I've taken some time off Hive & Listnerds to get my family moved into our new home here in Playa del Carmen. I wanted to keep updating while I was going but things didn't go exactly as planned so I felt I needed the time off.
Plus I thought I'd give others a chance on Listnerds 😆.

Moving is not my thing. I have moved so many times, both as a child and as an adult, I wouldn't even be able to tell you how many times...
I know between my birth and 12th birthday, I moved more than 12 times.
And I'd say my eldest daughter is pretty close to that number too at age 20 now.
So not as bad as my parents, I guess...
I never blamed them for moving so often though because there was always a very good reason for it.

The same goes for me now: there's always a good reason for moving.
There was a good reason we moved from The Netherlands to Ireland, and there was an even better reason for moving from Ireland here to Mexico.
This time around, it was luxury, pure luxury, but with good intentions.

From Old to New

The apartment we came from wasn't perfect. I don't ask for perfect. But that one was just not a great place for us. It was a bit rundown, with kitchen cabinet doors magically falling from their hinges, and some had soaked up moisture and this was visible...
Well, of course, it wasn't exactly magic that made them fall off, it was just bad maintenance, and after months or even years of being exposed to moisture, you can't blame those screws for coming loose and letting go of the crappy wood that once surrounded them. I don't blame the screws. I blame the owner.
To be honest, I am quite surprised that this place was ever rented out as an Airbnb because if I would have looked at it twice after we got the keys, I would have turned around and opted for something else.
We didn't have a choice though, it was paid for and there we were.

The neighborhood was nice, quite a few neighbors were lovely, and we've even made some friends there. Our upstairs neighbor Patricia, for instance, and her adult daughter Vanessa, are the nicest women you'll ever meet. Originally from Mexico City, well traveled, perfect English, and always there for a chat.
There is nothing superficial about these two. What you see is what you get.

Omar, who lives in the next apartment block, and his upstairs neighbor and best friend Julio were the first people to ever talk to me at the pool, and invite me for a drink. I had a good laugh with them, and we seemed to agree on lots of things. Omar helped me find someone to move our stuff. A few suitcases doesn't seem to be much but we also have the dog carriers, and one for the cat, and these took up most space. Packing was done in a day, that wasn't an issue.
I'm never going back to accumulating a bunch of needless stuff. It was such a blessing not having to drag half a household with us...

Then there was Renata, my youngest son's bestie. Whenever she sees my son, her eyes light up and she'll have the biggest smile on her face. True friendship, even though both only barely speak each others' language. Kids do that. They just get along. I got along really well with her parents, so we promised to keep in touch, and not just for the kids.

On the other corner, we had Alex and his wife and two dogs. Great people, always ready for a chat and advice while walking the dogs.

And last but not least, there's Miguel from the hottest place in Mexico, even in the winter, and his partner Connie, whom I befriended and since discovered we have several mutual interests. I never said good bye to them because she was visiting her mom in South Carolina, while he was away to Tabasco.
But I'm sure we'll meet them again.

The Bittersweet

It's weird how, after only 7 months, we could get so attached to people we barely know. It's strange how this goes here but somehow we just seem to attract the right people, at the right time.
I can honestly say that I have more friends and good acquaintances here now, than I had in the 10 years I was in Ireland.

So yes, it was a bittersweet good bye. But it seems like everyone is quite content with the new place.
And it is an absolute gem of a place.
Three pools, two of which are semi Olympic sized.
Enough for me to do my daily laps. I skipped quite a few in the other place, simply because with the heat, even the water was warm. It felt like swimming in lukewarm soup, and who wants that?
Here, the water is lovely and cool. One of the pools is just across our house, the others are a 1 minute walk. No complaints there!

But I won't keep you completely in the dark. I'll share some photos.
Let me know what you think!

Stay tuned for my moving adventure, because it was quite a crazy day last Monday.

One last thing before I go...
Last night, before bed, I took a shower and enjoyed a moment on my own on the rooftop, and I heard...
NOTHING!
Perfect. I know I've done the right thing. And that's what it's all about...

Part of the living room/ dining area. As you can probably see: The owner really loves African art 😆

Two kiddos plunked in front of the TV after a 'hard' day of moving, and swimming in the new pool...

My domain 😆

The seating area out back. It's bigger than this. We have a guest living there! A frog!

Our Rooftop

View from rooftop

Another rooftop view. That's the entrance to the pool, and the apartment building across the street

The front view from the roof

The little jungle path to the pool

And last but not least: View of the pool from under the palapa. What else would we want?

Tomorrow: Beach time!