When I lived in Ireland I was warned about traveling to the North. I actually started to believe that we might find ourselves dodging bullets in Belfast. It was all ridiculous, while troubles still occur, it is still a very safe place to travel. More so than most major American cities I’m sure.

My wife and I were recently invited to a close friend’s wedding in Mexico. We fell for the sensationalism on the news here in the States. We were nervous about traveling there, especially because it wasn’t a resort area on the coast.

Yes, Mexico is having loads of violence happening in many of the border cities and in Mexico city, but it’s not occurring every where.

The wedding was held in a small town called San Miguel de Allende. The pictures above don’t do it justice. It was truly one of the most beautiful cities I’ve ever visited. I’ve traveled England, Ireland, Scotland, France, Spain, Portugal, Czech Republic, Italy, Germany, Netherlands, and of course the U.S. and Canada.

Heather and I stayed in a small house which we shared with our friends Kim and Adam. The house was part of a small complex of other houses. We had our own pool, which had a breathtaking view of the city from 6,000+ feet above sea level.

The owners of Casa Cordelli where incredibly hospitable. The price was really affordable by sharing the house with our friends. It was perfect!

The sad thing is that the wedding planner was telling us that the numbers in upcoming wedding parties are dropping like flies, because people are scared to travel to Mexico.

Do yourself a favor before you travel anywhere. Turn off your television. Take a deep breath. Read the actual US Travel Advisory of your planned destination. Breath again. Return to reality.

San Miguel de Allende is incredible! The people are very warm and welcoming. The city is filled with cobblestone roads and buildings painted in bright, exotic colors. It’s wonderful, you should seriously consider paying a visit instead of being just another gringo on a beach.

Stop believing the hype.

Congratulations Javier and Arlene!