Health and Wellness
I returned from my Mexico trip a few Saturdays ago. A few days later on Tuesday evening I suspected I was getting sick, and by 30 minutes into my workout the next morning I knew for sure. Now, a week later, I’d say I’ve recovered about 90% of my hit points. It was a mild case of either COVID or the flu. Fortunately I’d microchipped against both about 3 weeks ago.
Now it’s Siena’s turn. She missed the last three days of school is recovered enough to return to school today. As for Sherri and Rowan: we’ll see…
Travel Work
The unfortunate part of getting sick when I did was that the first two weekdays back from Mexico were very productive for my travel business. I was excited, motivated, and energized coming off of the WorldVia Annual Conference, ready to sit down and start working through a revised marketing plan. I was able to make some small improvements to my website, but I need that overarching plan for how to reach new people — and then I need to build the muscles to move it forward every day. This is all new to me. I’m a much better operator than sales & marketer.
The WorldVia conference itself was solid — well-organized, with a variety of sessions and workshops for both new and veteran agents, with events for networking and socializing. The hotel was fine. I’ll leave my thoughts and some photos at the bottom if you’re interested.
Winter Is Coming
We’ve had a hot, sticky summer here in Holly Springs, as I’m sure you have, as well. Naturally, the day after I left for Cancún the heat broke and it was highs-in-the-70’s.
Now that cooler temps are around the corner, I’ve resumed residency at our local co-working spot in downtown Holly Springs. Several past winters I’ve learned something about myself: that I will slowly go insane if I’m not out of the house for a few hours, a few times a week. Since my gym is on the next block, a convenient routine is to do an early morning workout there, then walk over and work here for a few hours.
The kitchen at Thrive Coworking, Holly Springs, NC, where I spend most of my time here
Ava Hotel Cancún
I spent four nights here towards the end of September 2026.
It had the same charm as the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. It's much too large for my preferences. On the other hand, it meant that even a conference of our size seemed like it could be easily absorbed into the overall operations of the resort without being overwhelming.
The check-in process was quick and easy, very much not like the MGM Grand.
The buffet was pretty mid. They use covered steam trays to keep food warmer for longer but it impacts the presentation. I always felt I was settling for something. The service was attentive and friendly, though.
A colleague and I had a nice dinner at a French place that was quite good, IMO, on par with a decent "land-based" restaurant. Both the head waiter and chef came by to chat and inquire if everything was to our liking. Oh, and much like a cruise, I was still hungry after my entree so I ordered another, different one.
The property itself as a lot of what I call "fit and finish" issues, even minor things that could be fixed in about 10 minutes with a paint can or a palm sander. Not normal wear & tear kind of things but issues with the original workmanship. In that regard it reminded me of our visit to the Omni Amelia Island last year.
At home I tried to find my swimsuit and failed, so I figured I'd just buy one at the hotel. There were like 5 to choose from at the hotel and they were all $80+. I declined.
The resort is a figurative island. There's nothing nearby outside the resort. I considered Ubering outside of the hotel to find a more reasonably priced swimsuit but it was going to be too far.
The transfers were very efficient, kudos to Amstar.
The pool was unique, being long and narrow and divided long-way into two halves: one for swimming, the other for water activities like paddleboarding or kayaking. I didn't end up swimming but laid by the pool for a few hours, where service was attentive and they didn't make you check out towels or any of that nonsense. There were ample chairs to choose from, likely due to the off-season occupancy level of the hotel and the oppressive heat (it was really hot, even in the shade)
In-room dining was better than expected! I had two dinners here. I could order through the AVA app, and both times it arrived within 30 minutes.
I'd consider returning for a conference. It would not be my choice for me+Sherri or me+the family, but could see it certainly appealing to families with younger children who would take advantage of the youth programs.
Our conference sprang for some fireworks on night 1.
Cabana at the pool
Hallway outside my room
Bowling (extra $$$ but reasonable) and foosball
My balcony was very ‘gram-friendly but I wasn’t using that tub, and not just because it was 90-something degrees outside.
My comfortable room. All the rooms here at Ava Resort Cancún are ocean-view.
A view of the hotel while I was flying in. It was easy to pick out due to the pool and nothing else around. BTW it takes at least 10 minutes of fast walking to go from one end of the hotel to the other, so be prepared to get your steps in.
As always, thanks for reading! If you have comments, complaints, or suggestions for future topics (and you’re reading this in email), reply back! If you know someone else who might find this interesting, please help me by forwarding this to them. 🙏
