Puerto Vallerta Beach

She sat on the edge of the water, a young girl watching the tide roll in as I walked along the beach outside my hotel in Puerto Vallarta.  Her head was up, her dark hair hung down her back and she screamed with joy as the tide rolled in. Water rose to her chest only her neck and head were exposed.  She had such joy that it was contagious reminding me of the wonder of the water and the power of fun.

Mountains loom across the bay as the day faded into evening and moon rise.  As my first day at the North American Travel Journalists ended I remembered the wonderful reception, the woman posing as the famous painter Frieda and the joyous Spanish band, but what remained in my mind as I fell into slumber was the vision of the beautiful young girl who inadvertently shared her joy with me.