As our year in Puerto Escondido comes to a close, our family is filled with emotion. This tropical paradise and these beautiful people have taught us lessons that will stay with us for life. Most of all, the ever-constant reminder that from discomfort, comes growth.
Read MoreThree months ago today, our family pulled out of our driveway in Toronto, Canada, and drove to Puerto Escondido, Mexico.
Sounds simple, doesn’t it?
Yep. We just pulled out of our driveway & drove to Mexico. Just like that.
We moved to Mexico, where all of our worries would disappear and all of our dreams would come true.
Ummm….nope. If only.
Today was hard.
It was the first day of school for our girls here in Puerto Escondido, Mexico.
We chose this school because of it’s small class sizes, it’s creative education model, and it's incredible parent community.
A new country, a new school, and a new language. It’s a lot for all of us.
I felt hopeful that the first day would go well.
It did not go well.
Awful things happen every day.
When you see these events on the news, you somehow feel separated and protected. Those things only happen ‘out there’, and they would never happen here, in the multi-cultural, diverse, and safe city that we call ‘home’.
But something awful did happen here.
We have been home in Toronto for seven days.
The past two days have included freezing rain, snowy conditions, and severe winds.
The weather, of course, is a shock to our systems after spending four months in Mexico.
But the weather is only the tip of the iceberg.
Read MoreHappy Spring, friends!
We have one week left of our four-month family sabbatical and big news to share!
Read MoreMexico, Day 39 of 118.
The heart softens.
The mind opens.
The soul thrives.
Our kids still drive us bonkers.
Read MoreThe Christmas sun is setting here in La Punta, Puerto Escondido, Mexico.
I am relishing in the calm after the long-awaited, and highly planned-for celebration, that is Christmas.
Last night for Christmas Eve, we ate dinner at the incredible restaurant below our apartment. Loyal to my Italian roots, I enjoyed a mouth-watering seafood spaghetti. It made me feel closer to home, to my family.
The small, cozy space was filled with many people that we have met over these past two weeks. It was comforting to feel the energy of our newfound community.
Our family of four said Buenas Noches, and headed to bed at 10pm.
That’s when the locals began their celebrations.
We are quickly learning that there are no noise rules in Mexico. Literally, NONE.
Read MoreIt’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 first five days have been...
Read MoreHoly shit, guys.
The next time you hear from us, we will be in Mexico.
So, goodbye yellow brick road.
I can’t believe it’s really happening.
It seems like yesterday that I had my breakdown, the emotional catalyst that led to this grand family adventure.
We dreamed it up, all on our own, Arjan and I.
Our vision.
Our choices.
Our life.
Read MoreIn ten days, our family of four is moving from Toronto, Canada to Puerto Escondido, Mexico.
When people learn of our plans to take a four month family sabbatical, the common response is "Wow! You’re so lucky!".
The truth is, yes, we are lucky. But it was not luck that got us here, it was perseverance.
This sojourn did not come easily. It was not presented to us on a silver platter as a pre-planned vacation package.
We designed it.
We created a vision and problem-solved a way into making it happen.
As a couple, we asked ourselves tough questions about our life, got super real with each other, and took action.
Stepping into the unknown forces you to face your fears and get comfortable with discomfort.
Read MoreIn three weeks, our family of four is moving from Toronto, Canada to Puerto Escondido, Mexico.
We will be there for four glorious months, soaking up the sunshine and creating precious family memories.
Wait, let me re-phrase.
We will be parenting. 24/7. In Mexico.
Read MoreIt was the end of April.
I was slowly emerging from the blues that had plagued me since becoming a mother five years earlier. I felt like a shell of the fun, vibrant woman I used to be.
On that grey, wet, dull, day (April is still basically Winter), I had five, consecutive, kid-free hours, between drop-off and pick-up.
This meant that I would be running around all day doing errands, and would be exhausted by the time I picked up our kids, ages three and five.
The to-do list raced through my mind: we just ran out of toilet paper, our eldest needed new indoor shoes for school, dinner needed to go in the crock pot before noon, and today was the last day that I could return the lightbulbs (I had bought the wrong ones...again….ugh).
“Is this IT?” I remember thinking. THIS is what I hustled my way through my twenties and early thirties for?
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