Ahhh Home

   I have been The Mom on the go this month. The Dad and I took our first empty nest vacation in thirty-two (yep, count 'em) years and had a great time spending six days alone together in Playa Del Carmen. Since it was and is the season for hurricanes, we got the deal of a lifetime. I am always a little skeptical of deals and steals (especially when it comes to travel) but this one actually panned out nicely. I also got to mark one biggie off my bucket list -- swimming with the dolphins -- and another not so biggie off the list -- visiting Mayan ruins. Both were great experiences. More about these later.
    I grew up on humidity. As a native of the Panhandle of Florida, I am no stranger to the heat. I am also not one of those Southern women who daintily perspire (I think they call it "dewing"), I am a roll down the face and sweat the outlines of various body parts onto clothing kind of middle-aged woman so I thought I was prepared for a little Mexican humidity. Not. As soon as I opened the door of our hotel room, a blast of hot air would hit me. And the sweating would begin. By the time I made it to the breakfast area, I would be dreaming about another shower or seriously considering jumping in one of the pools I passed along my way, but since there were clear directives posted everywhere about what one could and could not wear into the dining rooms I quickly nixed this idea. I actually developed curly hair in Mexico. Not just frizzy, but curly hair. I briefly wondered if this could be related to estrogen depletion but since I have returned to my normal flat-head, I guess not.  I also did not wear any make-up during our vacation except once. I mean, what's the point, when it slides down your face immediately after you apply it. I basically lived in my bathing suit and cover up, and all I have to say about that is that it is a good thing my husband still loves me. I had packed a lot of nice linen things in my suitcase, and some of them were even white because I figured the no white linen after Labor Day rule definitely does not apply in Mexico, but this proved to be an exercise in futility because I basically wore the same things over and over again...the coolest things I could find. I also dispensed with my least favorite garment of all time, the bra. This was probably the best decision I made all week and the one that made me the happiest, other than being away with my husband and not having any offspring or dogs or responsibilities in sight.