Well, we didn't end up moving to another country, although that is the plan for the future when we have become more established in our careers or perhaps, when Danny is working for a company with opportunities to move overseas. Instead, in my desperate need to seek adventure outside of the day to day activities, and of course wanting to drag Danny along with me, we decided to book a trip to Mexico for a WHOLE week.
The first thing I noticed about Mexico was it's beautiful landscape covered in tropical plants and blue skies surrounded by a briny, salty aroma and muggy air that felt like a constant hug on every inch of my body. If you know me, I hate feeling sticky! Luckily my large jetted tub offered reprieve from that adhesive Mexico air that plastered itself to my skin.
As we were chauffeured throughout the country to each destination, I also noticed a plethora of speed bumps which lined EVERY road. It was worse than driving through a Wal-Mart parking lot! Quite frankly, I now understand the driving habits of many Hispanics who venture into America (no disrespect intended). Despite the slow movement of travel, I found it very exciting to attempt to use my extremely poor Spanish skills to communicate with the drivers, read and decode the signs, and attempt to immerse myself in the surroundings. Fortunately, Danny has much better Spanish than I do and was able to haggle our way out of possibly awkward situations. Who knows what we would've agreed to purchasing or where we would've ended up. Yikes!
Surprisingly to some, we did not do any "partying" while in the land of All-Inclusive everything, but you bet we took advantage of the surplus of sweets, the buffet of "americanized" foods, and the personal steward on the beach. The complete absence of movement was exactly what the doctor ordered (minus a few days at the gym to burn off the ridiculous caloric intake). Some of the most pleasurable days were spent sitting on a lounge chair, under an umbrella, listening to the crash of the waves and singing of birds around me while reading a good book (and studying up on my favorite oils). When I was completely motionless, I was able to accept life as it was and realize that sometimes there are bumps in the road that force us to slow down, take a solid personal inventory and soak in the beautiful world we've been planted into.
We weren't complete bums though! We booked an all day tour of the Mayan Ruins with Alma and Sons LDS Tours. If you want to know some Mormon history, seek these guys out. Their knowledge and understanding of the ancient Maya culture was fascinating and I simply could not get enough. I can't wait to do my own studying about these two cultures and how their lines cross.I can't even begin to explain the sophistication detailed in the hows and whys this people organized their communities based on astronomy in order to tell time, prepare for seasons, and hypothesize future events. The way they lived their lives was detailed on their building structures in the form of hieroglyphs and physical layout right down to the shape and size of each stone placed. Breathtaking in beauty and sophistication!
We also ventured into the city where we were met with grave disappointment of costly apparel and expensive restaurants. We ended up eating at an authentic Mexican restaurant that literally pinched our last penny. The food was good but I've had just as delicious (if not better) in Texas. Being a Southern Texas girl, I've had my fair share of homemade Mexican and it is never so pricey. This was my biggest disappointment on the trip. Rant over!
Otherwise, it was a very slow moving, uneventful trip. I didn't even get much sun. It was relaxing and that's what we needed. We came back home completely rejuvenated and ready to take on life's responsibilities.
