Constant Beginnings

Two of our best vacations were spent at all inclusive resorts in Guam and Thailand. We attempted to recreate them, European style with an extended holiday weekend at the island of Mallorca. We stayed at the Cala Mandia resort about an hour from Mallorca's major city, Palma. It was definitely a resort catered to Germans, Spanish, or Europeans in general, but we made the most of our time and the beautiful weather. Prior to leaving, the weather forecast included 40-60% chance of rain each day with temps in the upper 70's. Thankfully, that wasn't the case. The temperature held steady at 78-80ish the first 3 days with bouts of full sun. We lounged at each pool--kids splash pad, family pool, and water park, rotating among them. Each pool had appeal to each of our children. Thankfully, Gavin was able to access the pools independently with Chris & I with an arms reach. The resort had beach front access as well. It was perfect. Mya discovered sand gets EVERYWHERE, while Gavi...

the view from our house overlooking the garlic fields and the vast ocean beyond. this is the house we rented. it was actually divided into four apartments. i couldn't believe how american it looked. this is not typical for korea. single family homes generally have an asian flair or very contemporary look--not this one. claire posing by the ocean view garlic was aplenty. they covered the fields with plastic similiar to what many in america do with their gardens. i've never seen this done with fields until coming to korea. the fishing docks. very interesting process. carts are used for so many things here--carrying boxes (cardboard collection is similar to aluminum collection in the states), fish, trash, you name it. sardines. these are of the highest quality, which means more money. buyers come to this market just off the docks to buy their supply. chris, claire and mya on the ferry. mya on the beach, eating her first "fluffernutte...