Day 208 - This is Living Barry
Day 208 recap, and yeah, another really nice day here in Playa del Carmen. Kia and I woke up around 5:30 or 6:00 and were just taking it easy in bed for a little while. I eventually got up thinking I'd make us both a coffee and we'd sit out on the balcony together before the kids got moving, but when I got downstairs Maddie was already up reading her book on the couch. She told me she'd been awake for about an hour already. Not long after that Emmett wandered down too and both of them got straight into playing with their Lego.
I finished making the coffees and took them upstairs, and Kia and I sat out on the balcony chatting about life, travel, future plans and all sorts of random ideas. It's nice having those quiet moments together before the day properly starts.
Eventually we headed back inside and started getting ready for the gym. Emmett was keen, Kia was keen and after taking yesterday off I was feeling ready to get back into it as well. Maddie wasn't particularly interested, so I set her up with her schoolwork for the day while the three of us headed down for a workout.
After training, Emmett headed back a little earlier while Kia and I went for a walk around the complex. While wandering around we discovered a third pool that we somehow hadn't found yet. It's tucked away amongst the trees and feels a lot more secluded than the other pools. It's a really nice spot and we'll definitely have to head back there for a swim at some stage.
When we got back, Maddie had finished her schoolwork and it was Emmett's turn. I sat down with him and worked through one of the lessons in the learning app I've been building. Overall I was really happy with how it worked. There are still a few small changes I want to make to the presentation and flow, but the lesson itself felt like the right length and the content was solid. It also highlighted a few areas where Emmett needs a bit more work. The biggest thing for him is focus. When he's concentrating he picks things up really quickly, but when he's distracted not much sticks. Still, that's exactly why we're testing it now. I'm really happy with how the app is functioning and I think it's going to make worldschooling a lot easier for us moving forward.
Once schoolwork was finished, we decided to head out for lunch and do another grocery run at Walmart. Kia did some research and found a place nearby with good reviews, so we called a taxi and headed over.
It turned out to be a great choice. The World Cup was on the televisions, the beers were cold and we ordered half a kilo of slow-cooked beef along with a huge stack of soft tortillas and all the condiments to make our own tacos. It was one of those really simple lunches that just hit the spot. Sitting there eating tacos, having a beer and watching football was a pretty nice way to spend the afternoon.
After lunch we walked over to Walmart and spent a bit more time looking around than we did on our first visit. The place is absolutely massive. The other day we pretty much just went straight to the groceries, but this time we explored a bit more and realised they sell absolutely everything. They've got a pharmacy, televisions, fridges, washing machines, clothing, toys, Lego and pretty much anything else you could think of. You could completely furnish a house and do your grocery shopping all in one place.
One thing we're still struggling to get used to is the tipping culture. At the checkout there's someone scanning all your groceries and then another person packing them into bags and loading them into your trolley for you. Afterwards you're expected to tip the person who packed your groceries. It's the same at restaurants where there's often an expectation to leave 10, 15 or even 20 percent. Coming from Australia, where tipping isn't really part of everyday life, it always feels a little stressful. We never quite know what's considered appropriate. We don't want to be rude, but at the same time we don't want to just hand out money unnecessarily either. It's definitely one of those cultural differences we're still trying to figure out.
After finishing up at Walmart we grabbed another taxi back to the accommodation. By the time we got home it was around 5:30. Kia had a client session later that evening, so she spent some time getting herself organised and setting everything up. The kids settled in with some television while I jumped onto the laptop to check a few emails.
Most of them weren't particularly exciting, but I did have an email from one of the guys I used to work with. We exchanged a few messages and then he ended up giving me a call on Teams. What started as a quick catch-up turned into about an hour-long conversation. It was really good hearing what was happening back at the office, finding out how everyone was going and talking through a few future plans. It's funny how distant that old life can feel when you've been travelling for so long, but one conversation can make it feel familiar again pretty quickly.
Before long it was dinner time and then off to bed.
We're really starting to settle into a routine here in Playa del Carmen and it's been nice. At the same time, it was also good to get out and experience a bit more of Mexico today. Inside the walls of this complex it honestly could be anywhere in the world. It's comfortable and easy, but you don't really get a feel for Mexico itself until you head outside and explore a bit.
I think the plan is to head out on a day trip later this week and start seeing a bit more of the area. Next week looks like it might be a bit rainy, so we'll see what happens, but we're looking forward to getting out and exploring some more.
Overall, just another really enjoyable day and one that felt a lot more like normal life than travelling.