AMAZING! It certainly wouldn't have been something I would have put on my own itinerary, and again, I would have missed out on one of the best parts of the trip.

Lastly, one of the best gems worth seeing—for me, the big scary thing—was the hot air balloon ride. I had pretty much decided it was something I didn't need to do, but everyone I talked to at home, including my husband and my kids, insisted I do it. A few days leading up to the trip, I had gotten as far as agreeing that I would at least get in. I was not afraid to climb over the basket and jump out at the last second if I needed to. I didn't jump out, but to say I was not happy was an understatement.

The view from the top—hot air balloon ride over Teotihuacán pyramids.

Then, about halfway through, the reason Laura has us do this crazy thing revealed itself. Watching the sunrise while floating over the pyramids was absolutely breathtaking. I began to breathe again, then relax, and eventually found myself captivated, just like the rest of the group.

In short, this trip to Mexico City was transformative in ways I never expected. From confronting fears and discovering new foods to experiencing profound cultural moments and breathtaking views, I left the city with a sense of excitement, perspective, and freedom.

Adventuring with this group of people revealed there are many wanderers who cherish authentic experiences, who value sustainable travel, and that my desire to explore challenging destinations is not crazy at all. There are plenty of "normal people" doing it every day, and one of the easiest ways to find those types of people to travel with is through group trips like this. Traveling with Laura Ericson Group Trips makes the intimidating effortless, the unfamiliar accessible, and the extraordinary unavoidable.