So, I'm a bit late with my travel updates, but you know what... life. Life is hard sometimes. Parenting is hard sometimes.... ok, no. Parenting is always hard. Sometimes you feel like you've finally just gotten to sleep for the night and when you wake up it's 6 months later and you're not really sure how that happened. But here I am again, trying to take some time to myself to write and reminisce about my travels over the last 6 months. So, here we go...
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What a difference a year makes. One year ago all I remember was hysterical crying, yelling, screaming, and snot. So much snot. This year… well, it was like a dream. But I also learned some lessons from the last go around. Some very valuable lessons.
I smartened up and didn’t book a flight that left at the ass crack of dawn.
I made sure to wake M up WAY earlier than I needed to, and I left tons of time to manage any potential meltdowns.
I packed extra snacks and extra changes of clothes (for both me and her).
I made sure to hype her up for the trip and get her excited about what was coming.
I left the iPad at home. I know that tablets can be a lifesaver at times, but for me the mixing of kids and electronics (or at least my kid and electronics) only leads to even larger scale meltdowns of a nuclear proportion.
I also made every effort to avoid layovers and choose direct flights… because as much as I love a good layover (especially when it means I can get out and explore and maybe cram in another country to add to my list) it’s not ideal with toddlers.
I debated for quite a while about where we’d go this year. For a while I seriously looked at going to Germany or Italy, but costs were a little prohibitive at that time, and honestly thinking about a long flight, solo with a 3 year old, was a little daunting. I want to travel the world with M. I want to show her new and exciting countries all over the world. I want her to experience other cultures and foods and traditions and ways of life. But right now, M, on the other hand, just wants a pool and a beach. In fact, all year she kept asking “Can we go to the Dominican Republic?” So, instead of a European adventure, I set my sights on something a little closer to home. I wanted to go somewhere I’d never been before – maybe Bermuda, Aruba, Turks and Caicos, Curacao… but in the end I decided that instead of going somewhere I’d never been before, I’d go to a familiar country and DO something I’d never done there before.
Hello All-Inclusive resort in Mexico!
I’d been to Mexico four or five times previously, but had not yet stayed in a resort. Rather, I’d stayed in huts on the beach, cute little hostels, mom-and-pop hotels, or the home of one of my friends. They were fantastic places, all of them, but this trip called for something a little different… five stars different.
In stark contrast to the DR debacle of 2022 (click here for that doozy of a story), this year’s airport arrival was seamless. We even had time for mimosas at breakfast and a random run-in chat with my friend who works at the airport. We could have even had a surprise upgrade on our flight, but unfortunately I’m not always good at checking my phone and I missed the text by less than a minute. New lessons learned already – always check your phone immediately before boarding a plane (especially when you know someone who works for the airline), and never pick seats that fall immediately in front of an emergency exit. Somehow I had no idea they didn’t recline… oh well. Not as much of an issue for M since she’s in a car seat anyways, but not ideal for adults.
The flight into Cancun was great. No meltdowns, no issues. Even getting through the airport was a breeze. But I will tell you another lesson I learned... don't go all the way to Tulum with a toddler. I'd chosen Tulum because I'd been there before and knew how beautiful it was down in the Mayan Riviera. I was last in Tulum back in 2009 and while we wouldn't be staying in the rustic straw beach huts I'd stayed in at that time, I could vividly recall the white sand beaches, the rows and rows of palm trees along the shore, the exotic Mayan ruins, and the captivating feel of Mexico. And because it was M and my mom's first time in Mexico I wanted to go somewhere I knew was nice so I could show them the place I spoke so highly of before. However... what I didn't anticipate was how LONG it actually takes to get there when you rely on the airlines.
We made it through customs at a blazing pace and bee-lined past the cerveza stands to the waiting coach bus. I knew it was a bit of a drive down to Tulum, so didn't want to miss the bus and get in too late. As it was, our flight landed just after 6:30pm, so we were already bordering on a late evening arrival. But, we were out the door and on the bus by 7:00pm. We were ready to get the show on the road. Unfortunately, my next rookie all-inclusive mistake was not realizing they waited for ALL the planes coming in that evening to arrive before they even thought about leaving the terminal. We didn't actually leave the airport until 8:00pm and it was only after making 15,000 stops that we finally arrived at our hotel.
It was now 10:30pm.
It was late.
We were tired.
And by the time we had checked-in and were taken to our room it was 11:00pm and raining.
By this point we were starving, and of course all the restaurants were closed. But the one joy of all-inclusive resorts is that something is always open and available for those late-night snackers, if only quick and greasy. As we waddled through the rain to the snack bar, sans umbrellas or rain jackets, we started noticing some rustling in the bushes around the building. I was a little on edge as we walked up the stairs to the "Beach Food Truck", not knowing what kind of creature was lurking in dark. But once we rounded the corner and were awash in the florescent glow of the snack hut lights, we were greeted by none other than a swarm of fiesty racoons! And we aren't talking friendly racoons that run up your back and nuzzle in all cute and cuddly, these little guys were vicious and relentless. They would rush the tables where people were eating or had left their food laying about, undeterred by any human effort to scare them off. I'm not sure how people braved sitting there as these persistent, snarling gremlins lurched towards them in an effort to steal greasy fries. But as for me, I wasn't having any of it. We quickly got our food and high-tailed it out of there back to our room. Drenched in rain, both us and our less-then-mediocre french fries, we crowded around our little side table to dine in displeasure.
