I had to stop the other day and smile. After living in Tulum for a while now, I realized that I have adopted different ways of doing things. I have sunk into the culture that predominates this area. I will not go as far as saying that I am Mayan, I am not, but I realized that day that I have started to think differently, that I have instintively make decisions differently. I have adopted new ways of doing things that are in tune with the culture and environment that I live in. I live in a Mayan community and I take lead from my employees that are from Mayan decent. The best way I can describe this transition is to say, I am starting to doing things the Mayan way, which is very different from my cultural background or societal norms.
Living in Tulum changes you, witnessing Tulum places a change seed
When you choose to experience a different culture, it changes you. I really did not notice until the other day how influenced I have been by the culture of Tulum. It has been a slow process, in some ways an unconscious process, and it hit me the process has happened.
This is what I am calling the Mayan way of living for me in Tulum:
1. The ocean and the sky predict my day and the chores, work, goals for the day. Sure I have a list, but the environment predicts my day, I don’t.
2. I get up early, do the hard physical labor before the sun comes up then I have a community breakfast with staff, a wonderful tortilla, eggs and veggie breafast with fresh juice and the fruit in season.
3. I save what I can and stock pile any left over building materials, nails, etc that comes our way. Nothing goes to waste and we reuse everything that we can. Love it!
4. I plant according to moon cycles, I save seeds from fruit to try and grow items on the property. I get excited about a shared plant cutting and watch it grow and develop like I would my own child.
5. I spend less time on the computer and more time talking to people in person. The face to face communication is more important to me now then ever before.
6. I let myself rest.And I am okay with it.
7. I think about how I can use the environment we have to ensure useful and productive building practices, not just the latest, greatest building practices. Any project that we do is calculated, thought through and optimized for the environment, not my particular design pleasures. The wind, the sun, shade and rain deterimne how something is built, not the latest and trendiest idea that is on the market.
Cultural experiences open our minds to a different way of seeing things
We are all culprits of routine, and shaking it up sometimes is a great way to shake things up a bit. We have gone to the extreme, we live and work in another country. We have immersed ourselves into the Mayan culture in all aspects and it is showing. A vacation can do the same. Giving yoru head a shake every few months is a great way for us to open our mind and think differently, to understand that there are more ways to complete a task, a goal, a project. That there are more ways to look at a flower and see it. Shake it up, turn things on their head, look at things differently and see what happens to you.
I like the changes and appreciate the influence the local Mayan community has had on what I thought to be my ideals, my thoughts, my routine. Shaking it up has made me look at me……the world and others….differently…..and I like it.
When was the last time you shook it up? When was the last time you turned off your smart phone, your computer, you television. When was the last time you sipped a cup of coffee at sunrise on the beach and listened to …..nothing…..or the waves. When was the last time you, sat…..and just breathed.
Check out our gallery and see how you can shake it up….in Tulum. Discover how Mayan way and tell us what you think. It is addictive, believe you me….
