7 Years in Paradise

In May 2001, I fell madly in love with Cancun, during my first visit to the gorgeous Mexican city, on the Caribbean. The second I saw the turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea, I was hooked. Head over heels in love. It was that fast. Definitely love at first sight.

Cancun and I carried on a long-distance relationship for a couple of years. Then, we decided we needed to be together full-time to see if we could make a go of it. So, 7 years ago today, with tears in my eyes, I boarded a plane with 10 suitcases of various sizes, and headed to Cancun.

Getting ready for the move had been stressful, of course, but I pretty much had a nervous breakdown just a few hours before my flight was scheduled to leave Denver (my home at the time). I thought about calling the whole thing off and breaking up with Cancun right then and there. But, I thought about how much I loved Cancun and knew that, if I didn’t get on the plane that day, I’d always wonder “what if?”. I didn’t want Cancun to be “the one that got away” so I pulled myself together and went to the airport. When I arrived in Cancun, a few hours later, I knew I’d made the right choice. As soon as I exited the airport, I felt an overwhelming sense of peace and immediately knew I was home. This is where I was supposed to be all along.

After 7 years, and many ups & downs, Cancun and I are still very much in love. Although it’s sometimes more of a love/hate relationship that I care to admit. Everyday is a challenge and, quite honestly, it’s not always easy to live here. But, like with any commitment, you have to work at it. It’s never going to be perfect. For me, at this time in my life, Cancun is my Mr. Right. One of the best things about Cancun is that he always gives me flowers. My favorites are these hibiscus flowers, which are just outside my front windows.

Hibiscus flower

But I also love the brightly colored bougainvilleas, or any other sweetly scented tropical flower Cancun offers up. I’m not a picky girl.

Bougainvilleas

People always say you shouldn’t choose your mate based on looks but I openly admit that I did just that when I picked Cancun. When I think about what my future holds and about possibly leaving Cancun someday, I look at this view and wonder how I could ever think of breaking up with such a beauty.

View from seaside restaurant at Presidente Inter-Continental hotel, in Cancun. This is one of Cancun's finest beaches.

Over the past 7 years, I’ve acquired much more than the 10 suitcases of things I arrived with. As it turns out, the best things I now possess aren’t really “things” at all. In 7 years, I’ve managed to find some amazing friends that I hope to have in my life forever, I do work that I absolutely love, and I’m lucky enough to work from home (often, while still wearing my pajamas).

Also, I adopted 2 fabulous dogs, which later turned into a family of 6 dogs, when they had puppies. And, just last year, a stray cat, whom I now call Kiki the Kitty, adopted me. (No, the dogs were NOT happy about the arrival of a cat. There are daily assassination attempts but so far, so good.)

Truth be told, I love my dogs about a 10,000 times more than I love Cancun but we manage to make it work somehow. At the moment, I am delighted to be here in Cancun, the love of my life (other than my pack of unruly pups, that is), and don’t plan to leave anytime soon. With views like this nearby, it’s hard to imagine ever being anywhere else.