Off We Go To Mexico...

Many of you thought we were moving to NYC around this time. And we were. However, after realizing we could really go anywhere since Caleb works online and I am jobless as of the end of July we decided, pretty much on a whim to move to Tulum, Mexico. NYC will still be there, and we are foot loose and fancy free at the moment.

So here we are. After a grueling move and a heartbreaking good-bye to my kids ( aka the kid's I nannied for and love, love, love) we are in Mexico. Tugboat got stopped at customs for not having the right rabies shot and we had to wait for about three hours for the customs agent to find a vet available on Saturday to drive to the airport and vaccinate her (again). Thank God, the customs guy was so patient and nice. Tugboat had to pee so bad, poor dog, since she'd been in her carrier for close to 10 hours! She's a trooper though and we had no accidents. I partly owe that to the sedative she was on too.
We then had to hire a pricey car and made it to Tulum by about 7:30pm. A trip we expected to take 6 hours or so, ended up being about 16, what with a delayed flight and a rabies threat dog. It's amazing the things one is capable of on two hours of sleep while pms-ing.

We made it to the beach yesterday. We have bikes and are both relearning how to ride them. We are about 3km to the beach along a straight and dusty road bordered on both sides by jungle. It really is jungle, not woods. Vines, and palm trees, and leafy vegetation that just entwines into each other. Pretty neat and a bit intimidating. Like if my ball rolled into the underbrush, I'm not sure I would want to go scampering after it. I also saw a really big lizard. We were soaked in sweat and dust by the time we first laid eyes on the turquoise waters. By then we felt like we'd earned it. Words are not enough to express how intensely beautiful the beach is. The soft white sand and palm trees, and blue, blue water and big white fluffy clouds with a gentle, salty breeze....heaven. Especially with a cold beer and a fun bed lounge thing on the beach. The water was warm. So warm that there was not a moment of adjustment really. We jumped waves, and laughed and were weirded out by the strange leafy seaweed we kept stepping into. I kept hoping I wouldn't run into any stingrays. I've done too much reading....

We rode back home and rescued our baking dog from our apartment. Which by the way, the place we are renting is great. Very charming, brightly colored and in a real neighborhood. We have airconditioning, but are trying to use it sparingly as the cost of electric here is outrageous. No scary critters yet in the house, for which I am so greatfull! We have an arsenal of bug killing devices, so hopefully we will remain critter free.

Some small adjustments: You can't drink the water, or flush toilet paper, and wearing clothes at all feels like punishment. The upside: We can get shrimp, ........oh, my gosh! There's a lizard in the house! Wow... it's small and very fast... hold on, I'm going to try and let him outside.

Ok, I'm back. Lizards are very fast. I have no idea how he got in, and Caleb was wondering if we should treat them as pets or like rodents, but anyway, he's back outside now.

As I was saying, the upside is that we can get a large plate of shrimp, octopus, and conch ceviche for $7, drink mojitos on the beach, and read all day long. Sounds fun, huh? It is, but it is also a bit of a treck to town and the beach and we are tired and adjusting. However, overall we are loving it. This place is pretty amazing. Really, God is amazing for making this all happen for us and for creating such a beautiful place. I'm so thankful!

I will continue to post regularly and update you on our adventures.