Finding Freedom, Harley Edition

For a little while, I've been contemplating the term "freedom" and how "free" everyone is, especially myself.  And until I was ready for some pretty intense lifestyle changes, I wasn't going to find the answer.  

And, of course, finding at least part of the answer happened on the back of our Harley Davidson.  Freedom, on a bike, can mean so many things.  You are free to drive it anywhere.  You are free to go at a speed you choose.  You are free to go down narrow roads and not worry about being too heavy or a wide load.  But you need gas (even if you do get good mileage).  You need to stay within the speed limit.  You have to worry about that truck that might come at you on that narrow road and have to figure out how to get off the road to let them pass.  How is any of that freedom? 

Freedom is vulnerable. On a bike, the rider (and passenger) has no doors, windows, seat belts, or air bags to protect themselves from any accident.  What they have is themselves, their bike, the road, and hopefully a good set of leathers and a DOT helmet.  You become amazed at how small you are, especially when a semi truck comes roaring by you or pulls up next to you at a stop light.  Or even something as simple as driving down the highway and you're in the mountains (Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia...) and they are so high around you that you feel as small as an ant in the universe.  But somehow, you're there for a reason.  

One of my favorite things about being on the bike is how it changed the way I notice and utilize my five senses (and six for those cars that don't seem to notice us until the last minute). As a driver, and even as passenger, you have to be fully present in the NOW.  Is the road curving, do you have to lean a certain way, are there cars coming at me from any direction, how is the weather holding up, are there any bumps/pot holes/grooves/etc. on the road to watch out for? In a car you might notice a bad pot hole, and observe other vehicles, but you aren't as vulnerable as a bike.  Cars can withstand bumps/etc. easier, don't have to worry about the weather outside unless it's a monsoon, and drivers don't have to move with the vehicle when it has to turn.  Vision is the number one sense used.  As a passenger, I am allowed a little leeway in what I have to look at.  I do notice when to prepare myself for bumps, turns, stops, go-s, etc., but I also get to look at the scenery.  Which is where the other senses really come in to play for me (only because I'm the passenger! I'm sure Shawn has his own thoughts as how it is driving, but I can't comment on something I don't know about:) ) It is just you, your eye protection, and sometimes a windshield if you have it on your bike. Everything is in vivid color, right there in front of you. 

I get to hear so many different things I couldn't in a car.  I can hear the crickets and frogs at night, dogs barking, horses and farm animals, I can hear the people outside the shops we are passing, I can hear the people at the auto shop shouting at us saying "nice!" as we drive by (shoutout to Rt. 48 Shop in TN!).  I can hear the wind - which actually is fairly loud on the highway.  Which in a way, is a good thing because the sound of the wind changes when a car is coming up and passing by, and even more so if it is a diesel or semi truck.  Isn't that odd? 

Not much can be said about taste.  The occasional chapstick that might get on your taste buds, the small bug that flew in to your mouth at 50 miles an hour because you had to yawn, nothing super unique :) There is a taste of adventure though, because the world on the back of a bike is like nothing else.  

Touch is another interesting sense to experience on a bike.  The main things: wind, heat, and rain.  Wind, either self created by going a certain speed, or mother nature's breath trying to push you on to the other side of the road, you can feel it.  Sometimes, a breeze in any form is just what you need, especially to cool you off from the leather you are wearing.  Heat is a by product of both where you are, and your exhaust. And boy, it is hot down here.  In Dickson, TN today, it reached 93 without counting the humidity temperature.  HOT.  Especially when you're on a paved parking lot trying to get out on to the street, or stuck in traffic (Nashville, I'm looking at you on that 91 degree day) and you're sitting in the same place for ten minutes and the exhaust is next to your leg.  Not only can you feel it heating up your leg, you can feel it creep up under your bum.  Motorcycles were not made to sit still.  

Smell.  One of my favorites.  You can smell everything. I mean everything.  Skunks. Dead animals. Car exhaust.  Asphalt & blacktop.  But those are few and far between.  Every ride, I can count on smelling the wild flowers.  There's fresh cut grass.  Farms.  Greenhouses that we pass by.  Construction-stage houses using the saw mill with the sawdust in the air.  Bonfires (my favorite).  Home cooking (especially bbq and baked goods). So many great things.  

Through riding a motorcycle, you really understand the fragility of life.  You appreciate your surroundings more as you are closer to it, figuratively and literally.  You understand the need for safety.  You become extremely mindful of your body, your surroundings, and your own thoughts.  And as likeminded people, other bikers get together and form groups that have a common goal, like BACA.  But as a rider, you are part of a much bigger family that encompasses all riders.  Regardless of who you are, where you're from, or what kind of bike you have, you still are in that family.  It's why bikers wave to each other as they go by.  They know you have a respect for the road and yourself, and they acknowledge that, and find a similar outlook in themselves.  Since we've started our journey outside of New York State, everywhere we go, bikers wave to us.  And we wave back, because that's what family does. We've found a way to feel free for a little while. No bills, no phone calls to make, no dinner to cook, no worrying about the seal you have to replace on the toilet.  

