Mexico = Magical
Evan and I were fortunate enough to start the month of February with a “work” trip to Mexico. I say work loosely because even though we were there as part of a conference for Evan, it is really hard to call anything work that is surrounded by so much beauty...and fun…and relaxation. When I think about our week in Puerto Vallarta I get little chills up my spine and my eyes leak a little because I long to be back there so much. Oh my heart, it was incredible.
It was last summer when Evan signed up for the Wedding Film Retreat and it seemed like ages away. When he was making his travel plans, I was a little jealous of his Mexican adventure but I was more excited for him to be able to take part in the conference. However, when he later said that there was an option for me to tag along, there was no hiding the fact that I was ecstatic and from that moment on I had no plans on giving up my seat on the plane.
Fast-forward to months later and were leaving the miserable rainy winter and arriving to sun baked scenery that might as well have come straight out of a Nicholas Sparks novel. (There go those chills again…) Once on the ground in Puerto Vallarta we cleared all of our airport duties and hopped on a bus with a group of folks who would become dear friends to us in the week ahead.
As we drove from town to our villa we took in unexpected scenery of the mountains meeting the ocean and the gorgeous architecture found in the homes built into the cliffs. A quick turn took us down a cobblestone drive and wha la, we were at Casa Azul Profundo which translates to deep blue house…but it might as well just mean Heaven. Casa Azul Profundo is a 15 bedroom waterfront villa looking over Los Arcos National Park with a full staff ready to feed and water you at any point. This means that within the walls of our compound were just “our people” and we had everything we needed so there was no reason to do anything other than take it all in, relax and get ready to enjoy our time there. We found our room (that we happily shared with our friends because nothing says community like taking shower shifts) and stopped dead in our tracks when we took in the view from the all glass walls. -- Y’all, God makes INCREDIBLE things. Have I mentioned that before? His Earth is beyond stunning and pictures don’t do it justice in the slightest. -- After we pinched ourselves silly, we went out to one of the open-air living areas to meet the other attendees and were soon ushered to supper by a mariachi band. They were precious and made me want a wear a bolo around my neck. It could have been a movie scene. Olé!
We realized a few hours later that a true perk of our destination was the incredible sunsets. The reds and purples blurred together and stretched as far as the eye could see. It felt beyond majestic and brought awe each night we were there as we stopped and tried to really take it all in. As the Super Bowl played in the background the first night, we stayed up late making new friends and learning just how many of them were so closely like-minded with us. It was surreal to see how a seemingly small group of people from all over the World could meet in Mexico and not only have their businesses in common but their values and goals to fulfill their passions as well. We were so thankful as we headed to bed that night and slept like rocks listening to the waves crash outside our windows (that we never once shut).
The next morning we enjoyed coffee, fruit and breakfast Oceanside and then the business folk took to their classes upstairs while the “real house honeys of Puerto Vallarta” (as we were so hilariously called) took our spots by the pool and began scheduling massage times. Now, most people would say how dare I bask in the sun while Evan works but let me put you to ease...
*Evan’s favorite kind of day: some big hiking adventure OR being somewhere beautiful and talking out all his tech/work/business talk and collaborating with like minded people (imagine looooots of camera and gear scenarios with stories to make points thrown in). He doesn’t need to be touched and hates sitting around. Relaxing is not relaxing for him. When his mind is going and there are people to challenge him creatively and talk on his level, he is most excited.
*My favorite kind of day: doing NOTHING with a book in hand around a pool while looking at a gorgeous view as guacamole is being made by the gallon in the background while no one asks me to do anything for them. Bonus points for other wives/moms being there to share in the bliss.
BOTH OF THESE were happening simultaneously under the same thatch roof…WE WERE WINNING PEOPLE.
It was incredible for Evan to spend time face to face with other filmmakers whom he respects and to be able to glean tips and tricks of the trade from them. Having pro advice to help advance the business and people to cheer you on who are trying to support their families in the same field is worth so much more than can ever be explained. And it felt just as imperative for me to get to know the other wives who are in my shoes and learn how they handle this somewhat nomadic life with a traveling husband. Laughing with them and comparing stories felt surreal. Evan and I were both living and learning and building our communities. It was good for the soul.
Once the filmmaker sessions were over mid afternoon each day, it was so fun for me to watch Evan relax and enjoy himself. For a guy who is always on the go and making sure he is on top of his work, being carefree can be a hard spot to find but it’s pretty hard not to find it in Mexico. Supper each night was a nice mix of enjoying friends and spending quality time with the spouse. And tacos. Looots of tacos. Insert drool here.
After a few days of real housewiving and classroom sessions, we all hopped on a bus and spent a day in town for the filmmakers to, well, make films, but also to enjoy the culture of the area. We strolled down streets, tried interesting treats and bought our kids Mexican wrestling masks (naturally). Evan videoed a few couples who were just as gorgeous as their surroundings and we all came back satisfied. One precious couple we got to know was kind enough to go down to the rocks below the villa and take a few photos of us after they had already had a full and tiring day. We are pretty excited to have a few couple shots of us though since we will have been married 10 years in April and I’m pretty sure that our wedding was the last time we took actual couples photos.
The next day was a day to just enjoy the area and each other. We snorkeled and swam, ate at a great restaurant and played board games (yes, we packed board games. We are THOSE people). To wrap up our trip, the morning of our flight out we kayaked through the choppy waters to the National Park we had been gazing on all week to see the bulging rocks up close. A large group of us went and I’m still thinking about the mad skills some of the guys had whom paddle boarded through waters that made a wave pool look like infants play.
It was a magical week and on the flight home Evan brought up the fact that he couldn’t think of a way to make it much better (which is highest praise from him). There were precious conversations of all types. There was incredible food. There were priceless work tactics and contacts. There was unmatched scenery. There was much needed time between husband and wife. There was relaxation. We are so thankful.
Oh, also, I did a cannonball into the pool during one of the sessions (we were two floors below the classes but it was all open air) and I came out of the water just in time to hear over the loud speaker “was that a whale or a human?” To be fair, we were on the Pacific Ocean and people often saw whales from our villa but it’s safe to say I’ll be keeping my cannon balls to myself from now on.
