Living the Mexican Dream

Recently I was the recipient of a mass email from my aunt Liza in the form of a personal ad. It said:

Aging aunt seeks short term female traveling companion in the time period of March 2-9, 2012 in Merida, Mexico. Will provide lodging and all the fresh fruit smoothies you can drink. Must be able to walk 8 miles a day, endure temperatures of 80+ degrees daily and be willing to immerse yourself in the climate, culture and customs of Mexico.

Inquire or respond immediately.

I thought about this invitation

for about 2 seconds.

Then I went to my husband and bat my eyelashes.

He was actually asleep. I woke him up, and asked if I could go to Mexico.

He mumbled "...sure..." and went back to sleep. Ha!

Later he realized this meant he would be taking off work

to tend our four children,

one in diapers,

for a week.

And he still said yes.

I wasn't the only one who took Aunt Liza up on her offer...

My sister Korinne came, too.

...and so did Flat Stanley.

We drank from coconuts,

leaped pyramids,

climbed temples,

and visited a familiar angel...

At night we would lavish attention on our fine, generous, beautiful aunt by giving her foot rubs while the fan blew and she dined on key lime pie.

("Harder, girls, harder!" she would tell us.)

Aunt Liza's personal ad was somewhat misleading....she called herself "aging," but she walked faster than us and could swim farther than us. (She swam eight laps in this pool....I swam four.)

And did I mention that she has eight grown children? Eight.

(This is a photo of Korinne with her arm around me and my invisible parrot.)

Now, I know there are many who received Aunt Liza's email and will read this blog post and will feel completely depressed that they didn't or couldn't come too. And I understand. Sometimes it is not with in our means, not with in our schedule or simply not with in our power to jump on an opportunity like this.

I have seen many family and friends go on adventures while I sat home and read their fascinating blogs.

But not this time.

Not this time!

Thank you Korinne!

Thank you Aunt Liza!

And thank you,

thank you,

thank you

Turkeyboy.