Abinas, Sayulita, where the writer lives is actually a charming beach town in the state of Nayarit. I've visited Sayulita with friends a couple of times as well as Zihautanejo in the neighboring state of Guerrero. They are both tourist destinations, very safe, easy to get to via local airports, and relatively inexpensive. These towns depend on tourism to sustain the local economy. The people are warm and friendly. The food is good. There is a lot to do. I definitely do not want to discourage you or anyone from going.

I've spent a lot of time traveling through Mexico while working on a book project about undocumented Central American migrants on their journey to the US border. The migrant route passes through or very near several tourist destinations, even though it remains on the outskirts. As a tourist, you wouldn't even be aware of the human drama unfolding on the outskirts of Palenque, for example - a tourist destination in the state of Tabasco bordering Guatemala in the southeast. As far as personal safety goes in tourist destinations like Palenque in Tabasco or Sayulita and Zihua on the Pacific Coast, your chances of running into trouble are so low, that you would have to be actively pursuing trouble to find it. Statistically, I'm more likely to be the victim of crime in my DC suburban neighborhood. Even when accompanying migrants through some of the most dangerous parts of Mexico controlled by drug cartels and other criminal organizations, my status as a US citizen afforded me a degree of safety. The possibility that I would be kidnapped, ransomed or raped by members of Los Zetas, for example was low. The desperate migrants I photographed, however, did not enjoy that same sense of security as they were the targeted victims of violence and extortion.

As a tourist in Mexico, or anywhere else for that matter where the beaches are pristine, the locals are warm and hospitable, and the 7 - 10 day vacation is affordable, I don't feel that you're obligated to do more than enjoy your time there while supporting the local economy. But if you're going to call a place home, I think it's just a matter of respect and empathy for the people whose home you're squatting in, who don't exist in your bubble of privilege to at least have some understanding of their experience beyond the hot tacos they serve you.