kdramas.

Korean. Dramas.

Now hold on right there. Before you begin rolling your eyes at me and thinking "oh, great, there she goes again" let me just say that this post is not about how much I loveeeee Korea or Korean guys. But can you blame me? They're so... so...

Ha ha... Anyways moving on.. Yes, they're nice to look at but that's not the point of this. I've received all sorts of hate and disapproval from so many people because I love kdramas. That's actually the reason I went to Seoul, Korea last spring. I wanted to visit the country where they all stemmed from and well that was quite the trip. It was during this trip that I stopped watching Korean Dramas because they had taken over my life, literally!

&& well I took a break for about 6 months but I started missing them. Some days were harder than others and I just wanted to lay on my bed and watch a drama. (I know lame, no social life hehe) When I felt I was strong enough I started watching them again. It was different the second time around because I placed limits on myself. I would come home from work and lay on the couch and watch something. Many people watch movies and television, but dramas were my thing. I felt more "relaxed" after watching them. I would only watch them to get my mind off of things and take a break. I caught myself telling myself this and one day as I was watching them I felt no satisfaction whatsoever. I felt like I was really just wasting my time. As I lay there watching these episodes I felt like they dragged on and I felt an emptiness inside.

Why am I watching this?
I should be more productive. 
This is so pointless. 
I could be doing better things right now.

That emptiness is felt by so many people and it can only be filled by one, JESUS. I was lying to myself saying that I was watching them to relax and what not. God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. (Psalm 73:26) I have no need for anything or anyone else when I have Jesus. He fills me and gives me all the joy I need. He satisfies my soul. These days there are so many things fighting for our attention and our time but we need to prioritize and remember that we are here for one reason only, to serve our King.

Yes, I still may watch them here and there but it's not all I do. And I definitely don't waste my sleep watching them anymore.

Feeling stressed? Overwhelmed? Like you want to forget everything around you for a bit? Don't refuge yourself in other things, in other addictions but instead turn to the Healer himself. I know that's what I needed instead. Because these other things, dramas for me, are only temporary and they still leave that emptiness inside of you.

Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares about you. -1 Peter 5:7

Cancun: A Detailed Account

About two weeks ago I set out with a girlfriend to spend a beautiful 9 days and 8 nights in Cancun, Mexico. It was both of our first time visiting and we were excited about our first adventure together!

We were lucky enough to be guests of someone who owned a timeshare at one of the hotels there. It was quite a luxurious experience. We had a balcony with a wonderful view of the Mexican Caribbean ocean and VIP services, which is a wonderful plus hehehe.

So, our first few days we spent them booking tours for the upcoming week and relaxing by the ocean and pool areas. This turned out to be the only time we got to relax because soon after that we were completely booked and full of activity and exploring. I absolutely loved the clear blue water!! It was surprisingly warm! Many people asked why someone from San Diego, with perfect weather, was in Cancun. Well, it's always nice to visit new places! I spent more time in the water abroad than I do back home!

It seems cloudy but it was pretty warm

Our first adventure began an hour away from the hotel. The tour was called Xel Ha and we also got to visit Tulum. We visited Mayan ruins and learned more about their rich culture. I didn't know their history spread all the way down to Belize and Guatemala. Tulum I believe is also the only location that is close to the ocean. The rest of their locations/villages are in the forest. Xel Ha was a bit disappointing at first because the first attractions were not to our liking and this was the highest ranking tour. Soon enough, we found the adventurous attractions which we came to enjoy and made it all worth it.

FUN STORY: If you know me well enough, you know that I am... clumsy, to say the least. Well, somehow while casually floating on the above inner tube, I fell off. I didn't slightly slip, I completely flipped over... inner tube on top of me and everything. While Laura in front of me laughed I was trying to climb back on top. But being soaking wet and that being rubber, it was quite slippery... I think half way through I managed to get back on it. I was quite embarrassed because there was quite the audience behind me.. smh.. That's just me though.. it definitely wasn't the only thing that happened to me.

This "zip lining" experience was fun
 cause we landed in the water

Or maybe it was him.. hehe jk jk JK

Our next adventure, consisted of us wearing some stylish helmets! xD

XPLOR took zip lining to a different level. I had never been zip lining before and expected it to be one zip line across the open forest. Well... it was 14 towers!! It was quite the workout too. We zip lined from one tower to another and there were many stairs to climb up to those towers! I was huffing and puffing but it was very well worth it. The zip lines were amazing though. They were all different lengths and heights and sometimes we rode together and sometimes alone! I had to ride with Laura on one because I wasn't heavy enough hahaha. There were several that finished in the water so of course we finished drenched.

POST VIDEO:

Me: "I'm not driving anymore"

Laura: "No you have to drive. I like it when you drive, it's so much fun"

I have to admit that this was definitely memorable and caused us to laugh over and over as we replayed it but I wouldn't necessarily want to do it again haha.. 

On this trip we also got to visit one of the Modern Seven Wonders of the World, Chichen Itza. I think this was the hottest day of our trip. We saw the platform where they prepared the bodies to be sacrificed. Did you know those sacrificed were between the age of 12-18? And yes, it was a privilege to be sacrificed... Hmmm.. This day was full of Mayan history and street vendors trying to sell their goods. 

Isla Mujeres and visiting sacred Mayan cenotes, underground rivers, were the last of our trip. It was a wonderful and fun end to a busy week. We got to go snorkeling, kayaking, and swimming. We got lots of swimming done. I'm so glad for those life vests which were a huge help to me. That bottom picture was after a 5 meter cliff jump. I can do the zip lining but straight jumping down was too much. I landed wrong too! 

 Thank you, Cancun, for a much needed vacation. Cancun tends to have a "party" reputation but I thank God for his protection while I was there. I wasn't in a situation where I was surrounded by drunk strangers doing crazy things. Maybe for a lot of people it would've been a let down that no college aged people were around to "party it up" but for me it was a blessing. It was a confirmation of God's shield over my life. We were surrounded by many families. We felt out of place traveling on our own because all we saw were people vacationing as a family. But this led to a family friendly and safe environment! :)

SHOUTOUT to the Hansens who were everywhere, literally! They were a ginormous family who we bumped into all over the hotel and even on our tours! Ha ha

 To you who read this, thank you for taking the time to do so! It felt more like an essay, reflecting back on a blissful vacation. It felt good to put it all into words! Adios, hasta pronto!