Longest Hall Pass EVA!

Yah, that's right, I'm a delinquent. My bad, peeps. After not feeling well last week, we had to jet off to Mexico, after which I came home exhausted. I also have three weeks to completely finish my dissertation, so add all that up and you get one flustered little kaleater. Yah, that's a word.

Anyhow, the good news is that I'm baaaaack in the game, and with pictures of Mexico to boot! (Woot!)

Just to recap, we went to Punta Mita, Mexico, which is just outside of Puerto Vallarta on the Pacific side of Mexico. For her own seventieth birthday my mother-in-law treated the whole family, so a big shout out to Carolyn for hosting and organizing!!!

I know I said I hated Mexico the last time I was there, but this time it really grew on me. Perhaps that's because I was sharing a room with my husband rather than my twin brother. Or perhaps it's because my birthday happened to fall during the trip and everyone made me feel very special. Or perhaps it's because I'd been feeling particularly tired and needed a time out. In any case, being greeted at check-in with this view, along with chips and (the best) guacamole didn't hurt matters:

Also not so bad:

Sigh.

Our first full day in Mexico happened to be my birthday (I'm thirty two!!!! Yikes!!), so I was greeted with presents from my family as well as this lovely birthday treat from the hotel:

And as if that weren't enough, after dinner that night they brought out an entire mariachi band and this little treat:

This was the perfect birthday cake for me. The inside was a really smooth white cake, and the frosting throughout was light and not overly sweet. (I hate royal icing!!!)

During the day itself we went boogy boarding and played beach volleyball (my team won). We also spent a fair amount of time here:

with this view:

Like the cake, the food at our resort was also really good--especially breakfast. They had the most amazing and extensive buffet every morning, with every kind of fruit, pastry, and bagel topper, along with an omelet bar, a full juice/smoothie bar, and pancakes/french toast/waffles galore. Here's my breakfast on the first day:

That's beaucoup de fruit, a tasty juice that they made fresh for me, a bit of muesli, and a piece of french toast with peanut butter. So good.

Lunches weren't so bad either, especially given that you can actually order them from your beach chair.

It got windy here for a bit, which is why my legs are covered by this towel.

It was like heaven--I ordered a veggie burrito, and even though it didn't come with it and I didn't order them, I got french fries!!

All in all, I'd say Mexico really redeemed itself with me, and not just because I got to eat french toast, french fries, and birthday cake. But because everyone we met was exceedingly nice and the whole trip was really just a welcome respite from reality. I can't see myself going every year or something, but when I do go back to Mexico I know I'll look forward to it!

*Where have you been to in Mexico that you really liked? How do you feel about resort/beach vacations that aren't necessarily planned around outings, seeing sights, etc.?