Question of the Week: Countries Visited

Which countries have you visited? Which countries are on your list to visit?

Canada: I have been to Canada many times. That should a given, though, since I lived 3 hours away a lot of my life, and a mere 15 minutes away for a year. Most of my trips to Canada were short day trips, trying to score some 222s or just going up to shop and play.

Tom and I also went on our Honeymoon to Banff and Lake Louise. I would love to go back and visit sometime. It was beautiful. I wanted a place where we could stay in a cabin and snuggle up to a fire. It was perfect.

Mexico: Oh boy. What do I say about Mexico. It was miserable. Have I blogged about this before? I feel like I have. Feel free to stop reading if you have heard this already.

When I worked for Alaska Airlines I flew for free (along with my parents and Tom). (Oh, how I miss that!) I also got a certain number of buddy passes where people could fly for free with me. Most years, at the end of the year, I had some leftover. One year for some reason I had quite a few leftover. I had just won (at work) a stay in this all inclusive resort in Ixtapa, Mexico. So I sent out the word.

Mexico anyone?

Sarah, Byron, Andy and a couple of their friends came along for some fun and surfing. The resort stay was only for two people. Sarah and I were to stay there. The boys said they would find a place when we got down there.

They didn't.

They snuck into our resort on some nights and slept there. I believe they slept on the beach also, but I can't say for sure (my darn fading memory). Sleeping at the resort was interesting. There was one bed, a queen, I believe, and a "couch". Three people would slept on the bed... or was it four? However many it was, it was TOO many. The other people would sleep on the cushions from the "couch" on the floor (tile floor) and well... I am not quite sure where the rest slept.

Sarah and I were lucky enough to get the bed, at least part of it, every night because we are girls, and it was our resort after all. The problem with the bed was pillows. There were not enough for everyone. We had to take turns. I remember waking up in the middle of the night, when it was my turn to not have a pillow. I was so uncomfortable and upset AND sunburned. I screamed (or muttered), "I AM SO PISSED OFF RIGHT NOW!" It was not my best moment.

Another fun thing that made the trip perfect... no one spoke English. Okay, a couple people did, but very, very few. The guys would go surfing every day (along with their ability to speak Spanish) and Sarah and I would hang out at the resort and down at the beach. Sounds great, right? Not so much. Here are some reason why...

Strange guys hitting on us in Spanish.

Vendors stalking us on the beach.

Blowfish.

Sunburns.

No water. (Yes, one day we had no water for half the day.)

Strange guys hitting on us in Spanish. (Yes, it happened a lot.)

Ants in Pizza.

Should I go on? Probably not.

We did discover this yummy Taco place. We ate there every day after that. Finally, the trip was over and we all crammed into our tiny, tiny, tiny car. All six of us with our luggage and four surfboards (??? Andy, Byron...??? I can't remember how many surfboards there were. I do remember that Andy broke his (on his birthday?), so maybe there were only three on the way back.). I am not sure how we fit.

It was an interesting experience indeed.

(Side Note: Madeline was just a baby when we went to Mexico. Sarah was so worried about her the whole time. Especially when she found out that a plane only left Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo once or twice a week. "What if something happens to Madeline?" She would say. "How will I get to her?" I didn't understand. I didn't have a child at the time. I understand now.)

Now, for places that I want to go. I have always wanted to go to Australia. I was this close (holding my thumb and my pointer finger half and inch apart) to going once. I decided to be smart with my money and not do it. I regret that decision. I was not married, had no kids... that was the time to not be smart with my money (at least not ALL the time) and have some adventures.