Let’s say you find yourself in a part of the world you’ve never been. You might start with a famous landmark like this one:

Yes, it’s a beautiful cathedral, but what makes is unique and special? For starters, it is the Iglesia de San Servacio in Valladolid, Mexico. According to Wikipedia:

This historic church is located in the downtown main square of the colonial town of Valladolid.
It was constructed in the 16th century using stones from nearby Mayan ruins.
The cathedral is a key landmark in the Yucatán Peninsula and is noted for its distinctive two-towered facade.

Great. It’s helpful to explore a historical landmark, but I’d much rather swim in a cenote (see related post) or explore ruins (see related post). Heck, I even like popping behind selfie frames like this one:

*Not quite tall enough to wear the sombrero. Perhaps that’s fine.*

*Zooming out for the full selfie frame from Valladolide, Mexico*

Perhaps simple frames like this scratches the “I was here” itch. Yes, there’s no historical significance, and yet this feel more like a modern day postcard … the in person selfie spot. “I was here and thought of you” sort of vibe. Or, more accurately, “Let me take a picture in this spot so that I can remember that I visited this location.”

As I age, I remember less and find myself forgetting more often. Heck, that’s the purpose of even writing this blog. When you visit so many locations over the course of a year, it’s easy to forget. This blog helps jog my memory. It’s not that I want to live in the past. It’s that I want to access lost memories I’ll most certainly experience in the future.

*I didn’t expect to see icons like this outside of* ***Dia de los Muertos***

I think the Mexican culture has a much better handle on accepting death as a natural part of life. Seeing images like the one above outside of Dia de los Muertos, is a subtle reminder that death is ever present. The default is not to examine life’s impermanence until someone close to us dies, or we have a significant event in our lives like losing or leaving a job, a change in relationship or having a significant birthday like 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, or 90.

But here it is out in the open. A subtle reminder that this is where we’re all headed. I don’t mean to be morbid. In fact, it’s the opposite. While the thoughts about death may invoke fear, a full and complete acceptance of death as a fact invokes a kind of freedom to LIVE.

How many Cancer survivors have shared this incredible insight? That even a temporary Cancer scare helps with an awakening; to focus on what truly matters in life and let go of everything else. If you had only 1 year to live, would you change anything? What if that was only 1 week?

If you’re answers change then there’s likely a good deal of self-imposed expectations to examine. When I live each day as if it were the last one I have here on earth, I experience incredible joy and freedom for being truly alive.

This may seem like a non sequitur, but stay with me for a moment. I saw this sign when Will and I went for pancakes. I haven’t been to an IHOP in over a year. This simple “fun” measurement wall had me instantly see my 21 year-old son as the 5 year old we used to measure back home.

It’s amazing to me to see how much we’ve both changed in the two decades he’s been alive. When Will was born, my whole life changed. I suddenly had feeling of meaning and purpose. I was here to make sure Will survived and thrived. As a father, I felt something inside of me come alive. Elena gave birth to a baby I was now responsible for raising. In this simple measuring your height by pancakes, I had a flood of memories from all the times Will wanted to see how tall he was — especially fun when he became taller than my step-mom, Georgiana, my mom, my dad, Elena, then me and everyone in our family.

Sidebar: Yes, Will was a good sport and let me take a picture of him next to this one, but asked me not to share it on my blog. Why? It turns out some of his friends scan this blog for pictures of him. Most are fun and congratulatory, but every now and then they are used to tease. Will is sure his friend Dennis would have ulterior motives with this one, and so I respect Will’s wishes.

*Cultural icon that, thankfully, evokes deep self-reflection*

I’m having a wonderful time with Will. This year of travel has been so unexpected. From the little surprises like Elena wanting to join and having her with us for several countries, to the disappointments like DHL setting a package I sent to myself from Thailand to be destroyed. In all of this, I experience my experience and notice any and all disturbances that show up in my space.

I’m letting go of expectations (slowly) and feel myself becoming more present. I still slip into old habits like getting upset at the Mexican rental car company that wanted to charge me 5 times the cost of the rental in insurance costs. But I’m faster to recover and acknowledge my mistakes and behavior I’m seeking to change.

It’s all part of the process of self-development and acceptance. As I continue to practice “Loving What Is” I’m learning to let go of any and all conditions I have on my own inner peace. This has been a really big growth year and I’m so grateful to be on this journey.

Yucatan, Mexico (May 8, 2026)

Swimming in a Cenote (May 7, 2026)