One of Arizona’s luxuries is the proximity to Mexico and the beach.

As time has a tendency to warp, I realize that our family has evolved year after year there. Over the last 20 years of visiting, we are different people each time we visit. We bring our newly evolved selves, with new joys and challenges and interests.

In the early years, the packing consisted of swim diapers, dive toys, and baby monitors. If we went with my parents, Mark and I would get a coveted date night or two. We were careful about sunscreen application, naps, and getting sand out of all the crevasses it invaded.

A few years later, we sought out as many adventures as possible for the endless energy that was our every day; inflatable toys, trampolines, snorkeling with sea lions, waterslide parks, and kayaking adventures. Looking back now, the kids seemed so big at the time, and now seem so young. I feel nostalgic.

More recently, I am struck by how different life looks now. Miles and Ruby are so independent, feel and think deeply, and have great heads on their shoulders. They pack their own bags without any of our input. They have adult bodies that strut the shoreline, and both are taller than me. My parents are a bit more fragile (though my mom is still a world traveler & has more energy than the lot of us). Mark and I relax together by sitting side by side sipping our coffee, reading our books, and enjoying the reprieve from the busyness of life. We don’t need a lot of words.

I just went through the 483 photos of Mexico trips and have painstakingly whittled them down to share. At the time of their taking, the photos don’t seem so special. Now, these snapshots are time capsules that show us who we were and how we have become.

With gratitude, Julie