For Thanksgiving this year my mom and I planned what we thought would be a surfing trip in a Mexican paradise. I flew over night from Hawaii, with a layover in Denver where I met my mom, and a continued flight to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. I love exploring new places, learning about different cultures, and speaking different languages. We pulled up to the town of Sayulita and were blown away by its beauty. Similar to an old European village, the town was covered in street art, craft stands, cafes, boutiques and motor bikes. It was much more congested than I had imagined and I never got used to the fear I felt while walking the streets. To add onto the fear of the motorbikes, cabs, busses and cars, there was also an exceptional waste management issue which infiltrated the air, sand and sea. The beach was covered with hundreds of people, reminiscent of spring break, the water was brown and void of all waves. It was everything except what we had expected. We are not hotel people, but for this particular holiday trip, we had decided to bring along our chihuahua Lola and had been forced to stay in a posh hotel that would accommodate dogs. Looking back, I am so grateful we shelled out the extra cash because we only left the hotel to shop or eat! The roof top pool was marvelous and we spent hours a day exercising, swimming, reading and laughing on the deck. As the days passed, we were anxious to leave and return to normal life- but the warmth sure was nice now that I am back in Colorado. Fortunately, I had some time to explore the culture of Sayulita and document the crafts and lives of the local people- something I try to do everywhere I go.