Hacked By Ahmed 01 » this is a personal photoblog

One of the things I love most about travel is experiencing the culture wherever I am visiting – whether it’s on the sandy shores of a fishing village in Bali or the rolling mountains of a tucked away village in Vermont. So it is no surprise that one of my favorite stops on our recent trip to Mexico was in the quaint little town of Valladolid – a sweet, historical little spot that seemed to bustle with energy and culture. I love walking the streets to see what people are doing and how they actually live. There is a simple thrill for me involved in a simple visit to a supermarket or tagging along with some locals to their favorite pub.

There was no tagging along on this trip, but we did stop to walk around for a short time. It was a long day and we had a group of 13 hot, sweaty, and mildly cranky people with about 20 minutes to run a quarter of a mile through the city’s center. It was short and sweet, but I still got to see some of the hustle and bustle that made this town one of the top tourism draws in Mexico.

One of my favorite parts of the entire trip to Mexico was on our little walk around this town. We wandered down a little side street where several vendors had their wares set out to sell to the locals. Fruit. Veggies. Cold drinks. A few doors down was a local barber – closed down for an afternoon siesta I presume. Around the corner, a few people gathered in a restaurant talking over cervezas – getting out of the heat of the midday sun. It all looked vaguely like I had walked into the set of some movie being filmed in Cuba. Something familiar, yet perfectly authentic.

Maybe that’s what we all look for in places we visit – the familiarly authentic scenes we associate with a place. We each had a different story about what we wanted to see. Some of us wanted to experience the real culture (sights, smells and all!) while others seemed to want to bask in the glow of the turquoise waters of our all-inclusive resort. The experience we want most seems to come from the story we tell ourselves. And the joy of our experience comes from the picture we have painted of it in our heads before we even enter the experience.

Whatever the place, I still try to wander like a child – still wondering and looking. Searching and seeing for the first time… on every trip and in every corner I visit. Wondering and wandering. Wandering and wondering.

This #weekend10 is a little unfair since last week (and the weekend) was spent lingering on the luxurious white, sandy beaches and turquoise waters of Mexico’s Mayan Riveria. What an unbelievable trip! I have never been to Mexico, so it was another life adventure for me to experience the culture and beauty of this corner of our pretty little planet. We spent the week being spoiled beyond compare with our own personal pool, a private beach and our very own covered beach cabanas, world class private chefs and butlers, and the best-of-the-best at our disposal. I feel very fortunate and grateful for this experience and couldn’t have asked for a better group of people to go with. It was my first family trip with the entire Buck clan and it was so much fun. There isn’t a single minute I would leave out. (Excluding our post travel bug. But that’s another story).

I have 10 photos, but so many more to post. If you’d like to see more, keep checking back. I have plenty more to post.

Hope you all had a great weekend. What did you do this weekend? I’d love to hear! In the meantime, here is my #weekend10! Enjoy!

I woke up for the sunrise. Every. Single. Day.

Sunscreen. Loads of sunscreen!

Snorkeling with this cutie pie. (Sidenote: look at those eyes! Same color as the sea!)

Naptime in the cabanas. 

Our trip to Chichén Itzá was amazing! And a little hot.

Swimming hole.

Our own coconut trees on the property. We may or may not have knocked a few riper ones down to drink the water.

Puerto Morelos. The cutest little Mexican fishing village you ever did see.

Al Fresco dining at “home.”

The End. 

Not pictured: Shopping. Snorkeling with sharks. Deep sea fishing. Sushi with the tuna the boys caught that day. Napping in hammocks. Hans – our butler. Celia – our maid. Our pool. And so much turquoise water.

Wow! What a weekend! We had a graduation, end of school, 2 photoshoots, Spoleto, lots of trip prep (yayyy Mexico!), ice cream, and an ear infection just to mix things up a little. I am armed with so much medication for our trip, I look like a traveling pharmacy. But we made it through and hopefully will be floating in blue waters by this time next week.

Here is what we have had going on this weekend! What did you do this weekend? I would love to know!

The garden bounty is just starting to roll in.Graduation from one of the best teachers I have ever known. We will miss you, Miss T.Goofball graduates.

Last day of school FroYo treat! Can you tell they are excited? (iPhone photo)

From my first shoot on Saturday Morning. Why I don’t shoot more babies is beyond me. She was delicious and so sweet!

Speaking of delicious and sweet….this little guy is frommy Saturday afternoon shoot. Ice cream + kids + camera = tons of cute photos.

Sultry lowcountry summer afternoons are amazing. (iPhone photo)

Just watching the storms roll in…. (iPhone photo)

And finally…a little trip prep. (iPhone photo)

And to cap it off, I am just going to share the most special photo. I simply can’t keep all this cuteness to myself! Enjoy!

I love a good maternity shoot. Especially on a dock on the water at sunset.  Happy babybump Adam and Heidi. Looking forward to meeting your new addition!

Oh summer…has found me again like a coy lover. I want to float around in the wake of her gentle, cool waves and bright blue skies sipping icy cold drinks and munching on juicy, chin dripping watermelon. I want to swing gently in the embrace of her branches listening to the chirping on the crickets while her warm breath caresses my prickly, brown summer skin. I want to lay on my back in her cool grass as the day drifts slowly by like the cottony clouds over my head.

I am ready to be in love with you again, sweet summer. I am yours for the taking.