January 24 2017

Getting Around Guatemala: Part 2

Yesterday I ended Part 1 on a cliffhanger (literally) as our driver dropped us in the wrong place on the side of a mountain in Guatemala. The bright side was that the girls were learning how to wash laundry by hand from a patient local woman.

Continue reading

January 23 2017

Getting Around in Guatemala: Part One

Our family just returned from two weeks in Guatemala and getting from one place to another was sometimes a challenge. The girls loved some of our rides as if they were at a carnival while there were other parts that I dreaded and gritted my teeth through, and a few moments that we thought might require a barf bag. Continue reading

October 17 2016

Riding Horses in Playa del Carmen

For my first riding lesson I was put onto a horse bareback, the trainer leading it on a lunge line so I didn’t even have the reins to hold onto. “This is it,” I thought as the animal slid around underneath me, “this is the day I fall off.” Continue reading

October 13 2016

Living in Playa del Carmen vs. Cozumel

Planning Cozumel

When choosing where to live as an expat I used to think that Playa del Carmen and it’s island neighbor Cozumel were like two parts of the same city connected by a ferry. They are both Continue reading

August 16 2016

Sea Turtle Nesting

cozumel sea turtle

Last night we did something I have wanted to do for years: we witnessed a green sea turtle laying her eggs on the beach. Continue reading

August 5 2016

What Does It Cost For Us To Live In Mexico?

The answer to the question you’ve all been waiting for: How much does it cost for us to live in Mexico?

Before you get the idea that we had plenty of money to start with let’s talk about how we lived before. Continue reading

August 4 2016

Questions For A Traveling Family

Bathrooms with toilet paper and seats! Drinking water straight out of the tap! Bathtubs! Is this heaven? Nope, just Iowa, but if you are a traveling family you understand our excitement. Continue reading

June 18 2016

The Bumpy Road to Homeschooling

First I accidentally sent my 6-year-old to college. Or at least it felt that way. Continue reading

June 15 2016

One Year as a Traveling Family

Palenque

One year ago today we drove away from our house for the last time. We chose to have no permanent home, no structure to fill with furniture and appliances and all our personal items. Almost all of it was gone by that point anyway, sold or given away. A year ago we officially became a traveling family…even if the first place we traveled to was Grandma’s house. Continue reading

May 25 2016

Aluxes Eco Park – Visa Run Part 10

turtle eco park aluxes

“In Mayan culture the Aluxes are young, happy, and playful elves that care for crops and protect the jungle for Mother Nature.”

This is the sign that greets you when you enter Aluxes Eco Parque between the town of Palenque and the ruins. Continue reading