What Happens In Mexico…

One of the biggest questions parents face today is – do I vacation with our without the kids? As a single mom, lately I feel like I’ve been a contestant on Running Man – millions of people just watching me from their screens daily to see if I will make it out alive. A lot of judgment gets thrown around as people see you doing things without your kids – you know, showering alone, going out to eat with friends, or gasp – a vacation without them.

 

What a lot of people don’t understand about single parenting, is that I actually spend days without my son, because he is with his father. So, what is a single parent to do? Forced to sit at home alone on their couch because they are afraid to be seen as a bad parent because they go out one night with friends or go away for a weekend? There is a lot of things behind the scenes in everyone’s life you don’t know – so relax a little. We could all use that. And that’s exactly what I did. In Mexico.

You may have heard of this little popular destination called Dreams Riviera Cancun – about 20 minutes outside of Cancun. It just happens to be one of the most popular wedding destinations in the world. But – how does one resort keep both newly weds, families and single friends all happy? That in itself seems as unattainable as perfect parenting, so I was curious to see what was going on down here on the Gulf side of Mexico.

We arrived late in the evening, and even after 8pm you’re greeted with a thick, heavy humid Mexican welcome. Typically I arrive early in the am to get in a full day at the beach, but the night arrival was transforming. Upon walking in, you feel like you’re in jungle of the 1930s. Huge towering pillars, bamboo leaf ceiling fans, opens walls where the music is the hot Caribbean wind gusting through lush trees surrounding you. To the side you’ll see a classic Humphrey Bogart bar with buttoned up waiters line the lobby – almost as if time stands still. It’s the perfect setting for Ernest Hemingway to be downing booze and concoct his next novel.

Remember, you’re VIP here, so you’re escorted directly to a VIP concierge desk greeted with water, champagne and check-in. A brief discussion on where the closest food is (restaurants are open daily till 11pm), and it was off to the room to remove our sweat laden attire for a breezy linen dress and open-toed shoes.

Exhausted, we opted for a quick dinner on the beach – with salty winds gusting at us as we threw back a few Jack Daniels and ribeye. As I mentioned, weddings are a huge hit here (they’re booked out months in advance), so we didn’t need to worry about entertainment – we had a full DJ and dance party to our right. On the walk back to the room, we saw another bridal party tearing it up on the sandy deck, and I thought – two weddings and it’s only Thursday? However, once to our own private balcony, the parties died down (by 11pm) and the only thing we could hear were crashing waves and palm trees whistling in the wind.

Sunrise comes early as f in the summer – in New York I’m greeted each day at 5:40 with the peeking rays, and that doesn’t change a few hours south. But, that’s what you’re here for, right? I saw the deep reds in the clouds and though – it must be at least 7am! I looked over and Geanine was already awake herself so we decided to get up and walk down to the sand at a brisk 6am. Morning coffee with a side of ocean salt and breeze is pretty close to perfection. No one is really up this early, so for a few minutes in time, you’re actually alone in a foreign country with just you, yourself, your thoughts and the ocean. This is what I refer to as self-actualization. That very tip of Maslow’s hierarchy of life that many claim to be a myth. As Maslow himself said, “What a man can be, he must be.”

This moments are rare, but you must learn to recognize them when they present themselves. This level of need refers to what a person’s full potential is and the realization of that potential. Maslow describes this level as the desire to accomplish everything that one can, to become the most that one can be.

The moment passes as I realize I’m out of coffee and it’s still Friday and I need to get a few items of work done before I can really enjoy the day. I want to take a second here to also acknowledge something quick. I bring up self –actualization because for me, this is it. My goal in life (besides being a kick-ass mother) was to be able to work anywhere in the world. I wanted to be able to stay home and be with my son, but I also wanted him to see that I valued my work as a person, too. We all have our own views on how to make life work, that’s the beauty of it, but mine was for him to look back and see that I made it work – that I could be the mom he needed and still not give up my dreams of being a journalist. I may not be in the trenches of war as I wanted in Grad School, but being able to write deadlines from the balcony of Dreams Riviera Cancun as the hot Mexican sun rises in front of me is the one thing I wanted out of my career. So, spending a few hours on Mexican wifi to submit articles back home in New York and have someone deliver a huge hot pot of coffee and fresh fruit is truly bliss. (Yes, Dreams has free, and pretty good wifi throughout the resort. In your rooms, you can connect up to three devices at a time.)

Now it’s only 8:30am. Work is done, breakfast was consumed and there’s really nothing standing between Geanine and I and the beach.

We decide to be American tourists today to get a full experience, and grab a couple chairs next to the pool overlooking the sand. We have one of the best views of the resort. To the left we see a few people starting to emerge and wade in the infinity pool. Some small children and their father’s are playing soccer on the sand. A worker is still skimming some leaves from the wind out of our tiny little soaking pool in front of us. We lather up with sunscreen, sip some water and of course, take a few photos for social media.