Just, you, the bike, and the road ahead of you. 

March Madness = April Awesomeness

Well, a LOT of things have been happening since we got home from our small vacation/conference week! We got back to the house at 2 a.m. Sunday morning, and we were completely  moved out by the end of the night Wednesday! OH MY GOODNESS that made things feel so real.  The house closed on Thursday, and here we are, a little over a week later with some pretty awesome & serious new beginnings. 

We've put our motorhome on the road.  (And still have to get it inspected. 7 more days.) We purchased a 2013 Fat Boy (Harley Davidson) and love every minute of it.  My car had to get towed, needs a new fuel filter.  We've begun to use an actual video camera instead of just a camera, so hopefully the video we'll be putting out tomorrow has a better quality to it.  We've booked people, places, paid off the insurance for the next 6 months to a year, life is pretty darn good.  

Let's just take a minute and delve in to how we found our Harley (that we named the Blue Pearl).  Just like the motorhome, we did a TON of research about finding the right bike, the right motor, the right add ons, etc.  And we found that the Fat Boy met our needs after we decided to go with the Georgie Boy motorhome instead of a travel trailer (that would have limited our options to a Sportster).  So we looked around at a bunch of dealerships waiting to find the bike that would just "fit".  I ended up making a call to a dealership south of Buffalo.  Sure enough, they had a Fat Boy.  It was in the basement, not on the website yet, and no one but the people in the dealership and its previous owner knew it was there.  We were the first to look at it, and now we are its proud owners! We'll get some better pictures on here soon.  But this was our first photo of it, and took it with us to use as a reminder as we went to another dealership to look at another Fat Boy, but less than two hours later, we were back and we had a deal.  

THANK YOU to Shawn's Mom Julie & Rob for riding.

So follow us, check out what's in store for us these next few days, because they'll surely be interesting!! 

Click Here to see what we've done so far on YouTube at: Get Lost! With Shawn & Jen


Click Here to see our reviews from our travels at Trip Advisor at Jen's profile: simplyjennifered  (they should be reviewed and published for the world by April 16, 2017). 

Click PLAY below to watch how we went from a four bedroom house to a 35 foot motorhome! (Not so much on the packing part, see a few posts back for that).  

New York to the Outer Banks

Hey everyone!! [Video is linked at the bottom]

We are FINALLY at our motel, Sea Foam Motel, and ready for some sleep.  We left yesterday (Sunday) at 6 p.m. instead of waking up super early Monday and wasting almost all the day driving.  We basically drove through the night - just two 45 minute stops for power naps, and twice to get gas.  NOT BAD, right? It really wasn't, it was just a really long night.  We drove through Pennsylvania through rain storms and dreadful fog (we were only on the road because we were hugging the white line on the road and going 20 miles an hour, so we were ready to stop/slow down as needed).  And then we got in to Maryland.  The goal was to drive through D.C., see the White House, etc.  but we didn't realize that they closed (and heavily guarded) the entrances after a certain time.  Which was fine, we still drove by a bunch of governmental buildings, Watergate, memorials and statues,  and the Pentagon, which was pretty cool.  Nothing really entertaining happened in Virginia, except for driving through a tunnel near Norfolk.  By the time we hit North Carolina, the sun was just starting to come up and we saw a beautiful sunrise.  But boy, were we out of it. Forgetting that many people are on island time, we headed over to the Aquarium and had a blast.  Came to the motel, checked in, and successfully took a nap.  Went grocery shopping (YAY! They upgraded us for free to a room with a kitchen with all the supplies: pots, pans, silverware, dish set, etc.) Can we just take a moment and see how amazing our view is???? 

We are SO close to the ocean.  I get to sit here next to the sliding door and write this blog post and listen to an ocean that is just over the dune.  I suppose I haven't really explored/expected any thing else other than the hotels like Litchfield Beach, Sands, etc. that had the long wooden boardwalk to the beach.  There's a gazebo to walk through with benches in them, but you are on the beach, not walking down a catwalk.  We stuck our feet in the water --- BRRRRR!!!!! Hopefully when we get down to South Carolina and under the Cape the water will be slightly warmer to actually enjoy putting our feet in.  There were a few brave souls in wet suits who spent HOURS in the water surfing.  Good for them, I'm sure I would be out there as well if I owned a wetsuit.  Maybe some day.  

Before I share our YouTube video on our Day 1 (and a half if you count last night?), I'll post a few pictures that aren't on the video that I really like.  

The two turtles above are one of MANY the aquarium takes in for rehabilitation, and it is open for the public to see, explore (behind a barrier), and ask questions.  Would LOVE to do that as a volunteer.  

