February 15, 2024:

It  was approximately 8:15 a.m. and I (Heidi) went for a walk down the beach. I departed from one of our favorite hotels in playa del carmen and started walking toward town. I was carrying a cup of coffee, my phone, and my flip-flops. I also had a wrap on over my swimsuit that would get caught on everything I was carrying when a wind gust hit me. As I turned to walk back to the hotel, the Pelican walked with me:

I remember being so frustrated trying to film the video with all of the items in my hands that I eventually threw them down into the sand to capture better footage.

after my encounter with the pelican I noticed almost everyone walking the beach carrying their flip-flops and the idea was born — flip-flop friend!