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Twenty-two years ago, my dad went on a "weekend vacation" to the tiny Carribean island of Cozumel.  He thought he was just going to escape for a relaxing break from American life and to scuba dive in the peaceful atmosphere of the Mayan culture.... However, he was in for quite a surprise.  Cozumel, at this time, was just a small fishing village.  Americans hadn't really yet discovered the beauty of the island, and tourism had yet to take over.  My dad took notice of a beautiful and crazy young American woman who had been living there for the past 8 months.  Like him, she went to Cozumel once with the intent of just hanging out for a few days, but she fell deeply in love with the place, and she just couldn't leave.   She wasn't sure if it was the breath-taking scenery, the crystal clear Carribean waters, her fascination with the Mayan people, her obsession with dancing in the discotecas that were "bumping" until six in the morning, or the peacefulness and carefree lifestyle of the island, but something just wouldn't let her leave. She was in love; not with a specific person there but with the whole package that life in Cozumel presented her.  It was something new and different, and she wanted to hold on to it and embrace it for as long as possible.  She didn't ever want her vacation to end so she decided to make it into her reality.  She moved into a small garage with a bed and a bathroom where she paid next to nothing for rent.  It was in the inner part of the city, about a two-mile walk from the beach.  She became part of the culture, spoke only Spanish, soaked in everything and everyone around her and nearly forgot that she had ever been part of the busy and stressful life in America. My dad was in awe with this woman and said he remembered the exact moment that he met her.  He had lost one of his bags in the airport, but he didn't know the language so he was having problems finding it.  She translated to the staff of the airport everything he needed to say, and they located his bag, only with her help.  He was love-struck.

In 1980, Sierra Brasher's parents met and fell in love on Mexico's Caribbean island of Cozumel. Her mom had made Cozumel her home. Her dad was vacationing. This is a love story made in heaven. Two young kids on a tropical isle. Innocence divine. Every year, Sierra and her mom and dad returned to the exact place where they whispered those words, "I love you," for the first time. After graduating from the University of Texas in December, Sierra plans on making Cozumel her home. . Additional Resources EscapeArtist.com search engine  Travel Links  Living Overseas  Unique Lifestyles  Maps Of The World  World Reference Desk Living in the Caribbean Mexico & Central America Articles on Living Overseas  International Jobs Marketplace  Offshore Real Estate Quarterly  Contact Sierra Brasher  .

He rented a little Volkswagen bug convertible, and waited outside of her villa one night so he could "coincidentally" be driving by right as she stepped out for the evening.  He asked her if she wanted a
 

ride into town since he was on his way there already...  That was the beginning.  She showed my dad around, let him in on the "local" spots, brought him to the backside of the island where the surfers hung out and of course, introduced him to the crazy nightlife. He went back to his home in Austin, Texas, but he just couldn’t get this woman out of his mind.  He immediately booked another flight to Cozumel hoping that he could convince her to come home with him this time.  His plan failed.  She wasn't ready to give up her ideal life yet. So he went back a third time...and a fourth.  This time, as they sat on a huge natural rock on the back side of the island, my dad finally confessed that he was in love with her, and he couldn't live happily in Austin without her in his life.  She agreed that she was willing to give up everything for him. This was the first time they ever said, "I love you."

So he swept her off her feet and back to his home in Austin.  Little did they know at the time, they had conceived much more than a romance while they were in Cozumel.  Nine months later, a little surprise was delivered; a representation of their love that began in Cozumel.  This little bundle of joy was me.
 

My parents and I made it a family tradition to take a trip to Cozumel at least once a year to visit the spot where they fell in love.  My mom claims that I have always felt a certain pull towards the ocean water there.  She said that I took my first swim in the clear blue water when I was only eight months old. My dad died eight years ago, two weeks before I began high school.  My mom and I went to Cozumel to the exact spot where my parents first said "I love you" and spread his ashes amongst the fish in the ocean, which is where my dad was always the happiest.  We still go back every summer, and I have become intrigued with scuba diving, just as my dad was when he met my mom. My dad may be gone, but his memory is still alive in Cozumel, and I feel closer to him when I am there than anywhere else in the world.

I am graduating from the University of Texas in six months, and more than anything, I want to move to Cozumel and live as my mom did.  I know things have changed, Americans have discovered the beauty and tourism has changed this peaceful fishing village into a crowded and crazy vacation destination. But nothing can change what Cozumel is and will always be to me.  It is the place where my parents fell in love, the place where I was conceived, the place I first learned how to swim, and most importantly, the place where the spirit of my dad will always be alive.
 

I know that I am meant to be there; to live there. Whether it be for 6 months or 6 years, I am not sure yet.  Who knows?  Maybe I, too, will stay in Cozumel until some man comes and sweeps me off my feet.  They say history repeats itself.  I hope to be there by next January.  Mr. Right or Prince Charming can find me there. In the meantime, I'll be scuba diving and dancing in the discotecas....

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