Booked and Ready for the Trip

Today was a long day, but we finally got almost everything done that we needed before the trip.

Trip Checklist

✔ Tickets
There was a small change in our plans. Since we booked the tickets a little later than expected, prices and routes had shifted. We will now be flying from Tucson to Cancun and leaving on the 30th.

✔ Rental Car
We booked a rental car for the month. It is a tiny little car, but it will definitely get the job done.

✔ Random Shopping List

We also picked up a few things we wanted for the trip:

• Water shoes. Yes please.

• Waterproof video camera with a cute little mini stand

• Biodegradable sunscreen

Florida Friends and Family

After our time in Mexico, we will be making a quick stop in Florida.

We arrive in Tampa on November 30th and will be leaving on December 6th. I am really looking forward to seeing everyone while we are there.

Everything is finally starting to come together, and the trip is feeling very real.

Safety First and Additional Travel Plans

I just registered our trip with the U.S. Department of State. Since we will be traveling out of the country, it seemed like a smart idea to let them know where we will be and how long we will be gone. Safety first.

Next Up

We are also adding a small change to our travel plans.

It turns out we will save quite a bit of money by stopping in Florida on the way home instead of trying to make a separate trip later this year. It will be a short visit to say hello to my family and meet a very special new addition. One of my best friends just had a baby, so I am really excited to meet the little one.

After our quick visit, we will fly back to Tucson from Florida.

I feel incredibly lucky that all of these opportunities are coming together. We will be purchasing our flights in the next few days, so stay tuned for the exact travel dates.

Blackout Dates

I did a little Google image searching today and managed to find a few more pictures of our vacation home.

I found some photos of the condo complex where we will be staying, along with a few shots of the pool area. Seeing pictures of the place made the trip feel even more real and got me even more excited about relaxing there.

While I was browsing the listing, I also noticed the booking calendar for the condo. It was interesting to see all the blackout dates already filled in throughout the year.

It definitely seems like the condo stays pretty busy, which is always a good sign.

A Pre-Vacation Trip to Rocky Point

I have a little over two weeks between the day I leave my job on October 12th and the start of our big adventure. During that time, we are thinking about taking a short trip to Rocky Point to celebrate our new freedom.

Since my boyfriend’s aunt has a house there, we may just drive down and spend about five days relaxing at the beach. It would be the perfect little pre-vacation getaway before our bigger trip begins.

I feel incredibly lucky to have someone willing to take this leap with me and press pause on everyday life for a while. I truly could not have chosen a better person to share this experience with.

Planning Some Fun Travel Videos

One thing I am really excited about is putting together some fun travel videos from clips we capture during the trip. I already know one song I want to use.

"Home" by Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros.

It is such a happy, feel good song and it feels perfect for the kind of memories we are hoping to make. If you have never heard it before, it is definitely worth a listen.

I have seen a few travel videos people made using it and they turned out really cute. I will do my best to make ours fun and worth watching too.

Explore. Dream. Discover.

My friend Deva shared an article with me today called “Travel Is Only For The Rich.” Beyond getting me super excited for our upcoming journey, it made me reflect on what life might look like after we return.

I especially loved the advice at the end:

"Decide when you’ll take your trip. Research and plan. Do it over and over again."

I hope this trip is just the first of many adventures we’ll take. The site is full of inspiring quotes, and one really stood out for me today:

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." – Mark Twain

It’s a perfect reminder to take chances, embrace adventure, and live fully. 

Recap - Our Yucatán Adventure Plan

Here’s an update to keep everyone in the loop about our upcoming trip:

The Plan
Originally, we were going to drive to Cancun and back, but we decided to fly instead. This means we’re cutting out some stops we wanted to see along the way, but it allows us to spend more time exploring the Yucatán Peninsula and everything it has to offer.

We are aiming to depart from Hermosillo on October 31 and return around November 30, give or take a few days. Our budget is around $3,000, and even after slightly overestimating expenses, we are still within budget with a little to spare.

