Back

Life Lessons & Reflections in Playa del Carmen | Day 320 of my 2023 Journal

Cecilie Conrad·Nov 17, 2023· 2 minutes

Farewell Playa: a confession

I have been unfair.

I have been complaining a lot about Playa del Carmen.

But really. For realsies.

What I like the most about this place is it gave me precisely what I was looking for. A full stop. Soon, we will leave, and staying here at the American Playground, aka Playa del Carmen, stopped us in our tracks and saved us from ourselves.

The Unexpected Pause in Playa del Carmen

When we initially booked this place, we were walking the Camino, not yet in that place of peace the Camino finally took us to, still in the overwhelmed place our XL year had taken us to. And we knew we needed to stop, breathe, think, and relax. We needed a pause from being on an adventure to focus on health, education, and work.

Playa has been perfect for that. Having Kenia and Sophia for the first half of the time and staying here “alone” for the other two weeks was exactly what we needed.

Insights from the American Playground

Had we had a car, we would have been out on day trips all the time. Had we been in a cultural powerhouse, we would have been absorbed in museums and theatres and architecture, so being a little “stuck” was the glue that made us stop for a while.

Watch out for what you ask for. You might very well get it. A life lesson I have learned several times.

At the same time, we have enjoyed the experience. This, too, is part of The World. The overpriced organic cafe, MORE expensive than in Copenhagen, was a nice hangout with Silke, and the extreme tourism was interesting to observe. I am trying to understand. The wild animals in the NO PHOTO place on Fifth must be highly illegal, the tired salespersons in the stores, the desperate mothers selling little things - I want to give them all money, but I know I can not.

I could, before I leave, buy a bracelet I don’t need.

With love

Cecilie-Underskrift-300x133

Cecilie Conrad

Thank you for reading
I would love to hear from you. Listen to your thoughts and reflections - or praise :) It is often emotional to share our lives like this, and we get very happy when we get your feedback. So feel free to share a comment below 😋 

See more images on Facebook

In Finhan, where we live in February 2025, not much is happening. The church in the square strikes its hour, funnily enough, twice, so if you didn't …Read more
In this first episode of season two of The Ladies Fixing the World, we explore the philosophy and practicalities of unschooling and showcase its tran…Read more
How did we end up in Scandinavia mid-winter, and why did we need to see that contrast? How life crashes suddenly, like hitting a tree on the side of …Read more
There is this saying about lemons: if life throws them at you, just make lemonade. But really?! To me, it sounds like bullshit. When life gives you l…Read more
Sometimes, we have to stay very clear and keep the spirit very open when the Universe is talking, and there is a delay in the translation. This is a …Read more
I often say that I love change and that I trust the process. But what about pain? When is it hard? What when I did not choose the change, did not wan…Read more
Do I even have time to journal when there are just nineteen minutes until the next podcast recording? I’ve just had a fascinating conversation with …Read more
When the difference between what you want the world to look like and how you perceive it is big enough, there will be pain.  There is no way a…Read more
Sometimes, I feel dwarfed by life, humbled, overwhelmed, confused, run over. I can fly for a long time, lean into love, and trust the process, and t…Read more