I’m grateful our kids have been able to come home from college during all of their summer and winter breaks so far.  It’s nice to be their safe place, where they can exhale, relax, and recharge.

I fully expected them to be homesick when they moved thousands of miles away. Of course they would miss their dogs, their friends, and maybe even their parents a tiny bit.  

But a person can also be homesick for place, and they definitely get homesick for Alaska.

I’m a firm believer that beauty can be found anywhere you look for it, but there’s no denying that you don’t have to look as hard in Alaska.  This year, more than ever, I saw the kids return with a new appreciation for the familiar skyline of the Chugach mountains, for the myriad of trails to explore, and for the unique adventures in their own backyard.  I noticed them looking up and around more than they used to, marveling at the audacity of a place to be so beautiful.

For them, Alaska is home base.

So it was with mixed emotions that we planned a family vacation during their winter break this year, cutting what could be a few weeks at home to a mere seven days.  But the beaches of Mexico were calling, and after our saragassum-laden trip of 2021 we were excited to visit the Yucatán Peninsula in a different season.  We decided on another trip to Akumal, and even rented the exact same condo unit that we had to vacate after a single night last time.

Let’s just say our emotions weren’t mixed for long.

The place was a time capsule, and Playa Caribe was even more beautiful than I remembered.

We invited Sam’s girlfriend on this trip, who is a lovely travel partner and up for all adventures. She had to leave a few days earlier than the rest of us, but while she was there we enjoyed playing our favorite version of Pitch, which requires five players, nearly every evening.

The Mexican sunshine and fresh food was good for the soul. We ate an obnoxious amount of pineapple, and couldn’t get enough of the fork-mashably fresh avocados. We ordered more street tacos than I care to count, mostly from family-run food trucks or local establishments in tiny pueblos.

We also returned to Taco Queto in Tulum. Another time capsule! The owner was still seated at a cash register next to the open kitchen, where the same delicious dishes were simmering. He welcomed us with enthusiasm, and was very interested in scrolling through photos from our first visit five years before. Clark was even wearing the exact same shirt! Once again, we weren’t entirely sure what we were eating, but thoroughly enjoyed every bite. And ordered seconds! It was here that the kids started to unearth their Spanish language skills as we did our best to communicate with these wonderful cooks.

We did dine at a few touristy restaurants as well. The kids were thrilled to discover Baransu Sushi, where we enjoyed the fanciest meal of our trip. I wasn’t sure what to expect at a Japanese restaurant in Mexico, but everyone loved their food and Clark’s fried rice was unreal.

La Buena Vida was within walking distance of our condo, and the perfect spot to ring in the new year. Games at the bar, sand under our feet, and dancing at midnight: 2026 is off to a mighty fine start!

I told myself I’d be braver while exploring cenotes this trip, but nope… I was still timid and terrified. And a little cold. Watching my family drop and dive through deep, dark sinkholes was more than enough excitement for me. I did wade a bit, and made one screeching jump (the video is unfit for public viewing, sorry). Let’s just say I’m happy to be the photo documentarian while visiting these wonders of the Yucatán.

Clark snorkeled daily, and we also treasured pool time, sunsets, and moonrises. Give me a book, and this is my happy place. Clark appears pretty relaxed, as well. 😉

The final adventure of the trip was a scuba dive for Clark, Sam, and Maggie. They dove down 55 feet and saw an eel, lobster, turtles, rays, schools of fish, and coral. It was a drift dive, and they were underwater for 55 minutes. I’m so proud of them!

Home base is indeed a safe place, and I’m grateful to have such a beautiful one. But travel provides a refreshing reminder that the world is a big place, and my worries need not weigh as heavy as they sometime feel. Visiting areas where the language, customs, and landscapes are unfamiliar is a humbling experience that causes a profound shift in perspective. I always return home the better for it.

I hope our kids will be blessed with a lifetime of opportunities to explore this immensely beautiful planet. I hope they continue to do so with open minds and open hearts. And more than anything, I hope they will carry those experiences back to their own home bases, wherever they build them, to make their tiny slice of our world a better one.