This year we celebrated the first wave of our Calvin Christian High School friends turning forty - Jeff included. To commemorate the occasion, the group took a five-day, four-night vacation to Excellence Resorts in Cancun, Mexico.
The group (with a few exceptions - me) has been together since grade school and despite our busy schedules filled with careers, our kids, and everything in between… we found a way to sneak away to paradise to relax, to party, and to enjoy one another’s company.
Resort life was good to us. Jeff enjoyed golfing the local course two of the four mornings we were there. We spent an afternoon at the spa complete with couples’ massages - my favorite, not Jeffs. We frequented the swim up bar, played pickleball (the entire group is massively competitive), and dined all together each evening. The live entertainment after dinner was a riot including a reggae band, a magician, a mariachi band (where a real horse came on stage!), live karaoke, and a silent disco that we all decided would have been a ton better without the headphones.
Our favorite part of the trip was the day we spent on the catamaran that took us to Isla Mujeres. It’s an hour and a half cruise from the mainland to the island, of which we spent taking in the sights and sipping on palomas. Once on the island we took a fleet of golf carts (with drivers) that toured us around the island with stops along - an hour at the beach, scenic lookouts, and an incredible authentic Mexican lunch with a view overlooking the ocean.
These days, it’s not often we’re able to get together with the full group, which made this trip even more special. These friends have known one another for most of their lives and it’s unique that they’ve all stayed connected. As I reflect on our own kids and the community, we’ve chosen to raise them in, our hope is that they, too, decades from now are still friends with those they spend their time with today.
To the Birthday crew: Happy 4oth! May the next 40 be just as fruitful. It’s been a true joy sharing this life with you.