I brought along this new waterproof case for my cell phone from AquaVault (see the video evidence here), and decide we should really test it – in the ocean. Geanine laughs at me like I’m crazy (which she does to me at least 5 or 6 times a day) and we walk down to the beach. Now, remember this is Mexico on the tip. The winds are extremely gusty here, and if you look out, you’ll see a break about ½ mile out in the water – this we are told, is the second largest coral reef in the world. It also produces a lot of seaweed. So much seaweed in fact that you’ll see a tractor going up and down the beach periodically to scoop it up. I feel like I’m right at home on the farm. But these conditions don’t give you the same docile, clear waters of Turks and Caicos. It’s wavy and murky. For those of you who like to know what’s touching you in the water, well, you might want to stick to the pool. Lots of seaweed is going to tickle your feet. And if you choose to throw your phone in the ocean like some of us, make sure it has a cord that you’re holding onto.

After our waterproof testing we walk past a bar that has opened that happens to have swings for seats. In celebration of my phone’s oceanic adventure survival, we decide to have a drink (remember, everything here is inclusive, so those pina coladas are complimentary). Swinging and sipping is one of the best ways to escape reality. I am pretty sure Jimmy Buffet has been here and this exact bar was inspiration for one of his songs.

We decide we should go check on our chairs, and as we get back, it’s now 10am and PR Newswire (how ironic) is having a company getaway. They’re about to embark on a photo scavenger hunt, which the director loudly reminds those who didn’t bring their phones, that it’s a PHOTO hunt as stated on the itinerary. Geanine and both laugh and decide we want to secretly crash and partake in this photo hunt – maybe teach them a thing or two about quality content, right?

We sit back and watch them for a while, trying to get creative with Mexican weddings and Gatito on the beach (a man in full feathers with a stuffed dead cat on his head). I see the open window of opportunity and decide to get Mexican married myself. How’s the saying go… what happens in Mexico, stays in Mexico – right?

Gatito is running around striking poses with the kids and I realize that Maximo would LOVE this dude and I run down to help him collect a few feathers that the ocean winds have tried to steal. I also steal a few photos to take home to show my son. 

11:30am. A press trip isn’t complete without a insider’s tour of the grounds. We walk up to the lobby to meet the locals and see why this is such a highly acclaimed place to visit. We meet with the social media director (you’re shocked to hear resorts in Mexico have one?) who tells us she lives about 30 minutes away and loves the area here and working for Dreams. Like most natives, she loves spicy food so we joke that we’re going to down jalapeños for lunch (notice the foreshadowing). We peek around at the wedding halls and their own personal wedding planners.

As I mentioned, this resort alone books up quick – and they have weddings planned well into 2018 already. I joke that it’s like the Plaza of NYC – you call them to book your wedding after getting the ring even before calling to tell your family or post your rock on Facebook. But it’s easy to see why – they know how to throw a wedding, and everything is here for you. They set it up, tear it down, and you can pick just how you want to say I do – sunset, beach…and they’re aware that rain can ruin a wedding, so they have backup plans. Don’t worry, Bridezillas they have you covered.

Then we see the biggest selling point to parents – The Explorer’s Club. As I briefly mentioned to Geanine, bringing Max here alone as a single parent could be tough, but Dreams is aware of that. Here, you can drop off your kids to have fun basically all day if you want, while you can go spend an hour alone at the beach, or at a wedding rehearsal. Kids get to play, you get to relax – everyone wins!

The parent must stay on the properly to leave the children here, but they also have babysitting services if you want to leave, or just have someone put the kids to bed while you attend to your bridesmaid services. Max would love it in here – from climbing structures to flat screen tvs and an interactive learning table, he’d be shrieking for joy with other kids and would most likely choose to want to venture in here over other boring aspects like just laying around on the beach with mom.

They do have fun things for kids outside of the play space as well – jungle gyms on the beach, and this really cool art area. Kids and adults alike can pick a ceramic and paint it under a palm-leaf shaded roofs right on the beach.

We learn there are three main pools – all are kid-friendly but one has water basketball, one has ping pong tables (in the water!), and one is an infinity pool with swim-up bar.

All of the rooms are identical – except the suites that are larger just for families (or newly weds) with a full kitchen. These can host up to five people per room while the regular rooms hold four. The beautiful part about this upper-scale resort is that it’s not your typical family getaway where they have the basic amenities. All rooms come with really great shampoos and body lotions (and even sunscreen and bug spray!), and if you’re in the VIP rooms – complimentary mini bar and snacks. Yes! Vodka and M&Ms for all!

All rooms have Jacuzzis on their balconies, and some also have their own private infinity pools. Trust me, I tested it out – a hot Jacuzzi during an impeding tropical storm is pretty fantastic.

Then it’s time for my favorite part – the food. There are six restaurants on the resort: Italian, Asian, French (no kids allowed), Mexican, beach dining and a 24-hour buffet that allows you to eat even if you leave for a plane at 4:30am (or have a craving after 1am drinks).

