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The magical little town of Bucerias, Nayarit, Mexico

While looking for a place for our ladies’ trip for 2018, we stumbled across the most lovely little town in Mexico. It actually started from a kind of selfish desire to find a location that was within a 2-3 hour direct flight from our home in San Diego, where most of the women in my group live. For several years, the San Diego contingency ended up on crazy flights and we were always the last to arrive at our destination. With the Tijuana airport directly across our border and with the new CBX airport border crossing (so awesome), we decided to see what we could come up with. Puerto Vallarta is about a 3-hour flight from Tijuana. We were able to find great flights on Volaris (the Mexico equivalent of Southwest Airlines) for around $200. So this is where we began our search. We discovered a lot of cool little towns north of Puerto Vallarta. After several very impressive possibilities -which were ultimately rejected for various reasons – we found Bucerias. And then we found what appeared to be the most amazing house (and it was amazing, but it deserves its own post, so more on that later).

By way of introduction, Bucerías means “place of divers.” It is a small beach resort town on the Riviera Nayarit, on the Bay of Banderas, between La Cruz de Huanacaxtle and Nuevo Vallarta. It’s about a 30-40 minute drive from the Puerto Vallarta airport. While researching this little town, we saw nothing by rave reviews. The property manager of the house we were interested in (Shayne) was delightful and so willing to help us pull together all the fun activities. While looking for things to do, we found some really amazing possibilities. By the time we left for our trip, I already felt a sense of family with the people I had been communicating with and was confident we had made the right choice.

Miles and miles of walkable, beautiful beaches!

And we were definitely not disappointed! Bucerias is a charming town, full of wonderful people, great food, fun activities, a lovely beach and some really unique little places that pleased everyone in our group. One of the things that really struck me was how clean this little town was and the pride the residents took in keeping it that way. Every corner had a can for recycling. These cans must have been emptied every day because I never saw one filled up. I was advised that take the environment very seriously here, so the fewer plastic bottles we used, the better.

The flea market is a fun adventure in shopping!

The beach was great and went on for miles and miles. The water was pleasant and the sunsets were amazing! While many of the shops contained similar items, there was always a shop that contained that special item you had your heart set on finding. There were a lot of different restaurants along the beach with some really, really good food. Art was plentiful and there’s actually an art walk that takes place on Thursday nights.

Camarones platter from The Fat Boys on the beach…. YUM!

But what really struck me the most was the people. So loving. So kind. So determined to make us feel special. So incredibly caring. Everything about our visit there was special and memorable. Definitely coming back!!!!!  

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Planning your trip with girlfriends. Part 1.

Let’s get to it!

So you’ve made the decision to get that Ladies’ Trip planned. Getting into the proper mindset for this is really the first step!  Like I said in my earlier post, it is the one week where I do not have to “perform” in all my other titles (wife, mom, grandmother, caretaker, general contractor, etc). It is the week where I just get to connect with some of my favorite people and reconnect with myself. My group has created some incredible memories that provide a lot of opportunities to smile and just reminisce.

BUT… it is really important to establish some ground rules before gathering your group together. First, I highly recommend you stay away from people prone to drama. There is absolutely no room for this on your trip. We get plenty of that at home in our daily lives. So my first rule is to gather people who will be tolerant and respectful each other, know how to have fun, have some basic similar interests and are willing to just let go and embrace a new way of traveling.

Secondly, I recommend a list of basic rules. Here’s the list we established in my group:

NO HEADING OFF BY YOURSELF Stick with a buddy (all about safety)

NO MEN IN OUR ROOM/HOUSE: This rule was established after a trip a friend took with another group where her roommate actually hooked up with a cock fighter in Puerto Vallarta and spent the entire time with him in her room — I know, too crazy, but true. This left my friend in a really uncomfortable position and ruined her trip. It seems almost ridiculous with the women I travel with to put that out there, but we added it just to be very clear!

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO ANYTHING YOU DON’T WANT TO: This trip is about you – so do the things you want and stay back from the things you aren’t really interested in. That being said, it is really important to put together group things that speak to everyone. We generally only have about 3 organized group activities. This leaves the rest of the days open for each person to fill as they wish – most of which involves just hanging out, playing games, exploring the area and A LOT of laughter.

NO DRAMA: Enough said. The expectation is if you’re having “a moment,” go to your room and get over it! Then come back out and continue the fun. This has worked really well in our group. (That’s not to say this has never happened… there are a few people who have not been asked back – there’s a reason).

RELAX AND CREATE SOME BIG FUN! After all, this is what it is all about!

This is what it is all about!

That’s it. This is the total list of our rules. I invite you to think about what that would look like for your group. Please remember this getaway is not like others. You are getting away from normal life, normal obligations and normal travel issues when with family or business. So do not create too many rules. Keep it simple and free-spirited. Most importantly, have fun!

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Why would you want to travel with your friends?

Because of memories like this! That’s why!

As women, it is no secret that we take very little time for ourselves. No matter what your personal story, there’s no denying that we all sometimes get caught in a sense of overwhelm with no escape in sight. I am here to tell you there is an escape route! Instead of wishing for a break, it is time that you TAKE a break! In my own life, these breaks are … priceless.  My mission is to help you carve out and embrace those opportunities in your own life!

Today as I sit here, surrounded by the chaos, pressures and “noise” of a crazy busy life, I close my eyes and reflect on special moments that make me smile. My thoughts go to uncontrollable laughter over a spirited game of Phase 4 while sipping wine and looking out over the Carribean or a game of Farkle in the pool in Belize after finishing the afternoon’s “synchronized” swimming competition. Sometimes I smile thinking about the quiet times in the early morning, sipping coffee with just one friend while others sleep and looking out over stunning views in St Thomas, Belize, Costa Rica or Tulum. Sometimes it’s as simple as cocktail hour with friends watching a sunset on a beach right here in San Diego.

Travel is great! But it isn’t the travel itself that makes me smile. It’s the magic that happens when I travel with girlfriends! No one to cater to – instead YOU are the one being catered to! Suddenly you realize a calmness and a silencing of the “noises.” You can actually feel your spirit rejuvenating!

For me, these trips are my life force! My friends and I go on a trip together every two years. My family understands this is a non-negotiable week off. After twenty years, I have a treasure chest of memories that I can draw on that cause me to smile (or sometimes laugh out loud). Planning a future adventure is exciting and inspiring — and again I smile! These trips make all the difference in my crazy world. I am here to help them make a difference in yours.

So gather the girls and let’s get started!