Mexico Part 1: Travel tips

Welp, we're home. What a great time we had! The weather was perfect and the company was also perfect. It's great being married to a person who likes to vacation the same way that I do. We like to sit quietly, wherever we are... people watch, watch old TV re-runs on DVD, and act like children in the swimming pool.

I thought I'd write a couple posts about our trip - just cause putting it all in one may get a little lengthy. My first post is entitled Travel tips. I wish that the following list of valuable tips have been tested and proven true by me, but they are more things I wish I would have thought of before travelling this time around.

#1: Whether or not you are travelling with children, bring a toy or a childrens book along with you; you may be seated behind a child who is absolutely out of control and lacking all parental oversite. Ooooh! A puppet would have been perfect.

#2: If you are the parent of the out of control child, they don't need to be calmed down, they need to just be strapped down - then the flight can proceed.

#3: If you are the travellers around the family that is out of control, be patient. If you think that the parents are having a fun time - they're not. They may have a general disregard for those around them, but it doesn't mean they're enjoying their present situation more than the next person. And really, it sure is a whole lot less stressful to listen to a child scream when it's not your own!

#4: Ear plugs. Wait - I did have ear plugs...so I guess that is a tried, tested and true suggestion.

#5: Just bring the skirt that you were waivering about. Chances are it won't tip the scale at the baggage check because of it, and you may not even wear it. But at least you will have the option!

#6: Say no to burning, yes to sunscreen. There were two types of people at this place. Lobsters, and roasted chickens. There really wasn't much inbetween, the finely fair-skinned folk burn and cause people to whisper "ouch" as we walk by, and the crispy dark tan that if whipped a little would eventually make a fine leather handbag. I am ok with not being blessed with skin that holds any sort of colour except for the great occasion when freckle meets freckle and amalgamate into one glorious light tan blob. Actually, while I enjoy roasted chicken, there is nothing like a good lobster feast slathered in garlic butter. Lobster ordered at dinner turns heads as it passes the other parties wishing they had ordered it. I, on the other hand, turned heads as I walked past the other tables because I am not made to be - or look like - a lobster. And magically, after only spending a short hour in the sun, I morphed into one. And just as magically as my appearance changed and held a glimmer of hope that maybe, maybe this time it'd fade into a wonderful semi-pink-semi-brown tan, it disapears by sunrise the next morning. Choose sunscreen. Apply evenly.

#7: When travelling home to a cold place from a hot place, do not think to yourself "how cold can the airplane be" and then not bring sufficient clothes for yourself. You may be hot at the airport checking in...but you won't be hot on the airplane at 37,000 feet in the air with a grandioso temperature of -74 degrees fahrenheit. Socks should do the trick.

#8: Don't eat a full rack of ribs before embarking on a 6.5 hour flight. I'll leave it at that.

#9: "Moderate" turbulence only feels moderate to those who are flying professionals such as stewards, stewardessessssss, pilots and pilotessesssss. To the rest of us, going to zero gravity and plunging for any amount of time is 'Major' turbulence. That's not a tip, you could call that a mini rant. Basically I feared for my life - on the inside. I was very composed and calm on the outside of course.

#10: Have an awesome teenage brother who stays up super late anyways so that when your flight arrives at 2 in the morning you know you can rely on him to be awake and up for the mini road trip. I realize that this is probably something you cannot change in your life if you do not currently have a teenage brother, but...ya...sorry about that.

I thought that it would be smart to only have 9 tips because 9 tips is less than 10 tips and it's not an even number. And I thought I DID only have 9 tips...but I really had two #3's so my numbers got mixed up and I guess that means I ended up with 10 tips after all. huh.

All of that to say, those were my travelling tips and in no way do they reflect the quality of vacation that we had. 10 across the board. 1st place. Numero uno. Zee Best.

G'nite friends! Travelling home to our beautiful Island tomorrow. Mexico Part 2 will make it's debut sometime in the next week. For a little teaser I'll give you the title: Sea-humans.

Adios Amigos.