A 7-11 like convenient store, Oxxos are ubiquitous in Mexico, or at least in Guadalajara. You can’t go two blocks without seeing one. I would know, because Flynn tells me. Some kids watch movies or sing songs to pass the time on car trips. Not my kid. He counts the Oxxos.

Why the Oxxo obsession?

Not surprisingly, because they’re everywhere, there’s an Oxxo between our house and Flynn’s school, and Flynn’s grandma lets him stop there many days to buy a small treat. So Flynn considers Oxxo to be just about the most magical place in the world. He’s even influenced his brother, who, at one and a half, says only a handful of words. But Oxxo is one of them.

Admittedly, even to adults, Oxxo is pretty great. It’s like a 7-11, but more. You can buy your cell phone and pay the bill there. You can get bus tickets. You don’t have to get out your car like a fool for your M&Ms and Coke Zero — you can just go through the drive through. Because, why not?

Long live the Oxxo.