When I was younger and would tell my friends that we were going to Mexico for Christmas, they would say things like, "Oh that's not fair! I'm so jealous!" But I was always quick to reassure them that it really wasn't that cool. We wouldn't be staying at a resort next to a beach, where I'd lounge around in a swimming suit, drinking (virgin) margaritas and reading my book all day. We'd be staying in the middle of a dusty city, with potholes for roads and hot or cold (depending

Christmas is almost here!! We're celebrating in Mexico this year and so I thought, hey, why not talk about what Christmas is like here and why I love it? When I was younger, we would come to Mexico every year, either at Christmas or during the summer, to visit family. Christmas in Mexico was always super different from Christmas here in Utah. I remember loving things about both styles of celebrating, but as I got older, I began to really value time spent in Mexico. The holida

Have you ever thought to yourself, "Why can't people who immigrate to the U.S. just do it the right way?" Go ahead. You can admit it. You're definitely not alone. Close your eyes and imagine something with me. Oh, right. You can't read if your eyes are closed. OK, then, just pretend your eyes are closed. Ready? Imagine that it's four in the morning, you're in your bed with your partner, asleep. The house is silent, except for the little sounds. If you were awake you might hea

Remember that time the U.S. president said Mexico is sending all their worst people, like rapists and other criminals? I took that personally. Because my dad is one of those Mexicans. But he is NOT what President Trump calls them: a "bad hombre." Though he thinks it's funny to play up to the stereotype sometimes. Like when my sis was leaving for a date 😏 If you've read my bio (Confessions of a White Half-Mexican) then you already know that I look 0% Mexican. I had more than

Horrible stories about people falling under trains and losing limbs are not usually my mug of hot chocolate. I used to be addicted to nothing but feel-good, heart-racing, skin-tingling, he-held-my-hand, young adult fiction. Some say that reading should be an escape, and therefore, a book should transport us to good, happy places. But then I discovered that, sometimes, escaping INTO the danger, sadness, tragedy and other realities of someone else's shoes is immensely more sati