Day 1:
We land in Cancun around 2 pm. It’s sunny, it’s 85 degrees, and I cannot wait to get the hotel and spend the afternoon at the beach. Then I remember: customs. Maybe it won’t be that busy, I think. Wrong. Apparently, every flight to Cancun EVER has decided to land at this exact moment in time, in what feels like a personal attempt to ruin my first day of vacation. If you’ve never traveled internationally, don’t worry, you still know the feeling. Remember Ian’s at 2AM when you’re drunk and the line is out the door? Remember thinking that you’ll die if you don’t get a piece of pizza and it feels like the line takes 2 hours? It’s the same. Except I wasn’t drunk, the line really did take two hours, and there was no pizza at the end of it.
Day 2:
It’s our first full day in Cancun and if you didn’t know, the drinking age in Mexico is 18. I think you see where this is going. I spent the day at the pool and promptly ordered a strawberry daiquiri and told them to keep ‘em coming. Strawberry daiquiris are always delicious, but there’s something special about sipping on one, legally, at a beach, in 85 degree weather. Perfection.Day 3:
I used to think I had a rudimentary grasp on the Spanish language. I’ve been taking it since I was in the 6th grade, and though my accent is awful, I can understand it pretty well… or so I thought. I actually can’t understand that well. My friend, on the other hand, spent six months in Argentina and speaks Spanish almost fluently. You can imagine the joy the Mexican staff at the hotel exhibited towards her. They turn to me, with a confused look on their face, and ask “Why can’t you speak Spanish if she can?” I respond with a quick “Yo hablo un poco” and then concentrate on the menu while they converse with my friend for 5 minutes. I stuck mostly with hola, gracias, and buenas días during my stay.
Day 4:
Our hotel is actually an all-inclusive resort so that means FREE DINNER. Well, my parents did pay at one point, but that’s beside the point. When we order, it feels free and we can order as much as we want with NO repercussions. At the Italian restaurant, I can’t decide what I want. Do I want the shrimp pasta or the steak? The answer: both. I ordered two entrees AND a dessert and I feel absolutely no shame. And let me tell you, the molten chocolate lava cake was so worth feeling completely stuffed afterwards.
Day 5:
It’s day 5. I’ve been lying in the sun for 4 full days, wearing only SPF 30 (I usually opt for SPF 50, but ya girl is trying to get some color) and resisting the urge to move into the shade. I’m feeling pretty pleased with myself, because I think I’ve gotten a decent amount of tan. Then, a waiter asks (in Spanish) my friend if I’m German because I’m so pale….You can imagine my disappointment (to be fair, I am very Scottish, so he really did have a point, but STILL). I basically gave up on getting tan at all on vacation on the last two days and embraced my Scottish heritage.
Day 6:
I got a massage for the first time and it was amazing. I got an 80 minute hot stone massage and I recommend it to everyone. Even if you think you don’t like massages, you will like this massage. It simultaneously was the longest and shortest 80 minutes of my life. I’ve never been so relaxed ever.
Day 7:
Leaving a paradise like Cancun is sad to begin with. It is was made so much worse by the fact that the Midwest was in the middle of a snowstorm. We arrive in Chicago. There is snow on the ground. My toes are frozen. Where did spring break go? How did this happen? How do I go back?