Shawn pondering the size of him vs. the many animals out there in the wild! It was such a great day.  We cooked dinner, dabbled with editing our video, and are winding down for bed, even though it's not even 9:15 😂😂 More to come tomorrow, because IT'S SHAWN'S 28TH BIRTHDAY!!!! AHHHHH!!!!!!!! 

Enjoy, let us know what you think/like/would like to see, etc.! Good Night! 

We Are On YouTube!

Okay, please bear with us! We are totally new to having a camera around us, totally new to having to think about what to show and even how to edit the videos into something manageable.  

Day 1: What We've Learned
-  The basics of iMovie
-  We need to get a tripod for the camera to make it not as wobbly 
-  We need to watch more tutorials on iMovie
-  We're obvious beginners in front of the camera!
-  It's totally weird to think that we'll be watching ourselves on the TV/computer. 

Our new-to-us Georgie Boy Pursuit is a GREAT vehicle.  When we get some more basics down, things put away, & the weather gets nicer, we'll do a full tour of the inside and the outside.  But here's a sneak peek at our new home! 

Follow us on YouTube: Get Lost! With Shawn & Jen

Let us know what you think, and let us know what you want to see!! :)

Packing, Downsizing, and Moving Efficiently

We've been downsizing our four bedroom home for about 9 months now, and boy has it been a process! We've learned what works best for us, and how to get stuff done.  Hopefully this post helps you with any questions about the process, what it's like, and how to decide what goes and what stays.  If I don't cover what you want to know, comment below or shoot me an email! 

GETTING RID OF THINGS:

STEP 1:  Garage Sale
We started by going through the house, and getting whatever we wanted to get rid of, and putting it in the garage.  Then, we applied for a garage sale permit, which cost a whopping $5 (check with your town or village clerk to see if this is necessary, it varies! And sometimes there are free weekends where you don't need to pay a fee!). 

We ended up having two garage sales.  We paid for a weekend, and our village had a free garage sale weekend a month after where we were able to sell what was left over from the first garage sale.  We advertised for the first one by making flyers with our address, the time of the sale, and some of the major ticket items we were getting rid of.  We also had two pretty darn cute kids showing off some of the merchandise! The second sale was advertised in the Pennysaver because it was Village-wide and listed every house that was participating, so we didn't do anything for that.  We had some fun during the sales and were happy to begin our "letting go" journey.  We weren't sure if we were going the apartment route or Travel Trailer/Motorhome route, but we knew we had to downsize. 

STEP 2: Sort It Out! 

If you have more than a few months before your move, this will be ongoing.  Letting go of things can be emotional.  It can also be liberating. 

Clothes: Before you begin the sorting process, know what you can realistically be able to bring with you or how much you want to get rid of.  Set a goal for yourself.  For me, it was to go through my dressers & closet every week and to get rid of at least one item that I didn't wear or use.  Some weeks, I would only put in a shirt or a pair of shorts in the donate bag.  Other weeks, I would fill an entire garbage bag.  Small progress is still progress! 

Every time you do a load of laundry, dump it on the bed/floor/folding table.  Decide what you want to keep and what you can donate or throw out. Then worry about folding what you are keeping.  Don't bother holding on to socks with holes unless you actually do use them consistently.  Don't bother keeping those clothes with holes, stains that won't come out, etc. unless you actually will continue to wear them.  

All other items: It's kind of hard to dump kitchen items all over the place and everything in the bathroom closets on a bed, especially if it can leak.  So let's make a plan.  Let's clear off that kitchen table.  Go through one room of your house.  Put anything you find that you can donate on the table, and anything you can throw out in a garbage bag.  If you find anything that you can give to a friend or family member, text or call them as soon as you are done cleaning out that room! Don't procrastinate - it will just sit around.  Congratulations! You've accomplished a MAJOR thing! Reward yourself with a cup of tea or a relaxing bath.  NOT by buying something for yourself (unless it's something you need or a pedi/mani type deal).  Now let's do the same thing next week in another room.  Or, if you don't have time, do as much as you can until you have to stop.  Repeat until you are downsized to where you want to be.  

STEP 3: Get rid of it! 

- Make a run to donate the things you've collected.  Be sure to get a receipt - you can include that when you do your tax returns if you want! If you have items that are too heavy to move or you don't have a truck to get rid of something big, like a bed frame, check out the Salvation Army! They have a truck that comes to pick up your donations.  Just check out their website before you set aside items for them, as they have limitations to what they can take.  We've also donated to Goodwill and Savers.  

- Give any items to friends and/or family! 

- Make sure to remember to get your garbage out to the curb (or in the dumpster/down the chute/whatever your situation is).  Out of sight, out of mind! 