The first night was a bit of a let down, not only because of the length of trip, the lack of food, the rain and tiredness, but because our room was (let's say) a bit less than what was shown in the photos. How is it possible (or legal) to take such amazing photos of somewhere, only for it to be way less than the expectation. Especially for a 5 star hotel. I'd also asked for 2 queen beds but instead we'd been given a king and a sofa bed. But I digress, exhaustion can make things so much worse than they really are. Maybe sleeping on a sofa bed with M for week wouldn't be so bad...
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At least we woke up the next morning in much better shape than we were the night before. The sun was shining, there was in-room coffee, the shower was hot, and M was cooperative as could be. Grandma decided to sleep in that morning, so off we went for a "mommy and me" breakfast followed by a walk along the beach to get the lay of the land.
It was a really beautiful place. The beach also happened to be on turtle nesting grounds, so it was very natural and relatively untouched. In a conservation effort, the beach had mostly been left at it's organic roots with green brush and rock, and the nesting grounds had been roped off for added protection. I can imagine some people would be up in arms at this, because it wasn't a picturesque view or perfectly landscaped for those insta photos, but I loved the natural feel and the way in which they were so eco-conscious. Plus, what a fun learning opportunity for the little ones and adults alike!
We ventured on down the beach until we saw the kids splash park towering over us. After that, all bets were off. M ran back to the room (well... had to be carried back to the room because "I can't walk any more, I'm so hot!"), changed into her swim suit and then we were off to set up camp in the kids zone. The splash park here wasn't on the level of the one in the Dominican that we were at last year, but it was actually a bit more ideal. Instead of being in it's own isolated area without a pool or bar in sight, this one was right beside a pool and had two bars within a stone's throw from each other. Hellllooooo mango daquiris!! Much more mama-friendly. I'd also smartened up from our last trip and brought pool floaties and reusable cups from home. I could get used to laying in the sun, lounging around on a unicorn while sipping giant mango daquiris as I watched M on a continual loop of water-sliding. I tell ya... what a difference a year makes.
She was still too young for the kids club, but as I found out quite late in the trip, she could still participate in some activities if I was present. And it just so happened that it was on the same day that the kids were putting on a carnival show for the evening resort entertainment! So, she was whisked away from the waterpark, and plopped into the theatre for rehearsal. And what a blast she had. She was beyond excited to be on stage that night and so excited for all the lights to be on her! That evening she went back to the theatre to get into costume and make-up. I have to say, I was thoroughly impressed. They went all out for these kids, and the kids just had stars in their eyes. M performed her ballerina stunt show with grace and excitement as I sat in the front row, a proud mama indeed.
We didn't venture off the resort for any excursions, but instead found ourselves spending most of our days alternating from one kids pool to the next. Random kids would pull me around on my inflatable unicorn in the waterpark as I sipped on my drink of the day, we'd have jumping competitions from the pool wall, watch the many lizards lounging about, and M met kids from all over, loving every minute of play time with them. Then in the evenings, well... it turns out I have a party animal of a daughter. She just wouldn't hear of going to bed after dinner. We went out for karaoke nights (she even sang "Try Everything" by Shakira - her favourite song ever, from the Zootopia soundtrack), we went to the silent disco and danced like crazy in our headphones, we went to a very impressive Cirque de Soliel like show with contortionists and phenomenal stunt men and women, and then to a Beatles tribute show. It was my first time exploring the entertainment side of an all-inclusive resort, and I'll admit that I was very entertained and quite impressed with everything that was offered.
The only unfortunate thing was the restaurant situation. For some reason, all the proper restaurants were by reservation-only. And it seemed like the only way to get a reservation before 9pm, or even a table at all, was to book before you even arrived. So, it was a little frustrating to be somewhere that had a huge selection of restaurants and cuisines, yet be stuck eating buffet food all week. I mean, it wasn't bad, it's just one of those annoyances. But at least we managed to discover, on the last day, that we could travel to a sister hotel across the way and use their facilities as well. So, at least we had a change of pace for one day - and discovered a new pool throwing an intense foam party and a cool new waterpark. Also, I think M is gonna be a handful as she gets older, cuz there was no way she was leaving that foam party until the end.
A foam party in a pool was definitely not a bad way to end a trip. And honestly, despite the little things, it was actually a pretty amazing time. I couldn't believe how much a year had changed M. It was like travelling with a totally different person. But, I still couldn't have done it without my mom. What an amazing woman, and world's best Grandma.
It's so exciting to see these small steps in the right direction, which builds both her confidence in travelling, as well as my confidence in travelling with a toddler. Can't wait to continue these epic journeys and watch them get more and more intense as the years go by.
But for now, Adios Mexico... hasta luego!
Wow, looks like a great trip! You have the perfect travel partner now!