Jillian planned a fantastic mini-vacation from our lives (which, incidentally, look an awful lot like a vacation, anyway) to celebrate my 30th birthday in Cancun. Though we only spent a few days, we had an absolute ball, and I entered my third decade in style. A few quick photo notes:

Pre-check in at the Westin, a lovely hotel on the quiet end of the hotel zone in Cancun. Honestly, we could have stayed anywhere; sleeping in a temperature-controlled environment and taking a break from having a bed full of sand were the main goals.

For some reason, Jillian sometimes looks in photos as though she is sitting for her fourth grade class picture.

I have never been more wet in my life, than I am in this photo. Reminder: add waterfall to new swimming pool design.

On the morning of my actual birthday, we went parasailing on the ocean side of the hotel zone. Total flight time: 10 minutes. Jillian wished there had been more safety measures in place. I kind of did, too.

When you turn thirty, you immediately begin showing your approval of your environment or situation by flashing the globally-recognized, “thumbs-up” sign in photographs. It is inevitable. Whippersnappers, you’ll do it too, and you will feel like a dork afterwards.

Please also note that this is the point at which I began getting hideously sunburned.

Playing tourist is the most fun you can ever have. Eating $14 hotel cheeseburgers is not.

The beginning of the hotel zone in Cancun, also commonly referred to as the, “Need weed? I got good weed, amigo. I got coke, you like coke?” zone.

At the restaurant THAI, we enjoyed one of the best thai meals of our lives, the night of my actual birthday. We may need to make the three hour drive regularly, just to feel the warm embrace of curry in our lives.

Merida? Nope, it’s Valladolid, where we stopped on the way home. It is gorgeous, but I was a little freaked out by how isolated it is. Nothing but jungle for miles in all directions.

Valladolid’s other similarities to Merida? I get hot there, and men in hats don’t acknowledge my presence.

All in all, it was a fantastic 30th birthday, and I really want to thank both Jillian, who did all of the planning, and everyone who joined us at La Pinata for the send-off the night before. I can’t imagine a better way to celebrate myself, and I am glad you all were there to help!