***For things you really have to keep but don't have room for, consider renting out a storage unit.  They come in many different sizes and can be climate controlled if needed.  I STRONGLY recommend stopping by a few different places to see for yourself what the units look like and bring along a measuring tape.  I made the mistake of renting a unit that is advertised as 5x5 and reassured by the workers without measuring.  I knew the space looked small, but hey, I'm not in the storage unit business.  But my piano that is 4 feet 8 inches doesn't fit flush against a wall.  It has to be diagonal in the unit, decreasing the amount of space we have to put boxes in with it.  PLEASE don't make this mistake if you have something sizable.  

PACKING & CLEANING:

Supplies:

Boxes

Duct Tape

Markers

Newspaper/bubble wrap

Garbage bags

Optional: Glass of wine, music

Tips that helped us:

- Set up two boxes at a time, so as you go through your things you can put fragile things in one, and everything else in the other.  

- As you go finish a cupboard in the kitchen or bathroom, vacuum & wipe it out! This will save you time later on. 

- Contacts holders make great places to keep two pairs of earrings! 

- Label the side of the box with where it is supposed to end up, like "Kitchen" or "Bathroom" or "RV" or "Storage" and on the top, list what is inside.  If the box contains fragile items, write that on the side as well, so people helping you know not to put anything on top of the box or to be careless handling it.  

- Put clothes in bags if you can! You can even keep them on the hangers.  Use it like a garment bag!  You can also put any sheets/other bedding in bags as well.  Just make sure that the bags are a different color from the garbage bags! 

- If you can, try and move things to the new place before the official "move in" date. It doesn't hurt to ask! I was able to do this when I bought the house (everything just stayed in the garage until the move in date), and we are doing it now with the motorhome.  Anything that doesn't have to be climate controlled, we are moving.  

- Think positive.  Your mindset is half the battle. 

I'm sure I've forgotten some things, but I hope this helped even just a little bit.  We're hoping to be out of the house unofficially in about a week.  We're still not sure when the closing date is, so that's TBD. Fingers crossed that things can work out! 

Thanks for reading! Let me know of any good packing ideas that you have - we still have a little more to go! Also any good organization ideas for an RV? I've been scanning Pinterest.... Decisions!  

A Lifestyle Change (For the Better!)

Hey everyone!! Some of you more consistent readers may notice the change in layout a little bit, font change, etc.  This is only the beginning of a pretty big lifestyle change.  We are hoping to gain some more followers, even if they are just family and close friends keeping an eye on our whereabouts and what we're up to.  We are also in the process of making a YouTube channel (which isn't live yet), so those videos will be posted here too. 

Shawn and I are hoping and praying that the buyers of our home follow through with the deal.  We're thinking they will, because the most stressful part of the selling process happened Friday: the bank appraiser came out.  SO blessed that he was professional, understanding, and helpful.  He knew that boxes stacked in a living room are nothing new when people are moving, he knew that the last thing we want to do is put more money in to the house (and thankfully we don't have to!) and understood we are counting on this deal.  Thank you Scott for being so understanding and practical. 

After a full year of doing research, talking with families, going to shows, and investing a significant amount of time going through finances, apartment prices, travel costs, accessibility, and talking about our dreams (and everything else), we've come to a decision. We asked ourselves how much house we really use and need.  We DEFINITELY don't need a four bedroom, two bath house with zoned heating. So what would we do? We are buying Shawn's grandpa's Class A motorhome!!!!! Not a pull behind, not one that goes over the truck bed, not one that just sits in a truck bed, and not a van one! This one is 35 feet long, and has so many perks that we never thought in a million years that we could afford.  This investment is SO amazing to us, that I feel that the benefits could fill two posts at least! The journey to this point has been incredible in so many different ways, and while I certainly had nights where I just wanted to sit, snuggle, and eat some raspberry sorbet, I knew the outcome was worth this process.  I knew the process was going to be scary, but to me, having regrets and not following my dreams (and Shawn for his) was much scarier and unnerving.  

Okay, bear with me here.  We know that many people don't know about or understand this lifestyle, and feel that it isn't the best route.  Why would we want to be mobile? Why would we want to downsize? Why would we want to buy something instead of rent? Why, why, why! So let's lay this out. But first thing's first.  Sorry, not sorry if I sound like a b***h.  It may not be the best route for YOU but after so much time researching, this is the best lifestyle choice for ME (and Shawn). We hope that you take the time to understand the reasoning behind our decision, and hope that you will grow to love our experiences and understand that it wasn't a spur of the moment decision/a one sided decision/biased/not researched/whatever. We know that you may not like the decision, but we ask that you respect it. 

