Me gusta Mexico

When I close my eyes, I can’t help but picture the rhythmic waves of the Atlantic. Turquoise and indigo washing over white sand. And the sweet sound of the ocean lulls me into a state of complete peace. That is the best souvenir I could ever take home with me. Glad I have that in my heart.

Bryan and I had a wonderful week in Cancun, Mexico for our ten year of dating “anniversary.”

Most days were filled with simplicity. There was a lot of lounging with our toes in the sand and the sun on our faces. Oh and lots of sunscreen (lots!) and dips in the ocean. I even learned a little thing or two about banana daiquiris. Yum!

One of the best decisions we made was to wake up for the sunrise over the ocean. The cool breeze and few people on the beach made for such a perfect setting. Unfortunately, it was cloudy that morning. But, still a beautiful scene nonetheless. And the sun even came out for a little peek at the end!

This is peace.

A huge highlight from our trip was visiting one of the seven wonders of the world (love that!), Chichen Itza. We decided on a tour group that we booked through our hotel. We were in for a 12-hour trip that would be complete with on-bus food and drink, a stop at a Colonial town (now I of course forget the name!), a swim in a cenote, a traditional Mexican lunch and of course, a few hours at Chichen Itza. A long day, but so full of richness.

First — the cenote. A cenote is basically a sink hole. Doesn’t sound too awesome, but there are thousands in the Yucatan area and they were used by the Mayans for drinking water, sacrifices and personal renewal. It is a beautiful, deep body of water with a gorgeous deep blue and sometimes turquoise color. At about 90-feet deep and only 75° it can be a little intimidating to jump in. But we did! It was so refreshing and energizing. The water is full of many beneficial minerals, so it is great for body and soul, but hard to swim casually. The water is very “heavy,” so it’s not for the faint of heart!

After a quick swim and lunch we arrived at Chichen Itza. Realizing that we were walking around in not only an ancient city, but on the ground that an ancient culture, the Mayans, used to help create the world that we live in today was overwhelming.

We toured the main temple, the observatory (the Mayans were some of the original astronomers), places where they performed human sacrifices, their game court, market, and many other profound places. We could have spent all 12 hours here as there is so much to learn and experience. I highly recommend this tour to anyone who visits the area! Don’t miss your opportunity to see this wonder.

The only bummer was that we could not go into any buildings or climb the stairs of the temples. This used to be OK, but tourists began to take pieces of the fragile buildings with them as “souvenirs,” in turn creating decay. I was desperate to get a closer look…but to no avail.

The only hiccup came the last day. It happened to me. I was the victim of Montezuma’s revenge. I won’t go into details, for those of you who know what this ailment is, but I’ll just say: be careful what you eat and watch the water! Ay caramba.

Overall, Mexico was another great vacation that I cherish so.

Being near the ocean gave me a huge sense of relief if that makes any sense. Water is an element filled with many emotions. I allowed the water to lift a lot of weight off my shoulders emotionally. It reminded me to literally “go with the flow.” There is no doubt that relaxation was the key word for this trip.

And speaking of water. . .

As I was in the shower getting ready to pack up, I came to a huge, yet such a basic, realization. Throughout the day, I had been grappling with sad feelings and that “back to reality” pit in my stomach, wondering why I really felt this way. Then, I knew exactly why the vacation blues were happening. I just spent 7 whole days, uninterrupted, with my awesome partner in life. I was sad to not be able to spend every part of my day with Bryan. OK, for some this may be cheesy, but it is utterly genuine. And after ten years…I am so grateful to still feel the same was as I have since we began dating.