I am a huge advocate for vacations, especially family vacations and believe they are a worthwhile investment that pays off with many dividends such as a sense of unity, a feeling of safety and overall creates a pretty strong family bond. (Yes that’s my family to the right in Playa del Carmen in 2010!)  

Our summer family vacations are a yearly tradition, just like carving Halloween pumpkins and decorating the Christmas tree. And let me tell you, we’ve had our share of “Griswold-worthy” family vacations (i.e. the National Lampoon Vacation movies!) over the years in our quest to have the “perfect” family holiday. And we’ve also had our share of  “if anything can go wrong, it will”.  But no matter the setbacks and snafus, we have made the best of it together as a family. (We’ve had some good laughs looking back at those vacations that once struck fear in our hearts!)

Family vacations are a chance to get away from everyday life and soak in the moments rather than let them pass us by. Time flies like an arrow, and it seems more so once you have kids. Not long ago I remember making sand castles on the beach with my oldest daughter. Now she’s a teenager taller than I am, and sand castles are no longer of interest to her (sniff sniff.)

This summer we vacationed in Playa del Carmen (‘Playa’), Mexico staying once again at one of the top-notch luxurious condos (Luna Encantada) managed by the very professional Playa Beach Getaways and they always offer us the best of everything. Deluxe accommodations, spectacular ocean views, private beach and loungers, infinity pool, housekeeping and top-notch friendly service. This is fast becoming our second home, and oh what a home it is!

Playa is a destination that we all agree on, and a place that benefits everyone. While they say “you can’t please everyone all the time”, you certainly can aim to please someone at some point and that’s certainly the case when we travel to Playa. And I can assure you, a trip to Mexico is not reserved only for the cold months. (Being summer we didn’t have to come home to freezing cold weather and best of all, there was NO homework for the kids to catch up on and NO lunches for Mom to make!)

And our vacation can be summed up in one word – AMAZING.  We spent our time enjoying each other’s company, breaking bread together, playing together, and my husband and I managed to sneak in a few romantic dinners. We body surfed in the ocean, floated in the infinity pool, snorkeled in a lagoon with turtles, scuba dived, and swam with whale sharks which in itself is an opportunity of a lifetime (and only available from June to October, making it another plus for a summer vacation in Playa.)

We enjoyed amazing sunrises and sunsets from our balcony while listening to the waves lapping at the shore. We spent hours lying in a roof-top hammock swinging back and forth while the gentle ocean breeze kept us cool and relaxed. Some days we could be seen lined up in a row in our loungers with our faces planted in our books being enveloped in the beautiful culture of Mexico. The evenings the restaurants and cafes came alive with music, and we enjoyed strolls up and down 5th avenue.

Overall we had a very relaxing fun vacation which afforded us the chance to reconnect with each other, to rejuvenate and at the same time, it was great opportunity to learn about another culture, its marine and wildlife, its people, history and its language. It was a wonderful gift that we gave ourselves.

We have made lots of wonderful memories over the years on our vacations, and the beauty of memories is that they increase with value as time goes by. It’s an intangible investment that our kids can pass on to their families, teaching them to make it a tradition to spend time with their own families when the time comes. It is the wisest investment every parent can make in their children. Whether you are single, married, or with a family, the bottom line is a vacation is a gift that keeps on giving for a long time.

So to all you señors and señoritas, put down your cell phone and pack away your laptop and take a vacation to the Riviera Maya and make some life-long memories!

“PLAYA” Gal (a very satisfied client working to promote Playa Beach Getaways!)

Contact Sally Foran: salgal@playabeachcondo.com
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Sally Foran is a happily married mom of 3, residing in Canada and is a frequent traveler to the Riviera Maya MX. She is an aficionado on ‘everything Playa del Carmen’ and writes with joy and passion about the area.  She is also a witty blog contributor to Work & Family Foundation Canada, and NAVUT (offering professionals new to Ottawa the inside scoop!) Sally has also been awarded Blogger of the Week on TravelBlog.Org