Isla Mujeres Magazine : The "Isla Effect"

By Ronda Winn-Roberts

Everywhere you go, life has a few lessons to offer, including on The Isle of Women.

Photo by John Butler

The island can teach you to accept yourself, to live by your heart & to stop thinking about your hair. Things that once mattered a lot, like cars & clothes, tend to fade in importance. You start devoting time to simpler pleasures like sunsets and moon rises.You realize that savoring moments, sharing feelings, and making memories are important things you need to do daily.

By Rob Herrin

You find yourself easing into embracing a simpler lifestyle, followed by developing a tolerance for things being unpredictable, loud, spontaneous, imperfect, and unscheduled, which can evolve into a love for the raucous side of Mexican life. At the end of the day, what matters are the smiles you've exchanged & the experiences you've shared.
Your pace is likely to slow down as you try to take in the incredibly diverse and very foreign images that surround you, moving from the hot chaos of afternoon streets full of tourists chattering in a dozen different languages, to balmy evenings with tranquil sounds of waves rising and falling. You'll find yourself spending long moments watching sunlight sparkling like diamonds across the sea, and remembering that happiness comes from small pleasures, like watching an iguana run across the hot sand.

by Rob Herrin

You will be exposed to many amazing flavors, and a variety of fiestas, with children charging thru in small herds, while their mothers make sure everyone is well fed and enjoying themselves. Family gatherings usually include crowds of cousins, uncles & in laws, with an abundance of hospitality and laughter. It is easy to trust and respect people who work so hard for so little, and then share it with such enthusiastic generosity. With time, you will come to share their tragedies, as well as their celebrations, and to appreciate the strength of their family ties.
You may change a little on the outside as your skin darkens and your hair lightens, but Isla Mujeres will probably leave a deeper impression. If you're lucky, it changes you on the inside, teaching you to take delight in differences, to judge less and appreciate more, and to have a cultural curiosity. The isle and its people are hard to leave behind, and it seems as though a little piece of you remains when you depart, calling you to return.