MEXICO TRIP: VERANA, PART ONE

Ya'll.  We had the most amazing trip, which can be contributed to so many things.  We went someplace truly beautiful for the purpose of relaxation.  After almost nine years of marriage, we have gotten better at managing our expectations for trips together.  We met some really fun people that enhanced the whole experience.  On the whole, it could not have been any better, and we are so very grateful.

When we left in the very early hours of St. Patrick's Day, there was snow on the ground.  Nothing makes you more happy to leave on vacation than snow on the ground in mid-March.



Because we booked with miles, we had a long layover in Dallas, but that time was not wasted.  I got a massage, we had a long breakfast spent filling out our March Madness brackets, and we met the Hamburgler.  (I quite prefer the CFA Cows.)

Our travel was wonderfully uneventful.  After a cab ride from the Puerta Vallarta airport, we found ourselves in a tiny little town, waiting on a boat from Verana - the resort we stayed for most of our trip.

Our adventure began in earnest once we got into the boat.  It was a choppy ride, but the beauty was so enchanting that my sore tail bone was more than worth the journey.  We climbed the ladder onto the dock at the base of the hillside and started our walk up the hill that overlooks the ocean and the town of Yelapa.  Everything was so gorgeous.

Our arrival was marked by fresh limeades waiting for us and a tour of the property.  It is a "hand-made, boutique resort," and it lives up to the hype.  Most of the rooms are a combination of indoor/outdoor with few walls and lush jungle all around.  Everything is perfectly curated to make you feel at home and point you to the natural beauty all around.

We were walked to our room, which was called the "Bungalow."

By the end of Monday night, we were exhausted and passed out after a delicious dinner.  After an amazing breakfast, our only agenda item on Tuesday was to hang out at the pool on property.  It was a super tough gig.

(I'm sitting on Puff, the amazing Dragon inflatable, who was brought by our newly made friends.  Puff is supposed to be mailed to me after moonlighting at someone else's wedding in Verana this weekend.  We shall see.)

Tuesday night, we had a "Night Under the Stars" package that included a couples' massage, a candlelit dinner and then a candlelit bath under the stars.  It was just as amazing as it sounds.  I told John that I felt like we were on a date from The Bachelor, except for there were no cameras, and we actually know one another.

I just realized how much there is to tell, so I am breaking Verana up into two posts, and then there will be one more post about our time in Puerta Vallarta.

(for the blog post with Verana, Part Two - click here)