“Ow! Nope, definitely not dreaming,” I said as I pinched myself. The clear, blue waves crashing against the white sand looked like something straight out of a movie. I could feel the perfect amount of sunshine on my skin, and the salty breeze blowing on my face. 
“Beat you to the water!” yelled my sister, with a head start sprinting towards the never-ending blue. 
Standing up, I rushed to the water with a thrill of adrenaline flowing through my veins. As I reached the water, the cool waves splashed my body until I was fully immersed in the water. I swam and swam until I was exhausted, letting the waves take full control. The up-and-down sway of the ocean moved me afloat and overcame me with a feeling of relaxation. I could just tell this trip would be different—good different. 
Drained, I returned to shore and fell asleep on the bed of sand. After a long nap under the blazing rays of sunshine, I woke up even darker than I was, and with way more energy. 
My dad and sister were peppering nearby. “Come join!” they shouted. 
I jumped to my feet, ready to play. “Get it! Get it!”, “Nice up,” and “Don’t let it hit the floor!” were heard here and there. The excitement of digging and diving on the sand made my heart beat faster. 
“Come eat something,” yelled my mom. 
We ran back at the mention of food. All the running had made me thirsty. 
My mom handed me the bright, red watermelon. “Thanks!” I took my first bite, and the sweet flavor of the watermelon flooded my mouth. Its juice dripped down my chin and onto my hands, splashing on my light blue bathing suit. The disgusting crunch of sand ruined the delicious taste of the watermelon. “Ew.” 
“The sand?” asked my sister. 
Trying to get the sand out of my mouth, I nodded. I knew how much my sister hated coming to the beach. Even though she liked the view, she hated the sand and how it stuck to everything. She always preferred going to the pool, but that’s how me and her were different. I loved the beach and everything about it: the warm sand, the ocean, the sunset, the atmosphere.  
The sun was starting to set, turning the light blue sky into a red, orange, and pink masterpiece. I laid on the sand admiring the view. “It’s beautiful.” 
My parents and sister laid next to me. “It is,” they agreed. We silently sat in awe taking in every moment. The sun would disappear soon, and we wanted to cherish every second of it. I had always heard others say good things about Cancun’s beaches, but now I know they weren’t being dramatic. Saying Cancun was beautiful was an understatement. It was the most beautiful beach I had ever been to. After a while, when the sun hid behind the horizon and vanished, we started to pack up. 
“Ready girls?” asked my mom, holding the towels and bags. 
My sister and I picked up our stuff and slipped on our sandals. “Yup!” 
“Alright. I know your dad’s hungry, so we gotta look for someplace to eat,” said my mom. 
My dad smiled; she was right. “I think I'm feeling steak.” 
“Yumm,” I thought. Steak was good anytime. My mouth watered; I could picture the thick, juicy steak with the perfect amount of pink in the center.  
By the look on everyone else’s face, we were all feeling steak. We got to the car and unloaded our stuff.  
Inside, my dad turned on the GPS, looking for the nearest restaurant that had what we were looking for. “We’re 15 minutes away from one…looks good. Five-star rating.” 
“Sounds good to me,” said my mom. 
 
“Yup, same here,” we agreed from the backseat. 
My dad pulled out of the parking lot and turned on his favorite, Andrea Bocelli. “Alright, now we’re ready. Let’s go!” 
“Skippp,” yelled my sister. 
“What I thought you guys liked him,” complained my dad. 
“We do,” I said, “but that’s just not the vibe right now.” 
My sister tried not to laugh. “Yeah, for real, you have to set the mood,” she said with the straightest face possible at that moment. 
“Seriously? “Set the mood?” mocked my dad, “Then what “vibe” are you guys feeling?” 
My mom cried out laughing. 
Watching my dad try to imitate us was hilarious. 
“I don’t know, anything really,” I answered with a sarcastic expression. 
My mom laughed even louder. 
Even my dad laughed too, but he didn’t want to admit it. “Haha, very funny,” he said in a sarcastic monotone, “But really, what do you guys want to listen to? The offer won’t last forever.” 
“Something more upbeat,” I suggested. 
“Yea…play my favorite!” exclaimed my sister. 
“Bruh,” I said, “it literally changes like every week.” 
“Shut up,” she answered, rolling her eyes. “Papi knows what I'm talking about.” 
Slowing down and coming to a stop at a red light, he looked up and winked at her through the rearview mirror. “Vivir Mi Vida” by Marc Anthony started playing. 
“Yesssir!” she said as she began to sing. 
We both rolled down our windows, letting in the chilly breeze. The city lights illuminated the sky, hiding the millions of stars sleeping up above. 
I stared out my window and sang as the wind blew through my hair. “This is perfect,” I thought, “being with my favorite people, going to my favorite places, doing the things we love. Moments like this, where time stopped, and I felt nothing, but joy and freedom were the moments I will always remember. Memories that I will cherish in my heart. Forever.”