After deciding to postpone my trip to China until the spring, my remaining options for family togetherness became few and small. Our office closes for the entire week of Christmas, and the prospect of waking up at home alone, without any of my siblings, was more than I could bear. Fortunately Mike also had to take the week off and excitedly collaborated in some vacation scheming. We ended up spending a week in Puerto Vallarta, taking pictures of palm trees and listening to mariachi bands, with periodic snack breaks for mangoes and fresh tortillas.
Our peaceful days and interesting adventures helped tremendously to offset the sadness of missing my dear family on a holiday that we have always celebrated together with hugs, warm flannel, teddy bear bread, and a camel walker.
Some highlights:
- Sitting on the rocks by the crashing waves at sunset
- Bartered in Spanish with the street vendors and shop owners
- Fresh orange juice on the beach from a guy named Arturo
- Riding the buses with all the locals
- Playing catch on the beach in shorts and t-shirts
- Eating delicious fruit, drinking limonada, finding authentic and tasty restaurants
- Making coffee for my boyfriend
- Being serenaded in Spanish on the beach on Christmas Eve
- Receiving Christmas greetings via text message from my dad in China
More pictures to follow...
