Oh, Mexico

We got the grandparents to watch the kids and the hubby and I headed down to Mexico. It was GLORIOUS. This was our first big getaway since baby #2 came along. That baby is now 2.5 years old but the pandemic made it a wee bit harder to take a vacation without the kids. We realized that our first big getaway after baby #1 was also to Mexico.

Before and during both trips, family and friends asked us if we felt safe going. There had been a bomb on a ferry just before we visited in 2018 and there was a shooting a few months before our most recent trip. My answer was still, yes.

While some of the increased cartel activity is due to a loss of income because of the pandemic, the big thing driving the cartel violence is actually the tourists themselves. Tourists buying drugs is drawing cartel interest. To help curb this, many resorts are having travelers sign a document that they will not use illegal drugs. We signed such a pledge at our resort, Secrets Maroma Beach (AM Resorts has had this for a while). While they don’t expect it to completely curtail the drug trafficking, they hope it will impact people’s thought process. If tourists realize the consequences of their actions on others, they might think twice before seeking out illicit substances while in the Cancun area.

It never fails that a family member heard from a friend who heard from a cousin… that 30 people were just killed there! I get some variation of this from clients panicking as a holiday we excitedly planned months ago neared. My mother sent me an article the day I arrived in Mexico. Haha. It’s like a horrible game of telephone where the facts are greatly distorted with extra fear inducing details thrown in. Sometimes it’s missing the details that the tourist who died was a Spring Breaker who got so intoxicated they jumped from their too high balcony. Sometimes, it was just a tragic event that could just has easily happened on the streets of NY or LA (ironically, I began writing this article the day of the most recent subway attack in NYC). Sometimes it’s just plain exaggeration.

I always tell people to make sure they are comfortable but also be safe and smart. Don’t flash cash and be aware of your surroundings. There are areas of every city where you don’t want to go. Use your smarts and you’ll be fine.

There’s always the possibility that something bad could happen while on your trip or walking down your street. I don’t plan to live my life in fear. If this pandemic has shown us anything, it’s to appreciate and take advantage of the opportunities we have because life is short. I plan on making many more wonderful travel memories with my family and friends!

Sunset at Secrets Maroma Beach Riviera Cancun

House vs Hotel and Family Vacation Dining Tips

The house or the hotel rental was a central debate of out multigenerational family vacation in August. With four kids under the age of 5, we knew it was going to a bit of mayhem.

My children wake up early. I mean EARLY. If we are lucky, they will sleep in until 6-6:30. This means, mom and dad need to entertain (ok just dad because I go back to bed). A house means there’s more living space for the kids to entertain themselves. Most importantly, I needed a separate sleeping space for them.

Kids are also messy. My brother was strongly in favor of the hotel so that he did not have to clean up after the kids meals. He made a valid point. Sometimes I’m not sure if kids have eaten anything or just pretended to be Jackson Pollock. He must have persuaded me after cleaning a particularly messy meal because we went with the hotel. The caveat was that we got connecting rooms for the kids. That way I could close the door without having to sit in darkness myself.

After spending a week staying in the hotel, I still can’t decide which I prefer more. Too much fun during the day and my kids were not interested in eating at dinner time. They were cranky and impatient most nights. That meant that my husband or I was chasing them around and/or busting out the iPad just so we could sit and finish our food. If we were staying at a house, cooking our own meals, we could let the kids roam more freely after feeding them. In theory, we could enjoy our meal a bit more while keeping an eye on them. Of course, then you have to do the cooking and cleaning…

While I often recommend multigenerational families plan their group meals at lunch time, that did not make sense here. That suggestion is most relevant with a wider range in ages. It allows the parents with the younger children to take care of them separately. Often they plan dinner at an earlier time or a more child friendly restaurant. Our whole party was families with small kids plus grandparents.

I think the most relaxing meal was when the babysitter watched the kids while the adults went out. That works whether you stay at a house or a hotel. The bright side was that we had the hotel to help us arrange the sitter. The second best dinner was a private dining room at one of the resort restaurants. Being able to close the doors and let the kids have a little freedom made our meal infinitely more relaxing.

I can’t definitively say that one is best but we’ve discussed the pros and cons. As always, it’s up to you to decide which elements are most important to you and your vacation happiness.

admiring the view of the pool after checking into our room