#1: COST EFFECTIVE! 
So for the price of the RV, it is considerably less than what I would pay in rent nearly anywhere in the country (unless I lived in the ghetto with shootings, slumlords, and a high crime rate). For less than $40/year, we can get a Park pass where we can stay in National and some State parks FOR FREE, or a significantly discounted price (like $4-10/night). We can also sign up for Good Sam, where we would get discounts to stay at parks in that club.  Can we also just take a moment and appreciate KOA work program??? It's something Shawn is looking in to.  From what we gathered, he would work there, we wouldn't have to pay a nightly hookup rate (water, sewer, electric, depending what they have) or pay a discounted rate, and any work done over the price of the space is take home money.  Shawn's a landscaper, has experience as a construction worker, cement worker, electrician, went to school to be a mechanic, and is a general contractor.  So, as Aunt Julie would say, "in my humble yet always correct opinion," he's pretty handy to have around and any KOA would benefit from having him there.  KOA's are across the country, and if one is in need of help for x amount of time and if it works with the school schedule, we can go spend some time there, make some $, and have an adventure. (I'll probably work 10-15 hours/week lifeguarding hopefully to add to an income, where I'll apply as a student, on the school schedule, as our address will be out of town.  More on that later.)

So let's also add under this, we're paying ONLY insurance (which is around $250/6 months), phone, gas for the motorhome, groceries, maintenance, and any site fees if we aren't boondocking (which is what we plan on doing the most - we'll have a built in generator, so we will be entirely self sufficient).  We plan on eventually adding solar power, so that will add to our battery life.  We're also going to change over to LED lighting, which will be almost a 90% difference from fluorescent and will help our battery life, decrease fire risk significantly, and add to the life of the lights.  

No more gas bill.  No more (higher) electric bill.  No more cable/internet when we can use phones as a hotspot.  (We might get something internet wise from Verizon at some point in the future, but starting out, we aren't worried about this detail.)  No more property tax.  No more quarterly water bill.   I'm selling my car, so no more insurance on that.  Shawn's going to be putting his truck in storage, so no more insurance on that.  YES, we will be getting a vehicle to tow behind our motorhome, but more on that later.  

#2: FREEDOM!
We are able to be extremely flexible in where we go.  We don't have to worry about animal care if we want to travel to another part of the country.  We don't have to worry about leaving an apartment full of personal belongings behind during a hurricane.  We don't have to worry about not being able to see parts of the country because plane tickets are just too expensive.  We don't have to be limited to Graduate School area during school breaks.  The list of things WE DO get is ginormous.  We get beachfront sites for a week that is HALF the price of a hotel for ONE NIGHT.  We get to be off-grid.  We get to explore different towns, cities, cultures, communities, and so much more.  We get to learn about lessening our carbon footprint.  We get amazing views.  We get sundowners.  We get amazing experiences.  All of which are to be documented and put on YouTube and on here.  We get more time to learn about ourselves individually and as a couple.  I'll have more time to read.  Shawn will have more time to do his list of things he loves to do.  We get to make friends across the country.  We get to make unexpected experiences into memories.  We get to "live on less so we get to LIVE more" (Less Junk, More Journey).  

We aren't naive, we don't expect everything to work out perfectly.  Heck, we already have a small to-do list! But we have a general idea of what to expect after doing a considerable amount of research over the past year.  To get an idea, check out blogger and YouTuber "Less Junk, More Journey" a couple with a toddler who RVs full time. Another favorite is  "Gone With the Wynn's" on YouTube and their personal website.  They spent years full timing in their RV and decided to transition into a catamaran and try to live as off-grid as possible. Both of these are our favorites, as they have SO much information to digest and share their bad experiences so people get an idea of what they are getting themselves in to (and also share the good!).  

I don't want to make this post super long, so I guess I'll end it here.  But I want to leave you with a quote that sums up the adventure, said by Marissa from "Less Junk, More Journey"

"We RV because we crave a life of less junk and more journey. Less house, more living. Less cleaning, more mingling. Less monotony, more memories. Less commute time, more family time. Life is short. It’s all about the journey and having no regrets!"

ALL ABOUT MEXICO! (Finally)

We FINALLY were leaving pretty early in the morning in the beginning of July - the kitty was confused why we were awake at such an early hour.  Hey, we had to be somewhere by 3:45 a.m. and we couldn't sleep! Off we go, the puppy already safe and sound at the Puppy Hotel.

We went with Shawn's mom Julie and her fiancé' Rob, who's parents are permanent residents in Cozumel. 

We had our first connection in Atlanta, and then right on to Cozumel! I spy a plane in this picture, do you?

Shawn's mom surprised us and upgraded all of our tickets to first class! AWESOME! We had mimosas and this huge lunch.  Thank goodness, because once we got to Mexico, it was going to be a little while until we ate again. 

Let's just take a moment and appreciate these views... 

There's nothing like it. I want to go back {nothing to do with the fact that we had to drive through INCHES of snow on a fun outing today. We don't have snow at home, but they certainly have snow in Franklinville.}

So our first night, we had to stay at a different hotel because our other hotel (the one with family connections) wasn't available until the next day.  So we stayed at the San Miguel, walking distance to the ocean and main street. The flooring in our room was the same tiling on our balcony, and the same in the gardens!

After settling in, getting one of the rental cars, and waiting for family, we headed to the Money Bar, which is a bar/restaurant on the water.  You can choose to sit under the pavilion, or ON THE BEACH. Take a guess where we sat :) This restaurant also allows swimming, since it's right there anyway.  They have a dock, steps going down into the ocean, and gorgeous, clear water with quite the current.  Ahh, finally a chance to enjoy some salt water. 

The Money Bar had some GREAT mango margaritas, an amazing view of all the pelicans flying over the water, and an interesting group of break dancers for entertainment who began about an hour before we left. Back to the hotel! The night was fine, but the morning was... interesting! The birds LOVE to start singing when they wake up, which is just when the sky begins to brighten up around 4:30 in the morning.  So we had the pleasure of listening to a peacock on and off, and around 7 we could distinctly make out a rooster. The hotel came with a continental breakfast, simple coffee, FRESH orange juice, baguettes, random Mexican breads, all brought to your room after letting them know a good time for it to be delivered.

Finally, the time came to head to the Coral Princess, and do some exploring on the island.  They were just finishing up Room Service for our rooms, so we just left our luggage with the front desk and we were off. We HAD to check out the beach, pool, etc. at the CP before exploring - just a necessity!  This photo was taken from just above where you jump into the water - it's about 15 feet deep and you can catch a boat a few times a day from there if you're signed up for scuba diving.  Oh, did I mention there are also about 35-40 fish RIGHT THERE when you jump into the water swimming around you in circles? IT WAS SO COOL! Shawn ended up getting a video underwater with his waterproof phone by the end of vacation which turned out to be pretty cool. 

From the Coral Princess, we went exploring to part of the island which is a little on the "boonies" side.  We were in the jungle. For real. There were red crabs and their little caves all along the road, walls of saw palmetto, mangroves, iguanas, lion lizards, black and yellow lizards, and more. 

The road/trail/dirt road/seasonal road/pot hole place/off roading experience brought us to this great view of another part of the ocean, where we were able to see another small island where supposedly a lot of fishermen go. Little did we know, Shawn's mom and her fiancé' brought Cheese Puffs for a fun surprise. 

PYGMY RACCOONS! Like regular raccoons, but without rabies, human friendly, and in love with cheese puffs! We didn't touch them, we just came close enough to hand the brave few some, and tossed some to the ones that kept their distance. 

Heading back down the same road, we stopped at this lookout tower and I was able to catch this photo of mangroves, which was pretty cool. 

Aaaaannnndd Shawn had a Rob moment and decided to touch an abandoned termite mound. Not me! 

And then I found apparently one of the few and only boa constrictors on the island at the side of the road, and guess what.  Rob had to touch it.  Shawn went too, and were unsuccessful in capturing the snake for a photo and personal satisfaction. Hey, they saw it, they tried, they had a cool story. :)

And then we drove around the island.  We found some of the private beaches, some other public beaches, and some hideaways. This was one of the most peaceful beaches I've ever been to. 

And here we ended up at Rasta's (also known as the Bob Marley Bar) for lunch. Check them out here

GREAT menu, GREAT food, GREAT drinks, fun atmosphere, another place where our table was on the beach, and lots of ocean sounds.  No swimming here though, we didn't have our water shoes with us & didn't want to brave the sharp rocks in flip flops - too risky.

And we were back at the Coral Princess, where we had a connecting room with Shawn's mom & fiance', so we had a nice living room, another balcony to enjoy, and a full kitchen.

And our view from the balcony... :) We saw dolphins and some jumping fish right off the bat!

Shawn had new goggles to try out, but not quite yet! 

Our next stop was to get our own rental car, which turned out to be a 2005 beige Chevy with NO radio and NO AIR CONDITIONING for $35/day. Finally, another car in our fleet, and on to the grocery store. 

And just downstairs from the grocery store, we found some Cuban Cigars! 

Back to unload, and finally get in the water at the Coral Princess. Shawn tried to go in the water without fins - a small mistake with the current there.  He learned quickly! :) Within twenty minutes, we saw starfish, a moray eel, TONS of fish, sea urchins, and people learning to scuba dive. And then it was happy hour, and I was introduced to the Dirty Monkey, a mixed drink with banana in it.  We skyped a little, watched Rob go night snorkeling, and went to bed. 

The next day was pretty relaxed.  We woke up, had room service, and then went down to snorkel (with fins this time!) and we saw another starfish. Lunch, drove around the island, had a special moment on the beach, went back to Rasta's to get some t-shirts and something to drink - we didn't take any water with us when we left the hotel and we were parched! We made our way back to the hotel, saw some dolphins and decided to go snorkeling again.  Another fun "dive": blue tang, parrot fish, starfish, Rob found a sea cucumber, and more rays.  We stayed down by the pool until sunset, and then came back up to the room and watched Harry Potter. 

