We arrived in Cancun early on a Saturday morning. Our intention....Be at the pool by 10. Let the nothing start by noon. As he checked us in, I caught a glimpse of where I would be spending four days doing nothing.
Our first challenge is disconnecting from our "real" life. We agree to a news blackout. We try to not look at our email or our social media accounts....so the real question is can you REALLY disconnect? One of the first things we do is ask if there is Wi-Fi. Now, having Wi-Fi and being able to access it are two different things. In the ever so rare moment one can finally keep the connection, you don't breathe for fear of dropping the connection. You also know you are not the only one when you see other fellow travelers smashed up against their room windows seeking the same connections. He finds me sneaking once in a while, but finally I give up. We do our best to check in with family and let them know we have arrived but after that, back to nothing.
We are at an all inclusive resort, so we start by having breakfast (this would be the first of many meals and decisions about what to eat). After our first meal, we head to the pool. We nap, we swim, we play scrabble poolside, and we head to the beach to round out the day. For some reason, we are tired. Tired from doing absolutely nothing. Relaxing is hard. Tapping into the part of your brain that is moving 90 miles per hour and slowing it down it harder than you think. Day one ends with a sunset celebration and a long nights sleep.
Day 2 - It's starting to settle in....there is no need for a plan. If you know me a plan is almost a necessity. I suggest a morning walk on the beach. We fill my travel coffee mug, lotion up and head out. We walk in quiet, avoiding the crashing of the waves that are trying to take me out. We greet everyone that passes us, guessing where they are from based on the greeting we receive back. Cancun brings people from everywhere. Mr. Goodin perfects his Spanish language skills while I try to recall my four years in high school Spanish class. We stop along the way and find a piece of driftwood to sit on. Ponder life. Discuss the complexities. Then head back to the hotel pool. It's time for another meal. Repeat Day 1. Eat, Nap, Scrabble. The only difference now, is that I have decided to join the pool cult and participate in the activities the desperate activities coordinator is coercing us into. He has these challenging "Minute to Win It" activities and bingo. We win the bingo game and I feel like we have won the lottery. A free 15 minute massage...even though I swear he said 50. I'll take it.
That evening we venture into downtown Cancun. Visions of an early trip with my single friends comes flashing back....our evening is cut short because we realize that all this noise and bustle does not fit into the "nothing" plan.
Day 3 - Time to get out of the hotel. Seriously. A change of scenery is necessary. We are adventurous and take the bus to the ferry. We are headed to Isla Mujeres, an island off of Cancun. The ferry gets up there in 23 minutes. We arrive just in time for me to get a blister. Time to find the Farmacia for some band aids. Now, band aids is not a word I learned. This will take some hand gestures and patience. I get my band aids and our tour of the island commences. We walk and talk and kindly decline all offers to buy street goods.
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As we stroll through the streets, we stumble upon a city cemetery. For whatever odd reason, I find solace in cemeteries. This one was one of the most vibrant that I had ever been in.
As our day ended, we took the ferry back to the mainland. I jokingly said, I wish I could "check in" from here...to which Mr. Goodin gave me a "thumbs up". I was officially checked in and he was the only one that knew it. All was well in the world.
Day 4 - Getting good at Nothing. Last day. We went for another long walk in the morning. This walk was different. After three days of pondering, processing and sorting through life's complexities, I was having real moments of clarity. Things had slowed down. I realized that the universe was there for the taking and that I didn't need to have all the answers. I just needed to embrace the moment and be grateful for all that I had. So what did I learn? Nothing is hard to do. It's better to do nothing with someone that you like (or better yet, love). It's okay to let go. Really let go. A plan is not necessary. Enjoy life and let it happen....every once in a while. 
