Mexico

7 days.

7 perfect, wonderful days.

I just got back from Mexico less than a week ago and I still can't take the smile of my face. What's more is that I still have my rockin tan. Teehee. I can still feel the insurmontable heat on my skin, the sound of the waves crashing along the shore, and the taste of insatiable strawberry daquiris (ahem, virgin of course). My dad, Lance and I had blast on our trip and really, it was exactly what we all needed. I have been having a busy summer filled with work, internship, friends, coaching, and exercising. It's been a blast. Truly. But I needed time to leave it all behind for just a little while and relax. My dad and Lance have been doing much of the same things: working and keeping busy. We knew that this vacation could not have come at a more opportune time and I truly believe that the trip brought us all closer together.

We spent the first day of our trip pretty much traveling. We had to get to the Denver airport relatively early to make our connecting flight to Dallas. Once we got into Dallas we had to wait for quite some time...our plane was delayed for mechanical reasons. Yet, once we got on the plane to head towards Cancun we were PUMPED. Lance and I had a hard time staying still the whole way there, and my dad had to tell us to be quiet more than once. Ha, just like old times. We finally made it to Cancun around 10:00. The first thing I did? Well of course..I had to check out the ocean! The water was so warm, so beautiful. It was different from the other times I have been to Mexico. In Puerta Vallarta the water was a rich, navy blue. In Cabo San Lucas the water was much colder. I smile as I recall Audra and I sitting on the beach with those boys from Wyoming late at night...hahaha...but that is another story, another time. Anyway, the water in Cancun was TURQUOISE. A deep mix of light blues, topaz, and more. Stepping into it was refreshing; it was so welcoming and so warm. It was unlike anything I have experienced.

We spent the first day lounging around the pool and the ocean. My dad surprised me. He is quiet around some people. In fact, unless he is around family and familiar people he tends to be quiet. Oh no. Not here. My dad literally was friends with everyone in the hotel by day 2. The waiters knew his drink order, and he somehow managed to become Mr. Popular. Me, on the other hand made friends with the ocean. I read Twilight in 2 days and just listened to my IPOD under the cabanna. LIFE WAS GOOD.

Our first big adventure came on 4th of July! My it was strange not being in the USA for the 4th. Especially since it is one of my favorite holidays! The hotel put up a couple decorations here and there, and some local clubs were having Independence Day bashes..but otherwise it was just another normal day in Mexico. We decided to go snorkeling. We left Cancun and went to a marina just outside the city. It was beautiful. The captains of the boat led us on board and we were headed out to sea! When we finally got to jump into the water I was just so..exhilarated. I saw SO many fish. More than that, Lance and I got to feed the fish. We were practically swimming with them! AHHH it was so exciting. After that we all participated in what was dubbed "The Spiniker." It is like parasailing, but more like a swing in the air. Lance bellyflopped in, I swung like a monkey, and my dad yelled "I have no control of my life!!" I think everyone thought we were the freaks on the boat, but hey, what's new.

After we got back from snorkeling we got a little dose of the real Cancun. The Cancun outside the Hotel Zone, the Cancun outside tourism. We went to the heart of the city on a city bus. My dad gave the bus driver a few pesos and we stepped on. Immediately, I felt out of place. As I looked at the faces of the people on the bus, looking back was a group full of curious locals. It appeared as though many were just getting off work and heading back to their homes. They seemed to wonder what these Americans could possibly be doing on a city bus, and I couldn't help but smile when my dad started talking to one of them. It is amazing how nothing ceases him from embracing strangers. It is a gift. We drove for close to an hour; at one point we thought we had gotten on the wrong bus and weren't even going to get back to our hotel. But that became minute when we passed homes built out of sticks, beggars running through the streets, and dogs running on the sidewalks with tumors bulging out of their poor, tender skin. It was a whole other world...and only about 10 minutes from our hotel. We didn't say anything to eachother as we passed through the poverty-stricken streets. All I could really think about was how selfish I felt for being on vacation. I felt as if I was strutting how luxurious or rich I looked to be...I felt like was so absorbed in being on vacation that I forgot to think what it was like for the locals. For tourists to constantly be in their homeland, swarming the beaches like cattle. Okay, that might be a little exaggerated, but I just felt helpless. All I could do was look and wonder how they managed to get by with so little. God is in control. I had to repeat that to myself on the way back to the hotel. Over and over again.

The next day was a day that any adventurer would live for. We went to Tulum which is a site for ancient Mayan ruins. One word. COOL. It was thrilling to be on the old stomping grounds for the Mayans and to hear about their culture and ways of living. As a history buff, I was fascinated and wanted to hear more and more about the Mayans. Our next big adventure occured the next day and it was by far the highlight of the trip for my dad: deep sea fishing. We got on a fishing boat with another family from Nebraska and we went miles and miles out into the middle of the Carribbean Sea. As I looked down, I remember being able to clearly see the tranquilty of the fish as they moved through the coral, and occassionally seeing a big baracuda ready to invade and eat some dinner. Dad ended up catching a sailfish (like a marlin) while Lance and I both got baracudas. The feeling of reeling in a big fish was new and exciting; the biggest fish I recall ever catching was a salmon in the cold, rushing rivers of Colorado. Needless to say, we pulled back into the pier a happy bunch.

The rest of the trip was spent around the hotel and around the ocean. At one point my dad and I tried to find a bookstore in the middle of downtown Cancun. Two taxis, a bus, and three blocks of walking later we came upon a mall and finally found the bookstore. OF COURSE there was a small English section. With about 4 different selections for English readers. Bugger! I had been looking for the sequel to Twilight but even though it was a failed mission it was quite interesting. I spent a lot of my time by the ocean just taking it all in. I felt so small in the midst of the millions of grains of sand and of the powerful ocean. It is utterly breathtaking to know that God created all of the beauty on this earth. As I dug my feet further and further into the sand I spent time thinking about what God has done in my life, what I have been through, the relationships I have built, my dreams, and what I truly love. That I think was the best part of this vacation. I had time to reflect. I had the freedom to take it all in. Not only this, but I had thoughtful conversations with both my dad and Lance. We spent hours every night at dinner laughing and gazing into the ocean. I am so blessed to have had this experience..especially with those two. After 7 glorious days I have a new appreciation for my life, for Lance, for my dad, and for all the blessings that God has given me. Mexico was pretty much baller.

As the plane headed BACK to Dallas lifted off and I had a chance to look down and see the landscape of the Yucatan Peninsula I smiled. I smiled not just because of the great memories I made and not just because of the good food I consumed, but because I grew closer to my family and grew closer with God.