Okay, let's wrap up this wanderlust. Not really — I'm currently writing this piece while traveling. But, there's still some things left to tell you about Cancun. Particularly, soaking in the pools, swimming with the dolphins, and going with the flow of the ocean waves. Sounds pretty sweet, am I right?
Like I talked about in the first of these photo editorials, we stayed at the Now Sapphire resort, which is distanced a bit from the party strip of Cancun. From the start, this tropical trip was bound to be more relaxing than something straight out of spring break. At this point last summer, I was so sleep-deprived (literally fell asleep in the van between the Mexican airport and the resort), so I didn't even mind spending a whole lot of time doing — well, nothing.
The package we had gave us access to multiple pools. There was the large family-sized one that hosted entertainment and had a swim-up bar. And then there was the (what I'll call) "serenity" pool, that was for adults only, and the location for some of my most relaxing moments while on vacation. Seriously, we're talking completely giving myself up to pool floats, and walking in slow-motion to a Bali bed from the nearby spa, after an hour long massage and some sweet sunrise yoga. Can you feel the serene atmosphere through the screen, yet?
Truly, the resort was beautiful. No matter where we spent our time, it felt like an escape from reality — a place where summertime and endless barbecue bars were the norm. We waded a bit in the bigger pool, and spent our nights listening to live music and playing cards in the open-air and lofty space just steps away from the sand. Paradise started to feel a little too unreal in these moments, and this is the only time while traveling that I thought it'd be okay to go home and check in with my planner again. Welp.
Excursions are a part of every resort vacation, so we spent one morning dancing with the dolphins. I'd always seen pictures from my friends' family vacations in Florida doing this sort of thing. They were much younger then, and the dolphins would kiss their cheek or be splashing their little third grade faces. Somehow those pictures have forever ended up in a Facebook album for all the world to see, and I remained incredibly jealous of their Disney character signatures just the same.
Needless to say, my aquatic animal excursion was a bit overdue. I've since gotten the autographs of Mickey and Minnie, too (in case you were wondering.) Both lived completely up to the hype. These gentle sea animals were powerful, but friendly. They leaped and glided through the water, and pushed the soles of our feet until we were basically standing. Being a human is cool and all, but we have some serious competition in the creatures that come from the ocean.
Speaking of the sea, the ocean in Cancun wasn't nearly as clear blue as I thought it would be. There was loads of seaweed we had to dodge, but we thankfully left behind the painful pebbles of the East Coast beaches. The water was warm, like a hot tub created by the earth. After several days of humidity and 90 degree weather, it wasn't quite a surprise that we were wading in such toasty salt water. Finding a balance between tequila sunrises and bottles of water was key.
Going into this summer, tropical places are, of course, on my mind. I want to be soaking up the sun rays and the salty air of new oceans, and refreshing my soul in the surf. Summer is meant to recharge us — let us follow our feet into terminals and travels that will take us out of our current mindset and into another. Even if you don't head somewhere totally tropical, I hope you have at least one trip in the books and believe in the beauty of wanderlust. Cancun wasn't all about culture, but any chance to hop on a plane is a perfect opportunity to make life a little sweeter.
Sea you real soon, Mexico.
Love always, Marisa