Mike Golden left for Mexico with some money in his pocket and no real plans.

He didn’t know then that his journey would transform his perspective and give him a new view of a different culture.

Golden, 25, needed a change. With his mother undergoing cancer treatment and nothing keeping him in Tucson, he made a decision that would alter his life.

“I just kind of had an inspiration. Kind of like an epiphany,” said Golden. “I was working a boring job and I just didn’t like what I was doing. I wanted to change things.”

Set on leaving the country, but short on cash, he chose Mexico.

“It was the closest place, and it was easy to get to,” said Golden. “I knew I could get back easily if I needed to. Basically, I would be able to take an open-ended trip."

In the first week of September 2006, Golden packed his things, boarded an airplane, and set off for Guadalajara with his friends and family supporting his decision.

Golden arrived in Guadalajara and took a bus to the city of Guanajuato, which he had heard good things about. With $5,000 to his name, he rented a room located above a hostel. He quickly got to know the teenage locals who managed the building, none of whom understood English.

“They all spoke Spanish, so I was forced to speak it,” he said. “I was a Spanish minor in college, so I could get around. I think anybody can pretty much go down there for two weeks and do fine though.”

Using his sparse knowledge of the language, Golden was able to cultivate relationships with many of the locals. He also found ways to immerse himself in Guanajuato’s colorful culture.

“I did the typical thing and drank a lot to begin with,” Golden said. “But there are a bunch of schools in the city, so I took some Spanish and cooking classes so I could go to the market and buy food, and cook for myself inexpensively.”

He also experienced many events that are exclusive to Mexico.

“I hitch-hiked to the running of the bulls in San Miguel de Allende, which was pretty nuts,” Golden said. “It was a really cool little colonial town. The whole thing was a great experience."

The abundance of art and architecture in the area provided Golden with lots to see and do.

“There is a lot of public art all over the place,” Golden said. “Guanajuato is a colonial town and a lot of the buildings are really unique.”

Guanajuato is also the city in which the Mexican Revolution began, infusing the local people with pride and nationalism, and providing reason for numerous celebrations, such as Cervantino and Mexican Independence Day.

“On Mexican Independence Day, the city throws a huge celebration,” said Golden. “It’s definitely a different kind of celebration than we have in the U.S. Everybody gets together in a public place.”

The festival is held in the streets of Guanajuato, where a military band plays as fireworks light up the sky; everyone united in love for their country.

“I guess I like Mexico a lot because it seems like there is always a festival, celebration or ceremony happening,” said Golden. “There’s always something going on.”

Golden stayed in Mexico until November 2006, when he had to return home due to his mother’s hospitalization.

“I would definitely have stayed longer had that not happened,” he said. “But I needed to be here.”

Lacking the necessary funds for a plane ride home, Golden rode 36 hours on a bus from Barra de Navidad back to Tucson, bringing with him a greater understanding of life in Mexico.

“It’s hard not to gain a different perspective on things,” Golden said. “I was able to put myself in someone else’s shoes and see the types of things that affect the people of Mexico first-hand. The issue of immigration is an important one. There are a lot of hard-working people that just want to make a life for themselves.”

His Adventure In Pictures
An Interactive Map Of His Travels