A group of friends and I hopped the border for our senior year spring break trip and landed in
Playa Del Carmen,
Mexico. As are all senior spring break trips to
Mexico, it was simply an excuse to drink, soak up the rays, and drink some more. For one week we had a slice of the good stuff.
Tequila and sunshine, the ocean and
black-eyed girls.
At a small bar off the main road, an
American named Jerrid tended the bar. Jerrid was around 22 or 23 years old, and he was from
Colorado. Apparently, he had dropped out of school, packed his bags, and left his family and home when he was 15. So like
Kerouac and others before him, he headed to Mexico. And he'd been
bumming around in Mexico ever since.
We all went to a different bar with him one night, and all ordered drinks. When the drinks came, he told us he'd teach us how to toast Mexican-style. "Repeat after me," he said.
Raising his glass:
"
Salud!"
"
Salud!" the eight of us echoed.
"
Deniro!"
"
Deniro!" we sang.
"
Amor!"
"
Amor!" we howled.
And Jerrid drowned his shot glass, and likewise we followed suit.
Health, money, and love. What else do you need?
rescued nodeshell