One of the coolest features I thought was also the walk-up snack bar by the pool. How many of us have sat down to eat only to have our kids NOT eat and then tell us 10 minutes after we leave that they’re hungry? Dreams seriously gets kids and has a walk-up hot dog, hamburger, quesadilla and pizza dining area on standby. That way when Max says, “mommy I want a hot dog….” I can literally walk right over and grab one. Now that’s worth traveling for.

The chef has prepared a fancy special menu just for us of course, and we sit down to experience some Mexican hospitality. First out is a blacked ceviche accompanied by ice cold cucumber mojitos (which quickly become Geanine’s favorite). You can see the “tiny” jalapeños garnishing the dish, and I think to myself – oh, a little kick, great!

They don’t call them Mexican jalapeños for nothing – even our guide chocked up over their heat. One more cucumber mojito, please! For an all inclusive resort, the food is well beyond par. Lamb chops, fish tacos, pan con queso – and this is only lunch.

After another quick dip and bobble in the choppy ocean, we decide to walk up and check out the Chef’s garden – every Friday at 3pm he hosts a communal paella recipe class and wine tasting. It’s beautiful – right off the beaten path you’ll find his actual garden where they grow most of the vegetables and herbs for cooking right here on the resort. We sit down at a table right in front of the massive wok and strike up a conversation with grandparents and their grandsons from New Orleans. These two came down to getaway while their granddaughter is vacationing for her senior trip a few miles away in Cancun. They wanted to give her her space, but be close – just in case. Now, this is a great idea and I can’t wait to implement it on Maximo’s kids down the road. We talk about food, mostly shrimping, and simple country life and how I grew up with that as well. Then it’s like a scene out of Forrest Gump – we talk shrimp – and more shrimp. Boiled shrimp, popcorn shrimp, shrimp gumbo (the New Orleans word for paella), small shrimp, large shrimp, the price of shrimp….and I can’t help but be fascinated with their passion.

The chef calls us to join and gives us all aprons. The wife joins us as we sauté hot garlic, saffron, steak, lobster clams and mussels and the kind gentlemen offers to be our photog. We talk with the chef as we’re stirring and mixing (between sips of freshly brewed sangria) and learn just how much he really enjoys making the food for his guests, as any good chef would. He even gives us a tour of his private garden and of course, jumped in for a selfie.

With a full stomach and feeling a little slurry from all the sangria, Geanine and I make our way next door to the spa for our mud wraps and hydropool time.

We see the fish. Ok – so you have to do it once, right? Sign us up. After having our feet cleaned they prompt us to drop our feet in the water – but these little fish look like they’re ready for a frenzy on my toes and it’s a little intimidating. After a lot of laughs and shrieks, I finally take the plunge and They. Go. Wild. How does it feel? Exactly how you think it will – weird. You have about two dozen little fish eating your skin. It tickles, especially when they try to squeeze in between your toes. It lasts about 20 minutes followed by a five minute massage. They sit you back, put a warm face mask over your eyes that smells of roasted nutmeg and cacao, and for those few minutes, I actually signed off from the world.

So what do the fish actually do? Not really sure – I didn’t notice a significant change, but it’s the nostalgia factor, right?

Then we decide to take on this hydrotherapy pool – which offers different massage jets for different parts to relax you and work out knots.  Pretty sure I took it on a little better than this guy:

The spa is hidden deep in the jungle and few steps away from the bustling resort so you hear nothing but the jets in the Jacuzzi. After some cold cucumbers on our eyes and a water massage, I curled up in a robe and towels under some palm trees for a late afternoon nap.

They then came to get me as Geanine and I decided to get a “couples” seaweed wrap. We laughed for a moment but then quickly succumb to the tranquility of the moment. You are first scrubbed down with a sea salt (warning – if you have a sunburn – you might not want to opt into one of these rubs!), and then lathered in a cool thick sludge that is then wrapped around you. As they let it sit, you receive a soothing facial massage – or even a super trendy hair braid. No really!

Then they direct you to a private outdoor shower to remove the seaweed before returning for a full body rub down. Since it is now evening, the sun is down and nothing is better than a long day followed by a simple pampering and fading streaks of daylight.

We walk back to the room greeted by the warm moist ocean breeze to clean up briefly and head to dinner. In honor of Geanine, we decide Italian will be delicious. And we’re on vacation, carbs don’t count.

The restaurants on the resort don’t require reservations, so we walk right up (except for the hibachi table – since there are only two with limited seating, you can call the day of to reserve spots). The beautiful layout we saw earlier in the day is now dimmed with cozy lighting. We’ve earned a big meal, and try it all – a consume figoli bean soup, Buttered Sage Ravioli, Grouper with pea and mint, and of course, a ricotta cheesecake for dessert.

I wish I could say that we partied the night away, but we’re still moms, and not in our twenties anymore. We went back to Facetime our children goodnight and crashed.

Day two comes tomorrow. To be continued….

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