The next morning, Rob was heading out for a morning dive with his scuba gear, so we were able to see him and the other people get their equipment ready while we sat on our balcony with our breakfasts and get ready to go shopping! First stop: RON JONS! But, like any touristy place, there were a bunch of pushy salespeople trying to make money. After a few hours of that, Shawn, his mom and I went to Margaritaville! And of course I tried a margarita and a Cheeseburger in Paradise! We were also able to go swimming there, which was pretty cool! And "I blew out my flip flop", stepped on a board walk (name that Jimmy Buffet song!).  And back to the hotel to rest up for dinner at his mom's finance's parents, who are permanent residents on the island. By the time we got back from that, there was fireworks on the main land, probably for all the American tourists as it was the 4th of July, and then after a long day, the bed was calling us.

So our next day was pretty cool. We were going to see some Mayan ruins! But first, pop tarts and tea for breakfast.  It was pretty interesting outside, it was just thundering (no rain), and lots of pretty rainbows.  Off to San Gervasio!! TIP: Get there in the morning, close to opening hours for a smaller crowd, and you're also not in the heat of the afternoon! After parking, DRINK WATER AND PUT ON A TON OF BUG REPELLANT!!! Find something with some deet... we were there in the beginning of July and there were a TON of mosquitoes.  Thank goodness for bug repellant.  The lotion, in my opinion, works better than the spray.

Who better to first greet you at the Mayan ruins than a native iguana! 

While some people see these ruins as just that, ruins, the effective tour guide will take you back to the time where it was an active community and bring history back to life.  I mean, think about it.  You are walking on the same stones Mayans walked on hundreds of years ago.  You are walking on their sidewalk, their back porch, their temple base. Our guide was phenomenal, explaining the significance of the specifically numbered steps, bricks, placement, etc.  He was funny, interactive, and extremely knowledgeable.  That is what truly makes a great tour.

The photo below is pretty interesting to me.  Not only is the arch in the direct center of the island (equal miles in both directions to the coast), the building of the structure was carefully done.  The brickwork, its layout, the number of bricks to create the arch, all had a specific purpose. And back then, walking through it was a great way to come through as a new person. 

Following our awesome tour, we went for another drive to a nature preserve that had more ruins, lots of watchtowers, some ruins that have ties to pirates, a lighthouse, and a GREAT beach with some amazingly clear water. The photo below was our first stop after seeing some of the ruins. And of course, we had to climb the tower, but before we could do that, we spotted a predator!

Look at this Gator!! We estimated him to be about 8-10 feet long.  He was moving around a little when we were there - but we definitely kept our distance. 

So this is the lighthouse we got to climb! Picture from the top is a few down, don't worry! (Funny, we had to sign a book at the bottom of the stairs as a "in case of injury" release. Smart!)

A cannon recovered from the ocean just a few miles off the coast (which at one time, did have REAL pirates). 

Here is where some of the pirate lore comes in.  According to the history at the lighthouse, a pirate used this now ruin (below) as a jail for prisoners to see the freedom the seas allowed, and how close they were to it.  The pirate had bars on the doors (the archways), spaced big enough for the iguanas to be able to go through them! Eek!

As promised, one of the many photos from the top of the lighthouse below.

So after all the ruins, the gator, the lighthouse, and a small museum, we were pretty hungry! Back to Rastas, where this time, instead of a beach dog, had a beach cat joining us.  He sure liked part of a hamburger!

Finally. Some relaxation at the hotel! And a shower from all that sweat, sea water, bug repellant, and sunscreen! We joined in for happy hour and a quick dip in the pool, and then went out to look at some of the shops.  We found one place that had a TON of cowboy boots, but they were overpriced, peeling, and had pointed toes (not a Shawn favorite). So for some reliability and a burger that tasted like a burger (SHAWN), we went back to Magaritaville for dinner and some presents to bring back home.  Do I hear a Parrothead out there?? :) We got the same waiter we had the other day.  His name is Carlos, and was pretty awesome in remembering our preferences and making it a memorable experience.  So obviously, we had to take a picture with him. DUH!

By the time we were ready to leave, it was a DOWNPOUR. Like, island downpour. Which was pretty intense. But as soon as we made it back to the hotel, it was like a wall of rain.  They had dry roads, just clouds. For the love! So Rob went on a night dive when we got back, and watching him in the ocean in the dark with just a flashlight, fins, and a snorkel & mask was pretty cool. And in Rob fashion, came back with some scratches from doing Rob things, like getting close to coral, fish, etc. What was also pretty cool, as we were watching him from the balcony, this little gecko decided to join us! 

And that was the night.  We were up the next day by 6:30, visited the "iguana beach" or "Jurassic Park" and went to breakfast at a place called the Museum soon after. Shawn and I went off to do our own thing - drive around the island by ourselves, sightsee, and see some more ruins.  Well, just a ruin in el Cedral. It's in this little town that's postcard perfect of a small, quaint Mexican village, but we couldn't find it! (But we did find some teeter-totters.)  One of the shopkeepers helped us out though big time.  We couldn't find the ruin, couldn't find any signs, couldn't find parking, anything. I guess that's what happens when we start sightseeing so early and we aren't on island time! So he's like, park here in the shade, let me open your doors, walk down this road, there's a sign, and then there's the ruin.  Next to it is the oldest Catholic church on the island c. 1827.  