How Are We Making This Work?
Against some opinions, my boyfriend decided to take early retirement and access his 401(k). Some context: he has worked for the same company for just under 10 years and recently stepped down from his management role because he was unhappy. He owns his home, has a paid-off car, and is financially responsible with minimal bills.

As for me, I’ve been a bit vague about work. I’ve been in management for just about a year and with the company for four years. While I could continue climbing in retail, I feel capable of more and want to truly enjoy life. There’s a career out there that fits me better, and now is the perfect time to explore options.

When we return, we both have backup jobs through friends’ companies, but we also want to explore new opportunities. We aren’t tied to Tucson. If the right position came along elsewhere, we’d consider a change of pace.

A Little Defense
People often criticize taking out a 401(k) early, but we are smart with money and have thought about our futures. We have goals, we are prepared for consequences, and we are young with many options. Right now, we are making choices we can because the timing is right for us.

That’s it for now. Questions?

Exploring Coba - Mayan Ruins and Adventure

Coba is home to the largest pyramid in the Yucatán, surrounded by five beautiful lakes. It was a thriving Mayan city around 600 AD, though it was mysteriously abandoned a few hundred years later. Today, visitors can take tours to explore the ruins and enjoy a variety of activities, including zip lining, rappelling, swimming in cenotes, canoeing, and jungle walks.

The price for tours is a bit higher than I am personally interested in, but I plan to talk with locals about discounts or deals when we are in Cancun.

On a side note, I am dropping off my boyfriend’s passport information at the post office today. He currently has a Passport Card, but these cannot be used for air travel. Even within Mexico. They are only valid for ground travel between Mexico, the United States, and Canada and for sea port entry in Bermuda and the Caribbean. Luckily, we have enough time to get him a passport book with standard shipping, since expedited shipping is much more expensive than we want to pay.

View from Our Soon-to-Be Vacation Home!

I can’t wait to walk out our front door and onto the beach! Last night I finally spoke with the owners of the studio condo we will be staying at and got some more details.

The costs break down like this:

• $500 for the month

• $35 one-time cleaning fee

• $35 in taxes
  Total: $570

We will have the option to do our own laundry or have Bonnie, the property manager, handle it for $20. Bonnie is also available for any questions or issues that come up during our stay.

We are planning to rent a car, but public transportation is plentiful. There is a bus right outside the complex that goes downtown or toward the hotel zone.

For groceries, we will probably shop at Walmart and local markets and cook in as much as possible, though there are also plenty of good restaurants nearby. The condo comes with a 5-gallon water dispenser, which is very convenient.

Safety is not a concern. The property is gated and has security guards on duty, which is especially reassuring for my mom.

We are officially sold. I emailed the owners to request the rental agreement so we can sign and make our $200 down payment. Excitement is through the roof.

Cozy Studio Condo Booked in Cancun!

You heard me right… we just booked a cozy studio condo for an entire month! 

I’m seriously so excited that this trip is finally starting to come together. The owner I had previously called ended up returning my message yesterday. She mentioned they’re currently on vacation in Canada and that international calls from her cell are pretty expensive, but she still wanted to reach out before we booked somewhere else- which I really appreciated.

We exchanged emails, and she plans to call again tomorrow so we can go over the final details.

The condo is $500 for the month and located right in the Cancún Hotel Zone in Cancún. The beach is literally seconds from the door, which is exactly what we were hoping to find. It sounds like the perfect spot for our stay.

I did send a quick email with a few follow-up questions. Mainly whether electricity and water are included in the monthly price, but overall everything sounds great. It feels amazing to finally have the ball rolling on this trip.

While doing some planning this morning, I also came across a really helpful travel site called TravelYucatan. It’s packed with tourist information, activity ideas, and trip-planning tools for the region. I have a feeling I’ll be using it quite a bit as we keep planning things to do while we’re there.

Things are starting to get real now!