She's obsessed with them, some meals rejecting everything else. I generously sprinkle hemp hearts or chia seeds on them to give them more substance. Just wanted to share the tip in case anybody else is deep in the berry-only trenches, lol.
I’m American, and I had a work project in Tijuana, Mexico around November 2021, right after the U.S. started requiring proof of COVID vaccination for international flights entering the country. When I got assigned the project, I had only received my first vaccine shot, so I rushed to get my second one. What I didn’t realize was that you also had to wait a certain amount of time after the second shot to officially be considered “fully vaccinated.” Based on the date on my card, I technically wouldn’t have qualified to fly back into the U.S. on my scheduled return date.
So naturally, instead of making rational choices, I spiraled into panic-research mode. I dug through the CDC and FAA websites and found wording that made it seem like a photo of your vaccination card would be acceptable. Armed with printouts of those pages and a photoshopped image of my vaccination card showing my second dose a few days earlier than it actually was, I confidently left the real card at home because I was convinced the photo would work. 🙄
Flying into Mexico was no problem at all. On the day I was supposed to fly home, I got to the airport extra early so I could relax which somehow turned into me having a few drinks at the airport bar. Then boarding started, and it was time to show my vaccination card. Surprise surprise: they absolutely did not accept a photo. I tried showing them my CDC printouts like I was presenting legal evidence in court, but it was a hard no. They wouldn’t let me board.
Slightly drunk and fully panicking, I went downstairs to try renting a car so I could drive into San Diego and catch a domestic flight home instead, since domestic flights didn’t require proof of vaccination at the time. But all the rental agencies were either closed or completely out of cars.
At that point, I said screw it and decided to take a cab to the border to cross on foot. I didn't wanna be in Mexico another minutre. The cab driver warned me to be careful because it could be dangerous at night and I was clearly still a little tipsy (good thing no car rentals were available). But honestly, it was fine and way faster than driving would’ve been. The line of cars barely moved. I crossed the border, showed my passport, got an Uber to the San Diego airport, and bought the first flight home I could find, which ended up being the next morning. So I spent the night at an airport hotel questioning every decision I’d made leading up to that moment.
And honestly, the trip had already been a nightmare before I even left. Only after accepting the project did I realize that my passport had expired, so I had to apply for an urgent renewal. My appointment to pick it up was literally the morning of my flight to Mexico, so I had to change my flight to a later departure time. The entire thing was unbelievably stressful.
Between the emergency passport situation and the COVID vaccination fiasco, I think it’s safe to say I have emotionally retired from work trips to Mexico for now. 😅 maybe one day. I'll be sure to check my passport next time..