How a Mexican Person Gets Across the US Border
Taking a 6-hour bus ride to see my boyfriend.
A little bit over a year ago, I started a relationship with a man who lives in the USA, in Los Angeles, to be more specific. You know him as Hogan Torah. Many people live there, so that would be an unimportant detail except for the fact that I live in Mexico.
On paper, my little Mexican border town is only 4 hours away, provided the traffic isn't that heavy, but due to the whole Mexico-USA border thing, spending time with my boyfriend is not as simple as jumping into my car.
First of all, I don't even have a car anymore. It suffered a most undignified death last year, so nowadays, I move around thanks to Uber and my city's inefficient public transport system. Therefore, my only option to travel to LA is none other than Greyhound and its 6-hour trip to the town formerly known as Nuestra Señora de los Angeles de la Porciúncula.
But hold your buses because, in reality, the preparations begin a few days before the actual trip.
Taking Care of Some Formalities
As a Mexican person, I have a tourist visa that allows me to travel into the USA as far as 25 miles. So, in order to make it to LA, I have to get an additional permit.
Therefore, a few days before the trip, I visit a Customs and Border Protection office and present a series of documents confirming to the migra in front of me that I do not intend to stay in the USA to steal a job from an American citizen.
I'm usually asked about the purpose of my visit. The urge to respond "to get some dick" is strong, but I resist and simply state I am on vacation and need some time off, which is also true.
With my permit secured, I go to the Greyhound website and purchase my round-trip ticket.
On the day of the trip, I pack my stuff and go across the border on foot to the funky town of Calexico, California, and head to the bus station. Yeah, I could take a bus that leaves from my Mexican city, but that would add two hours of travel; I know this because I did it some time ago and learned the valuable lesson of not doing it ever again.
Weather is one of the most important aspects to consider, mainly because in this neck of the woods, it can be either too hot or too cold, never in between.
Back in February, I took this trip, and by the time we reached San Bernardino, much to everybody's surprise, it was snowing. According to our driver, this was most unusual.
Here, take a look:
About a week ago, I visited Hogan again, and this time things were extra steamy because temperatures were over 100°F, but that's okay because later on the day, it got hotter…
During my visits, Hogan has taken me to walk around Downtown LA and the Santa Monica pier, to a wrestling match, to taste the delights of American cuisine, and, most recently, to a kickass bookstore where we bought too many books. Not sorry…
Once we are done walking, we fight against the world-infamous LA traffic, return to our hotel, have more fun, and even watch some movies.
But, sadly, all journeys must end, so after a few days, Hogan drives me back to the bus station so I can travel to Calexico and then, once again, go across the border back into my little Mexican border town.
And so, during the last year, we both have traveled whenever the chance arises, all in hopes that soon enough, we don't need to visit anymore and instead can stick to the doing each other part of the equation.
In the meantime, here's to more bus rides, come rain or come shine.
If you liked this article, take a look at my lists. You can also join me on Substack and Ko-fi, which will help to pay for more bus trips.
You can read Hogan's take on traveling to Mexico here:
And this is how the story began:
