Help us get out of town and explore Mexico together! We are planning to fly into Cancun from Seattle and spend a week in the Yucatan. From there we will take a short flight to Mexico City and spend another week in the capitol. We'll fly back to Seattle from CDMX in time for Charlie's mission trip and the beginning of the summer season at Maynard's for Kelsey.

We love to read, but we rarely get the chance to do it for fun. Thankfully, we know our friends and family have great taste in books, so please gift us a copy of your favorite book (or money towards the purchase of your favorite). We'll be lounging on the beach, unknowingly getting a sunburn while we're engrossed in the story.

Both of us care passionately about our community and our world, because we know that we can't have a meaningful relationship in isolation. Our wellbeing depends on having a safe and healthy environment, and friends and family who support us. Since moving to Kitsap County, we have sought to be involved in our local community in different ways. Charlie annually takes his high school youth group on a week-long mission trip, which gives students the opportunity to live out the ideals of service and outreach. It is the biggest event of Charlie's ministry year and the one with the longest-lasting impact on his students. Kelsey is passionate about building a sustainable food system, and has been serving on the board of the Kitsap Community and Agricultural Alliance (KCAA) since August 2019. The purpose of the organization is to promote local agriculture through partnerships and programming, growing the availability of quality local food and supporting the pursuits of local farmers. We pledge to split your gifts 50/50, half to the 2020 high school mission trip and half to KCAA.

We want to spend the first half of our honeymoon relaxing in bright sunshine, just enjoying each other's company and not doing much of anything other than practicing our Spanish, swimming, and maybe exploring some ruins. We're not the resort-types, so we'd appreciate a contribution towards a night in a nice Airbnb.

Isla Holbox has a protected wildlife reserve that you can explore via kayak. The island is known for flamingos, whale sharks, and bioluminescent plankton. We would love to rent a couple kayaks and spend a relaxing few hours on the water exploring the channels and hopefully spotting some wildlife!

There are so many ancient ruins in Mexico and Central America, and two of the most amazing are in the Yucatan: Chichen Itza and Uxmal. Both ancient Mayan cities, one is easier to get to and more touristed, while the other is a bit farther afield but less overrun. We plan to rent a car or book a tour out to the ruins, explore on foot and get very sweaty, cool off in a local cenote, and return to our hotel grateful for the glimpse at an amazing history.

Cenotes are deep, water-filled sinkholes that were of sacred importance to the Mayan culture. Today, they are natural swimming holes in the Yucatan where tourists frequently swim or snorkel. Yalahau cenote can be reached from Holbox by a brief boat ride and is host to flamingos and dolphins. Kelsey would love to teach Charlie how to snorkel here!

Our favorite trips have been exploring cities together: New York, Seattle, Medan, Asheville, Memphis. Having heard so many great things about Mexico City from friends and coworkers, we want to try all the great food and experience Ciclovia for ourselves. We plan to be in Mexico City during the second week of our trip, and we plan to stay in an Airbnb or similar homestay environment. Let us know your recommendations for your favorite neighborhood to stay in!

The pyramids and ruins of Teotihuacan are a UNESCO World Heritage site and just 50 km from Mexico City. Kelsey has climbed the temples of Borobudur and Angkor Wat and loves imagining the lives of people who lived in these enduring structures. Charlie loves history and nerding out on history and urban planning. For this day trip, we are asking for roundtrip bus fare, entrance tickets, lunch funds, and a private guide to explain the history of the complex.

There are several bars in Mexico City known for their dance scene: Mama Rumba, Salon Los Angeles, and more. Help us enjoy a carefree night out dancing and give us any recommendations if you have them! This covers the cost of any cover charge and couple drinks.

Charlie bikes more naturally than he walks, and a 7-day Eco-bici pass around Mexico City is a mere 360 pesos. It's the easiest way to explore neighborhoods and restaurants off the beaten path, and to counter all the delicious calories we'll be consuming.

It doesn't matter where in the world we travel, we will want coffee in the morning. Drip coffee, black for Charlie, with cream for Kelsey. Keep us caffeinated!

We love to eat and we love to eat well. Treat us to a fancy meal when we're sick of all the street tacos (though we doubt that will ever happen :).