In November 2021, after a challenging stretch of working as a nurse during COVID, Kelly was more than ready for a change of scenery—and what better way to celebrate our dating anniversary than with a cruise to Mexico? It was the perfect blend of much-needed relaxation and a chance to make new memories together.

Our first stop? Costa Maya, where we explored the ancient Mayan ruins of Chacchoben. The history there was honestly mind-blowing, and we took about a million photos to prove we were really there. As a bonus, we spotted monkeys in the wild, swinging through the trees above us. It was such a fun, unexpected moment! But just as we boarded the cruise ship after our adventure, Nate had a little... mishap. He went swimming with his phone still in his pocket. Let’s just say his new souvenir from the trip wasn’t exactly one he planned for. Luckily, we had sent his mom some photos before he waterboarded his phone, so we still have a few pictures to look back on, including some awesome shots of the pyramids—which, let’s be real, you don’t get to visit every day. Since then, we’ve learned to take pictures on both phones—just in case.

Next up: a Mexican cooking class in Cozumel, where we discovered we’re not quite the culinary geniuses we thought we were. With bottomless margaritas fueling our “expertise,” we set out to make Chipotle-style shrimp tacos, chili-spiced chicken breasts, and caramelized plantains drizzled with a chocolate and tequila sauce. Could we recreate it at home? Probably not. Actually, definitely not. We tried, and let’s just say… it didn’t turn out quite the same. Maybe it was because we didn’t have the bottomless margaritas this time? Or maybe it’s because we weren’t in Mexico with fresh ingredients… but we’ll just blame the margaritas.