What Group Travel Taught Me in Mexico City

Do you remember how simple it was to make new friends as a kid? You would walk up to someone on the playground and ask, “Do you want to play?” They would say yes, and that was it. Instant connection. A friend for the afternoon, or maybe forever. Somewhere along the way, adulthood made finding friendship harder, but group travel has a way of bringing that simplicity back. Everyone arrives on equal footing. Everyone is there with an open mind and an open heart.

I felt that magic again this past April when I said YES! to a trip to Mexico City with a group of women I had never met. I packed my bag, boarded a plane, and hoped that somewhere between the airport and the first shared meal, I would find my people.

Spoiler alert: I did.

Within hours, the nerves disappeared, replaced by laughter, personal stories, and an ease of connection that I had not realized I’d been missing.

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Finding Connection in Unexpected Places

In Mexico City, the friendships came quickly. We cheered for masked wrestlers at a lucha libre match, laughing at the theatrical chaos while sipping cold cervezas with thousands of others. We toasted with tequila, sampling flights that sparked conversations about life back home. We wandered through artisan markets, helping each other choose bracelets and embroidered blouses to carry a piece of the city home.

By the second day, it no longer felt like we were strangers. We were a group of women from different places, bound together by a shared moment in time. The conversations moved past small talk almost instantly. Stories surfaced about marriages, careers, parenting, and reinvention. There was comfort in realizing that even though our daily lives look different, the core of what we long for is the same: joy, belonging, and adventure.

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The Backdrop That Made It Magic

Mexico City itself played its part perfectly. The colors, the flavors, and the rhythm of the streets made it easy to be present. We lingered in coffee shops that became little sanctuaries before the day unfolded. We browsed used bookstores, pulling familiar titles off the shelves. We lingered in the gardens of the Frida Kahlo Museum, bathed in golden hour light, and I watched women who had been strangers just a few days earlier stand together in front of those glowing blue walls and chat away as if they had known each other for years.

I was there to document the trip, to tell the story of the women who said yes to traveling together. My camera was a bridge, giving me a front-row seat to every laugh, conversation, and quiet moment of wonder. Being present in that garden was my Mexico City pinch-me moment. While photographing the women in that light, framed by history and beauty, I realized it was not about the photos. It was about being a witness to women fully present, fully themselves, and surrounded by others who had started as strangers but had quickly become friends.

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What Group Travel Teaches You

Trips like this remind me that connection does not have to take years to build. Sometimes it simply takes saying yes. Yes to sitting next to someone new at dinner. Yes to laughing at the ridiculousness of lucha libre. Yes to letting strangers help you with a decision you have been mulling over, offering fresh perspectives and nothing but support. Yes to letting someone else’s story remind you of your own strength.

The beauty of group travel is that it gives you a built-in community. You do not have to know anyone before you go. You just have to be open. And once you arrive, the rest has a way of unfolding naturally. Somewhere between the laughter, the stories, and the shared moments, you remember what it felt like to walk up to someone and say, “Do you want to play?”

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The Say "Yes" Philosophy

For me, Mexico City was never about checking off landmarks or racing through a list. It was about leaning into connection. Saying yes to slowing down. Yes to wandering. Yes to friendships that showed up right on time.

That is what I carried home more than souvenirs or photos, though I had plenty of both tucked into my bag. What stayed with me was the reminder that travel is not about conquering a city. It is about letting a place unfold, layer by layer, and noticing the lessons it wants to offer you.

You do not have to see it all. Just say yes to the people and moments that make the world feel small again.

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About the Author

I’m Macey. Photographer, traveler, and founder of Say Yes Travel Co. I believe travel should feel less like a checklist and more like connection, culture, and memories you’ll carry home. When I’m not behind the camera or planning group trips for women, you can find me wandering big cities with an iced coffee in hand and probably buying more books than I can fit in my carry-on.

✨ Want more travel tips, itineraries, and real talk about saying yes to adventure? Follow me on Instagram @maceysnelson.

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