Day 207 - Finding Space to Breathe in Mexico

Day 207, and everyone slept in a little longer today, which was nice. It feels like we're finally starting to shake off the last of the jet lag and settle into a rhythm here in Playa del Carmen.

The kids grabbed a quick breakfast while Kia and I enjoyed our morning coffees. Then Kia got herself ready and took the kids down to the gym. I was dressed and ready to go too, but honestly, I just wasn't feeling it.

The last couple of weeks have been pretty relentless. Between leaving Morocco, exploring London, arriving in Mexico and all the excitement that comes with it, the kids have been running at full speed. Add in the jet lag and constant stimulation, and they've been incredibly "on" lately. It's wonderful seeing them thriving and enjoying themselves, but I could feel myself getting worn down by the constant demand for attention and interaction.

I just needed a minute.

So I was incredibly grateful that Kia took the kids to the gym and gave me a bit of space. They didn't stay long though. Both kids got bored fairly quickly and decided they'd rather swim in the pool. Unfortunately for me, they returned just as I was starting to cook breakfast.

They wanted to hang around and chat, but I gently encouraged them to head to the pool instead and promised I'd bring breakfast over when it was ready. There was a bit of back and forth, but eventually they went, and I got exactly what I needed, a little bit of uninterrupted time to reset and recentre myself.

It's funny how sometimes twenty or thirty minutes alone can make such a huge difference.

I felt for Kia as well. Taking both kids to the gym on your own is never easy. They often argue about which machine they want to use or what activity they want to do next, so I imagine it was probably a fairly stressful experience for her. It was a really thoughtful thing for her to do, though, and I appreciated it more than she probably realised.

Since arriving in Mexico, we've deliberately avoided packing our days full of activities. We've spent most of our time simply recalibrating, finding a routine, getting back into schooling, exercising regularly and figuring out what our days look like when we're not constantly moving between countries.

At the same time, there's a lot happening behind the scenes.

Now that we've effectively bookended the end of our trip by booking the cruise home, there's a growing sense that some decisions need to be made. We still need to work out what we're doing between July 1st and boarding the cruise in Los Angeles in September. On top of that, both Kia and I are trying to build things for our future and create opportunities beyond this trip.

The clock feels like it's ticking a little faster these days.

For me, that means continuing to build and test the schooling app I've been working on. I had a really productive day with it yesterday and trialled parts of it with the kids. There were definitely some frustrating moments where I realised I'd overlooked things and lost information that should have been captured, but every frustration turned into a lesson and ultimately improved the system.

The app is getting closer to being something we can use consistently, which would make our schooling process much easier.

The biggest challenge right now is the amount of input Kia and I need to provide after the kids complete their work so the AI can continue learning. I'm starting to think there might be a simpler solution. Perhaps we could just photograph the kids' completed workbook pages and have the AI interpret the results directly. It's definitely something worth experimenting with.

Meanwhile, Kia spent some time working on her kinesiology practice and exploring a few new directions she wants to take it. It was exciting hearing her ideas and talking through how she might implement them.

For the first time in quite a while, it feels like we're in an environment where we can actually breathe.

Our minds aren't consumed by logistics, travel days or trying to adapt to a difficult environment. There's space to think, create and plan. It feels like everyone's starting to grow again.

If we can maintain this sort of balance over the next three weeks, enough routine to feel grounded, enough freedom to explore and enough space to work on our own goals, I think some really good things will come from it.

Looking back, I don't think any of us were particularly thriving in Morocco. We learned a lot there, but it often felt like we were just getting through each day. London felt like a big shift in the right direction, and Mexico feels similar so far. If we can combine this sense of stability with some exploration and adventure, I think we'll be in a really good place.

Later in the afternoon, Kia, Emmett and I jumped in the pool for a swim. It was nice just to cool off and spend some time together. Kia and I had hoped to have a few more conversations about future plans, but Emmett quickly turned it into playtime, which was probably exactly what he needed. Maddie was happily curled up reading her book, and I think Emmett enjoyed having both Mum and Dad focused on him for a while.

The evening was nice and relaxed. We watched a movie together, while Kia and Maddie cooked dinner. Then we sat down as a family, shared a meal and wound down for the night before heading to bed.

Overall, it felt like a tough start to the day for me mentally, but a productive one in the end.

And more than anything, it feels like there's some genuine growth happening for all of us right now, which is a pretty great place to be.