What I Learned On My Mexican Vacation

I AM NOT A GOOD FLYER. It became very clear on this trip that, really, I am just not good on airplanes. Being stuck on an airplane for longer than 2 or 3 hours just agitates me. I don’t know if it’s the altitude, my general restless and excitement to get to my destination, being closed up in small quarters, or what, but it seems to turn on my agitation to an unacceptable level. Which is unacceptable to me. If I ever want Dave to journey to Europe with me again, I’ve got to get my act together. I have discussed it with my doctor and its official. All future flights will be accompanied by my good friend Ativan.

I CAN SNORKEL! I have tried snorkelling twice in the past. The first time, I gave up immediately. My fear of getting water down that little pipe combined with the whole breathing thing made me claustrophobic. The second time I was okay, as long as I was holding on to someone. However, nobody really wants you hanging on to them while they are trying to enjoy their snorkelling. I really wasn’t sure that I was going to be joining in on the snorkelling on this trip. But, guess what? If you put a life jacket on you just float around, there is no chance of sinking low enough that water will get into the pipe thingy, which allows you to just relax and breath and check out all the cool stuff under the water. It’s official – I can snorkel.

I CANNOT SPEAK SPANISH, NO MATTER HOW HARD I TRY. I am just not meant to speak any other language. Spanish is supposed to be one of the easiest languages to learn. But could I pick up even a few phrases? No, not really. I could repeat a word or phrase over and over in my head but when it came out of my mouth, it was nothing like it was supposed to be. I can’t even get people’s names right. After calling our lobby bar bartender A-Frame – to his face - (his name is Afraine – pronounced a-fra-een) I worked diligently at trying to get it right. I came up with all sorts of variations, but at the end of the week still had to ask someone how to pronounce it every time. Its official, I cannot speak Spanish.

I CAN DIVE! I love the water. I love being in the water. But I am not what you would call a swimmer. I am more of a splasher/paddler. I don’t dive into a pool. I ease in. I plug my nose with my hand when I go under water. Near the end of our vacation, I decided that I really needed to learn how to dive in. I mean, I used to dive in all the time when I was a kid. And everybody else was diving in. I was feeling left out. Then I heard that Kyndra had learned to dive in and that was it. Now I had to. I couldn’t be the only one who couldn’t dive. So…there I stood at the edge of the pool, feeling like I was 8 years old at swimming lessons, as Dave gave me my diving lesson. Graceful I was not, but ladies and gentleman, it’s official – this girl can now dive! I was so excited, as I practiced over and over, you would have thought that I was actually on my way to the Olympics.

MY FOOD CAN TOUCH AND I WILL EAT IT. For those of you who know me well, you know I’m a picky eater. I’m not all that adventurous when it comes to trying new things and I don’t like my foods to be touching each other on my plate. Well, I can now say that I have put things in my mouth without knowing what they are. I can now say that I will pile a lot of food, much of it unknown, onto my plate, mixed together and enjoy it. Love it, actually. I don’t even like tomatoes, but I can eat salsa! Of course it would have to be the kind of fresh salsa I was eating in Mexico. Refried beans – bring them on! I suddenly love and am CRAVING Mexican food. Oh how culinariously (is this a word?) adventurous I was!

So there you have it. We may not have ventured far off the resort, but this girl did venture into some new territories in her own world and come to accept a few things that she just may not be able to change. Fun and educational! What more could I ask for?