Neither Ryan nor I grew up in families where a warm, tropical, and sunny beach was the apex of vacation destinations. Our lovely and respective parents nurtured and spoiled our travel bugs with many beautiful places and sites for which we are forever fortunate. However, I can still remember my naive and selfish middle-school self being quite jealous when it seemed like "everybody" (more like one or two friends) returned from Spring Break with sun-kissed skin, braids in their hair, and brightly colored t-shirts announcing their sandy destinations. The t-shirts might have well read "Megan is a loser" in how my adolescent brain interpreted such souvenirs. I'm much more mature now (most of the time). Well fast-forward to last week and during Spring Break, we took a bus, ferry, and back to Cozumel island just east of the more popular Playa del Carmen. To summarize, it was beautiful. We soaked up a few lazy days at the beach and indeed got to see what all the hype was about as we snorkeled, sought out yummy taco joints (this was our favorite), and admired the surrounding colors. Due to the heaps of cruises that pass through, Cozumel is one of the most visited places in Mexico. Admittedly, near the ports, the island feels exploited and sticky with the unsavory decisions of fellow tourists. The northern part of the island, however, is more laid-back and quiet. We lucked out with a northern-part hotel that felt roomy despite being at full capacity. Exploring the more remote parts of the island was particularly fun in our rental car (more like a covered golf cart!). The island has many beaches for which you pay an entrance fee and comes with amusement park-style vibes. We found that we were content at our hotel hopping in and out of the ocean and the pool. We then returned to Merida with some spots of sunburn and, yes, I got a colorful t-shirt. My inner-seventh-grader dream fulfilled! Having spent most of Holy Week traveling, Easter kind of snuck up on us on Sunday. You would think the 40 days of Lenten preparation would have helped it sink in. Alas, the holiday was filled with grace and mercy regardless. We dyed some eggs and watched church at home via YouTube. Seeing everyone gathered tugged at all of our heartstrings. The truth is, we miss our circles of community at home. Passive, online Easter Sunday worship was just the right nudge we needed as a reminder of what, God-willing, awaits this summer. Until then, more adventure awaits! Thanks for reading. Hugs!
What a fun time for everyone! Glad you got to check in on FPC. Looking forward to having you all back here!