Last night while cooking dinner, I posed a question to my daughter and husband . . . “If you could hop on a plane tomorrow and go anywhere in the world, where would you go?” My daughter said, “Back to Mexico.” And my husband said, “Back to Aruba.” To which I replied, “Are you kidding? You could go anywhere — ride a camel to the pyramids in Giza, take a gondola down the canals in Venice, see the northern lights in Iceland, go on a safari in Africa and see the Big Five. And you both want to go back to somewhere you’ve already been?” Both nodded yes.

I guess that’s the sign of an amazing trip, one so good you just want to go back and have that same wonderful experience all over again. And there’s nothing wrong with that.

So with nowhere to go last night, I took a trip down memory lane through photos. I’m glad we take lots of photos when we travel.

When I return from a trip, I always make a photo book to have a keepsake. I try to place the photos in chronological order so I can relive the experience from beginning to end.

Our trip to Aruba began at the beautiful Aruba Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino, where we enjoyed the pool and beach. The next day we took a trip to the Butterfly Farm and tasted fresh coconut at a little stand near the lighthouse. After that we made a spunky new friend named 7-Up at the Donkey Sanctuary on our way to snorkel at Baby Beach. Then we moved to the Renaissance Aruba Resort & Casino, where a boat came to the dock to pick us up and whisk us off to their private island. The island is home to friendly iguanas and stunning flamingoes. Oh, and it has crystal-blue water and white-sand beaches. It is truly paradise!

When we went to Mexico, our trip began at Grand Velas Riviera Maya. This resort is amazing! The staff treated us like royalty, and every meal was like a work of art. The beach was perfect for Alli to snorkel and take great underwater shots with her camera. I had the most relaxing day at the spa. We had no desire to ever leave the resort!

Then it was time to move on to Barcelo Maya Beach. Our room had access to a private swimming area right outside the patio doors, which we all enjoyed. The next day we took a trip to Xcaret Park and enjoyed a day of snorkeling. And on our last night, we enjoyed a fantastic seafood meal at Mare Nostrum.

I can’t wait to go on our next adventure and see if that one replaces Aruba or Riviera Maya as the best trip ever!

— Tracey Cullen, art director