If your ideal weekend starts with loading gear into a car, driving somewhere scenic, and heavily exerting yourself in nature, that makes you one of us. It also means that, statistically speaking, your weekend journey is likely to end at a Mexican restaurant. That’s because you’re outdoorsy; therefore you love burritos. Why? Let me explain. First and foremost, burritos are delicious and hearty. Imagine a tightly wrapped bundle of love, doused in sauce, brimming with rice and beans, oozing with cheese and loaded with all of your favorite meats or veggies. The appeal is undeniable. But most importantly, burritos are simply larger than the competition. Enchiladas, fajitas, tortas, salads, chimichangas, quesadillas and tacos just aren’t as filling! When it comes to size, no other option can compare to the king of the menu. The same is true when it comes to value. A burrito’s cost per calorie ratio is just unbeatable. But seriously, don’t pretend you aren’t flipping straight to the burrito section of the menu after a long day on the mountain. We know you have an above average appetite. In fact, it’s an unspoken rule among my friends that priority number one (after pounding the chips, of course) is scanning the menu for a “grande” or “super” burrito option. Oh, and don’t worry about over eating! Your metabolism is on overdrive. Let’s take a step back though. Why did you stop at a Mexican restaurant in the first place? Well, you were probably famished as you drove through a small, rural town on your way back from the wilderness and pulled in spontaneously when the sign came into view on Main Street. Now, from what I know about small towns, Mexican restaurants tend to be one of the first non-diner, non-chain restaurant options to go into business, so they’re surprisingly common, even in remote, sparsely populated areas. As you gorge yourself on dinner, you and your friends review adventure photos and lovingly talk through highlights, antics and memories from earlier in the day. You might not realize it, but you’ve come to subconsciously associate burritos with a state of post-trip euphoria. One might even argue that the burrito transcends food and becomes a state of being or a way of life. So days or weeks later, back in the hustle and bustle of urban life, you get home from a long day of work, a long training run, or even just a bike ride in the park, and wonder what you should have for dinner. The answer comes to you, almost without thinking: a burrito. As your teeth rip through the tortilla, your tongue tastes pico while your mind tastes adventure. It plants the seeds for another trip, and so we repeat ourselves, on and on in one delicious, spicy, ever-spinning cycle.
