We Made It To Mexico! (Tough transition, but SO worth it!)

It’s Saturday night in Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, Mexico.

The girls are asleep, Arjan is reading in the balcony hammock, and there is live local folk music playing in the distance.

Today we truly ARRIVED.

What a transition these five days have been...

On Tuesday, after a five-hour flight, we landed in Huatulco airport. We hopped on the local bus around 1pm and arrived at our Puerto Escondido apartment two hours later.

The girls didn’t complain at all.  They got to watch a movie on the plane, and were fascinated by the scenery on the bus ride. Winding roads and mountain views kept us all enthralled.

This is such a good age for travelling! Our youngest is almost four, and our eldest, six.

We are staying in an area called La Punta, which means “The Point” in Spanish. This is a famous spot for surfers, and a quieter area than the bustling nightlife of Zicatela Beach, further up the coast. There are lots of hostels (cool travellers!), and a good mix of ex-pats and locals.

Our accommodations are simple and comfortable: a two bedroom, second floor apartment with one bathroom, two balconies (one acts as an outdoor eating area), and a kitchen.

The kitchen has a blender and a 2-element hot plate.

No dishwasher.

No oven.

The bathroom does not have a bathtub, but it does have hot water (luxurious!).

Over the past few days, we have explored the mercado (open air market), swam in the Pacific, and seen breathtaking sunsets.

It has been a whirlwind of finding food, communicating in broken Spanish, and all the while, being together as a family 24/7.

Let me remind you, that the intention behind this trip was to create more time together as a family.

It is intense, to say the least.

Right now, we have only met a few people, so the reality of being together this much is that the girls are getting irritated with each other, and Arjan and I are tired of managing their relationship.

CAN’T WE JUST ALL GET ALONG…?!

Sigh.

Today we created a Kindness Chart. Stickers will motivate more positive behaviour, right?

Here’s hoping!

Like any transition, the process is slow and requires patience and tenacity. Soon enough, we will find our flow and there will be more ease to our days.

Today, I am grateful that we got a taste of the lifestyle we were longing for: we went down to the beach early, found a shady spot, swam, and built a sand castle.

So simple.

So good.

All four us, enjoying the moment.

FINALLY.

As a bonus, we set the girls up with a movie in the afternoon and created some space for us as a couple. SO needed, especially after the stress of the move and the busy first few days here.

We are determined to make time for ourselves as individuals, and as a couple while we are here.

We will implode if we don't.

This is another part of the challenge, of course, but I can already feel a shift towards making this happen.

Transitions are filled with lessons, and this one is no exception.

My thoughts are with everyone at home, as you prepare for the transition into the holidays and colder weather. I truly believe that every parent is a rockstar for enduring winters with children (SERIOUSLY).

Let’s be gentle with ourselves in this transition, and find the joy in the mess of it all.

Big Love from Mexico,

Allison xo

P.S. – We are doing a FB Live tour of our place today - be sure to join our list to get access to the VIP private group!