My First Vacation

I'm back from Puerto Vallarta and I do in fact feel like a new me.

I have been very blessed in life to travel a lot.
One of my secret ambitions in life was to become a travel writer.
I love exploring, diving into new cultures, learning who I am somewhere else.
I believe there is a lot to be said for pushing your comfort zone, trying to speak another language wherever you are, & seeing the world from another point of view.
Sometimes, the longer we stand in one place, the less we are able to see the beauty of what we have. Other times, the opportunity to step out gives us the appreciation and respect we need to keep going.
For all of these reasons, I love to travel.
On this particular excursion to Mexico, I learned the difference between trip & vacation.

Trip: To explore, to be on a schedule, to set out to not miss a thing.
Vacation: To rest, to abandon schedule, to realize there is nothing to miss.

When I travel, I "trip". I study, I learn, I take photos, I run, I go-go-go.
Quite frankly, I love doing it.
I was raised in a family of "trip-ers" (ya hear me right, Trace?!)
It's hard to undo that innate desire to soak it all in.
However, here I was in desperate need of a place rest and recharge.

This has been a really tough year for me.
I feel like I have lost a lot in the midst of a lot of accomplishment.
My heart has felt heavy & my spirit has been unbearably cracked and some days broken.
I found I lost my joy.

So--Mexico was a serious count down for me.
It was what was helping me survive:
7 nights & 8 days with our best friends, no munchkin, & no plans.
If you asked me how Mexico was, this is what I'll say:
It was perfect! We did nothing in particular which was everything I wanted to do!

I remembered what it meant to sleep, how to read a book, & how to STOP.
The first two days were hard for me to sit still but with a few mimosas, some good playlists, a journal, & a book...I figured it out.

My first vacation.
It kicked @$$