Naturally, after our walking adventure, we went in the helpful man's shop to browse.  Thankfully, there were some things that we could bring back as presents and personal purchases! And apparently because we were his first customers, we got a considerable discount.  He was pretty friendly, laughing, joking, and being a decent human being. A refreshing change from the shopkeepers on the main drag of the island trying anything and everything to get you in to their stores and buying something.  

(Funny insert: not even kidding, some shopkeeper on the main drag went up to Shawn and said, "come into my shop and find something you like, and if you don't find anything you like I go steal it for you!" Now I know he was being funny, but it shows the desperation they have to just make a few dollars.)

We said goodbye to el Cedral, and headed back to the hotel for some lunch and relaxing beach time. Something I noticed on the way down to the pool & beach area was the lending library the hotel had, of books, magazines, and all sorts of quiet activities for people to do.  I chose a book called, "The Shut Mouth Society" by James D. Best, about a mystery involving President Lincoln, secret societies, and lots of interesting twists. I'd love to read it again at some point and add it to my book collection, but I'll have to wait on that. So for a few hours, we rotated between relaxing on the beach/reading and jumping in the ocean to cool off and just get wet. 

Soon it was almost dinnertime, courtesy of room service, and a movie night with some wine (Arrogant Frog Pinot Noir). We had a really pretty sunset! We also did another loop around the island - the next day we had to return the rental car! 

And now begins the winding down part of the vacation.  We woke up to three dolphins (one baby) in the ocean, not far from where we were. We made breakfast, and went to see how much it was to rent a Harley for a day. NOPE! No go. $150 for a sports bike for 24 hours. That's more than our rental car for six days!!! So we gassed up the car, and had fun trying to find the rental place.  Not much happened that day, except that Shawn tried some Key Lime pie. SUCCESS! A winner. And lots of reading, relaxing, beach time, and the occasional check on the news (the Clinton investigation when Comrey was being questioned -so exciting - not really). Shawn and Rob went night snorkeling as well, and saw some pretty cool stuff.

The next day we slept in & had breakfast at the hotel's restaurant that included a cactus breakfast dish! There were birds everywhere, and Jurassic Park just steps away (photo below). Another relaxation day - beach, lounging, and happy hour.  Dinner, however, was on the town because it was our last night in Cozumel! Shawn's mom and Rob took us on a car ride before dinner, because they didn't have to turn in their rental car until the next day.  We went through the really poor part of the island - heartbreaking.  Dogs everywhere, homes made from anything they could find. Little puppies walking down the street. We also found a Mexican cemetery.  Did you know that the island's cemetery is mostly above ground and you RENT a space for your loved one for generally four years, and then either ship the body to be buried on the mainland, or get them cremated? Pretty interesting. On our way back to the main part of the island for dinner, we also passed the island prison - kind of scary! 

Dinner was at a place called Woody's where Shawn tried fish, and still hates it. To everyone else, it was pretty top notch. There was also a singer there, Paco? He was really good, and Shawn's mom has a CD of his work.  Back to the hotel for a final night snorkeling experience! Shawn and Rob went out again and saw squid, jellyfish (with stings to prove it), eel, flying fish, crabs, rays, and more. What a way to end vacation. And Rob caught a moth in the hotel room and let it out the patio. Aw.

We woke up to another breakfast this time with Julie and Rob at the hotel restaurant and went back to packing.  Rob's dad met us to bring us to the airport with 2.5 hours until our flight.  Did you know that Cozumel's airport only has six gates?? Another connecting flight in Atlanta. Bye, Cozumel, thank you for some amazing memories!

A fun thing that we found out in Atlanta - since we were in first class we were part of the Delta Sky Club, a special part in the airport that had a (free) small buffet, a (cash) bar, lounge, wifi, single bathrooms with showers, and more.  They even had Palmetto cheese - only found in South Carolina's coast, made in Pawley's Island! Pretty nifty. Our takeoff from Atlanta left us with a cool show in the distance - there was a thunderstorm and the lightning was interesting to see from our height! 

And welcome to Buffalo, where the local time was LATE, but we were ready for bed and some ferret yawns, puppy kisses and kitty cuddles.

Honestly, should you ever make it to the island, bring at least three swim suits, a few shirts, shorts, a pair of sneakers, flip flops, and something for a night out. Because it will be hot, wet, and humid. That's really all you need. I recommend getting some local sunscreen from Mega's or other grocery store - it is ozone safe and helps save the wildlife in the ocean and the coastline. And it WORKS! 

Hope these photos were bringing you closer to a paradise we were blessed to have explored!