It's all about the food.

If you're anything like me, you return from your travels craving the foods and drinks that you indulged in while on your vacation. All of a sudden, your pizza doesn't taste nearly as good as it did while you were in Naples, Italy. That Chipotle burrito doesn't even compare to the plate of carnitas you experienced in the off the beaten path restaurant in Michoacan, Mexico. Nope, nothing tastes nearly as good as it does than while we are savoring it on our travels.

While I was in Michoacan, Mexico, we decided to indulge in some of the local street food. There's always a tinge of a " This could come back and haunt me" feeling when one decides to dive into street vendors delicacies in other countries, but the smells, oh my God the smells. . . like sirens to the sailors, they call to my belly and any ounce of over thinking about food poisoning goes out the window.

There it was, a heated box of pork carnitas. People lined up all around the street vendor waiting to sample some of these carnitas. The creator of these carnitas dipped her bare hand into the carnitas and handed out samples to everyone walking by. Nobody squawked at the fact that she wasn't wearing gloves but my American -raised sense of cleanliness screamed inside of my head and said, "I hope she washed her hands!" As I often do, I listen to the words that come into my brain then pay them the attention they need but decided that my perceived need to ensure her cleanliness was ridiculous. If she didn't have a good product going for her, there wouldn't be the long line waiting for her carnitas!

Ohhh, the carnitas!! 

Kilos of carnitas were brought to our table, piled high on a plastic plate. Then came the rest of the food. . .because we know you just can't eat meat with no fixin's, especially in Mexico! Hand made blue corn tortillas and pickled vegetables accompanied the carnitas. No fancy tableware, just good old fashion food made by hand with love. There was hardly  a word said during our feast of carnitas. . .mostly, it was groans and sighs of sheer culinary ecstasy. I knew that I would be hard pressed to find anything remotely this delicious anywhere close to my home in Minnesota so I indulged and indulged and indulged until the plate was clear and there were no signs left of tortillas or pickled vegetables.

As I type this, I can almost feel myself sitting at that wobbly, street side table in Michoacan, Mexico. I am transported back to the day when sharing a simple meal, made of simple ingredients knocked my taste bud's socks right off.  I'm sure you've all had a similar culinary experience while on your travels. I'm sure that the simple recollection of this moment makes your insides ache to return, if not just to have that delicious  meal you are currently dreaming about.

Even the dogs wanted a piece of the carnitas action!

If you're anything like me, you'll come home and try your best at re-creating some of the foods you ate while on your travels and if you're like me, most won't taste remotely as good as they did when you first at them in destination. There's something to be said about eating the local food while we travel. Food is such a big part of any culture and like every country, people take pride in their local cuisine.  The mastering of complex recipes over hundreds of years is a true art form and ought to be indulged in as well as respected. Partaking in local cuisine not only enlightens us to delicious  new foods, it helps to bridge a gap between cultures. Our willingness to experience and ultimately enjoy something totally new to us will show other people a respect for their culture and their heritage. Not only do we get our bellies filled with delicious food, we are acting as ambassadors for our own country, modeling tolerance and acceptance. Who knew you could do all of that by simply eating?

I'll leave you with this message . . . .

Eat the local food. Drink the local drink. Attempt to speak the local language. Meet the locals, learn from them, be a travel ambassador and lastly, Viva la Vida!