There are few things worse than rain on a trip you were expecting to be sunny and wonderful. You pack your bags, hop the flight to paradise expecting to come back bronzed, but instead open your windows to find drizzle and clouds. How awful, right?

That was my initial reaction when I was traveling along the Amalfi Coast in March a few years back. I knew it wasn’t going to be summer weather, but there were a few days that were downright miserable. Misty, grey, overcast. Not at all what I was expecting when I signed up for Italy.

But then I made the conscious decision to change my perspective. Ok. So it wasn’t sunny and perfect weather — how many people can say they’ve seen Capri in the misty fog? It becomes an entirely different destination, and if you aim that camera right, can give you some totally unique photos. That’s kind of awesome, right?

Granted, I had been to Capri in the hot summer months before, so that was also part of it — I felt like I got to see both sides of the place, which made my disappointment easier to handle.

When I was just in Cancun, however, that wasn’t exactly the case. I had 3 days — just 3 — to soak up as much sun as I could before I had to travel back to the endless winter of New York. Disappointed doesn’t begin to describe my reaction when I went to step out onto my seaside terrace and was met with pouring rain.

But again, I decided to make the most of it. I lingered at breakfast longer than I might otherwise have, I went to the gym and got a great workout, and then, when all was said and done, my friend and I grabbed a pair of umbrellas and went for a walk along the beach. In the rain.

Now how many people can say they’ve done that in Cancun?