Over the Moon

Caden and I spent a wonderful and mostly relaxing (more on that later) week in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico for our honeymoon. I got to be a beach bum, read a book, and eat wayyyy too much yummy food just like I wanted and Caden was able to go on all of the adrenaline inducing adventures that he wanted.

                    Our resort was absolutely stunning! In the middle of all the rooms was a large jungle area with walking paths. There were flamingos, iguanas, monkeys, all types of birds like parrots and peacocks, some weird rodent type thing that we never figured out the name of, and coati (which are like super cute long nosed, long tailed, brown raccoons) all right outside our door! It was amazing! Did I mention there was a waterfall too? Really, it was paradise.

We had quite the shock when we got off the plane. I was expecting it to be hot and sunny (I even packed multiple bottles of sunscreen just to be safe) but what we weren't expecting was the HUMIDITY. The second we walked out of the airport I felt like I was swimming through air. What mascara I had been wearing literally melted off my face. Never in my life have I been that sweaty and gross for an entire week! Poor Caden because I really gave up looking cute at all and went for practicality and comfort! So excuse all of the pictures were I have sweat marks on my clothes and my hair is smeared back... there's really nothing I could do. Sigh...so much for being cute on my honeymoon.                          

Lets get back to those adventures I mentioned earlier. While we had a lovely honeymoon this whole trip really should be retitled as "The Week Ashli Conquered All Of Her Fears." Let me name them just so you have an idea.

Things I'm terrified of:
-Heights (especially ones where I could potentially fall to my death)
-Spiders, Snakes, and Sharks (also known as the 3 S's in my world)
-Drowning
-The Dark (or more what could be lurking in the dark that I can't see)
-Seafood (I'm not scared of it I guess, I just really don't like it)

I ENCOUNTERED ALL OF THESE! Talk about forming some major trust in our marriage!

We started the week of by going on an all day snorkeling adventure. The idea of snorkeling has always been somewhat appealing to me, but in a kind of distant, someday, maybe, but probably not ever, type of way. For one I can't really swim. I know what I'm supposed to do, but honestly I've never mastered it and I can't tell you how many times I failed level three growing up. I can doggy paddle to save my life but that's about it. Hence the fear of drowning... Next, I once saw a clip of Jaws when I was younger and that did me in there. When people get all hyped up about Shark Week I'm over here like nope, nuh-uh, never.

Regardless of all of this I love my husband very, very, very much and decided to give it a chance. The first five minutes I swallowed half the ocean and (I'm not proud of this) cried. It was awful. Water kept getting in my googles and up my nose and I seemed to be swallowing water by the gallon through my snorkel. I was so close to quitting. Thank goodness for Caden and a sweet older gentleman who came to my rescue. Caden switched me snorkels (apparently mine had a hole, hence all the water coming in) and the gentleman fixed my googles... and guys after that it was like I'd been a fish my whole life! Snorkeling was one of the most fun things I have ever done in my entire life! If we lived next to an ocean I'm pretty sure I'd never leave the water.  

For our next escapade we booked an all day trip which began with us going on a tour of Tulum, which was a Mayan port city that died out 70 years after the Spanish began occupying Mexico. 

After exploring the ruins we took a Unimog 4x4 (huge oversized jeep) through the jungle to an area where we participated in a Mayan ritual, went swimming in and then rappelled down into a Cenote, then zip-lined over the trees and back down into the underground river system.  I pretty much had to be pushed off the ledge when repelling and for the first zip-line. I like to think its because I have a strong will to live. But all in all that was pretty fun and I'm glad I can say I did it! 

Our last adventure for that day included snorkeling again! However, this time we were supposed to snorkel in a cave...in the dark. Pretty creepy experience yet totally awesome at the same time. Thankfully they had an underwater flashlight so I could see if anything was swimming a little to closely. At one point I lifted my head out of the water to adjust my googles and not a foot above me was the cave ceiling covered in, what seemed to be, thousands of bats. 

To get to each of these different areas we had to hike through the forest. It was humid. It was hot. Oh, and they kept pointing out all the tarantula holes and snakes. I really could have gone without knowing any of that. My mental health would have been much happier! 

Our last days included another snorkeling trip (because we both loved it so much)! This time we got to see a sea turtle and a sting ray plus more fish than I could ever count! We also went parasailing per my request. I figured I had already done other scary height related activities and that I might as well do them all!  

Caden and I had the time of our lives enjoying our first week of marriage and  I was able to conquer pretty much all of my fear! We can't wait to go again someday! 

p.s. I never did actually see a shark but I swam in the same ocean as them and that's close enough for me.