Unleashing Angst and Breathing in Joy

We traveled to Mexico for an extended Labor Day weekend this year. This was an exciting first, as my husband and I, married for 14 years, had not yet traveled together internationally.

In fact, we were passport-less when this adventure began several months ago, after friends invited us to join them in Cancun.

We initially deliberated whether timing was right to invest in such a getaway After all, just 2 years before, we had uprooted our lives to move to North Padre Island in order to experience this type of work-life bliss on a more organic, daily basis.

However, in the throes of recent loss — my beloved mother, Ann Barrett, had recently passed away, and a few months before our constant companion and Yorkie, Roger had died — we were feeling a bit adrift.

We also love our friends dearly, and upon a second invitation to join them in their private getaway, and with a sense of wistful wonder about the what-ifs of vacationing in this coral sand resort, we were compelled to say, ‘yes.’

In the moments of preparation leading up to our departure, we found ourselves navigating the complications of work deadlines, client demands and household stresses that accompany tidying loose ends in order to make space for such a vacation.

We also faced a few online check-in hiccups and transitory concerns about the airline we’d chosen for our first international flight.

But it was not for naught, as we arose at 2 a.m. the morning of our departure to embark on our next adventure. Flying out of Houston International Airport enabled us a non-stop flight to Cancun, and it was well worth the early start.

Flashing our newly minted passports as we checked in our baggage and garnered our boarding passes furthered our enthusiasm, and we anticipated the coming flight, with desire and hope.

Our early arrival and check-in enabled time to eat before taking off. We enjoyed a satiating breakfast of eggs, rice and a bloody mary while witnessing the takeoff and landing of planes from our window seat at the restaurant.

Excitement grew, and we gratefully embraced the lingering, long moments embedded in the time away from the constant pull of tasks and duties that you feel at home.

As we stepped into the line to board the jet to Mexico, we touched hands and smiled, that knowing loving smile that couples feel when they are alone together in their thoughts and dreams, preparing for takeoff into their next big adventure.

We settled into the plane, and my husband smiled as he folded his 6’2″ self into the window seat, and I giggled as I sandwiched between Rob and the passenger beside me.

We leaned into the view at takeoff, as the Gulf of Mexico lay out before us, showing off its bright hope and wild blue beauty.

We relaxed into the speed of flight, drank in the energy of what’s next, unleashing angst and breathing in joy.

– by Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter