we had such a fantastic and relaxing (finally!) vacation. tim’s grandparents graciously offered to take the family on a 7-day mexican riviera cruise, and it was perfectly timed during the tail-end of my summer lull at work and just after the official end to tim’s master’s studies.

i’d never been on a cruise before, so i wasn’t sure exactly what to expect, but in summation (other than the fact that the cruise line tries to bilk you for money at every turn), it was 100% sloppy, luxurious, forced relaxation: we slept in. we lazed around in bathrobes. we ate when we felt like it. we laid in the sunshine. we read in the sunshine. we had a few really delicious beverages in the sunshine. we ventured into the streets of mexico. we played in the pacific. we were totally unplugged, and it felt fantastic.

back to reality this week. tim is continuing his search for jobs, and even though it’s not my favorite, i’m so thankful for mine. life is good. we are so well taken care of, even in the rough patches.