Our Year Away - Art, Food, Family, Magic and Adventure in the Yucatan

Moctezuma the Second was born into the ruling family of the Aztec  Empire around 1466, and quickly became a powerful general, leading many conquests that would expand the Aztec Empire across Mexico and beyond. In 1502  Moctezuma became the second Emporer of his name and was to rule the Aztecs until his death in 1520.  Maybe the most notable thing about  Moctezuma's reign was that he was the first Emporer to make contact with Cortés and the invading Spanish. He learned of Cortés' arrival long before actually meeting him, and decided to meet with the Spanish conquistador in peace, bringing him gifts and graciously overlooking the foreigner's ignorance of Aztec customs and resulting bad manners - which throws into question whether the powerful Emporer was really the indecisive, superstitious ruler that the history books describe. Never-the-less, this meeting coincided with war breaking out between the Spanish, the Aztecs, and other Mexican civilizations that w

We arrived in Mexico and lived happily ever after.  The end. Bahahahaha!!! JUST KIDDING! Before we even got to Mexico we got some great news at our departure gate in Orlando: after being checked in without comment, we were told that we could not board the plane to Cancun unless we had tickets out of Mexico. We had purchased one-way tickets as we were not sure of our plans.... but according to Jetblue, that is a no-no.  But -surprise!!!- they only tell you that right when you get to the gate, looking at your boarding passes and confusedly asking "um....why are there no seat numbers on these???" By that time I was all doped up on Lorazepam, so I wouldn't stroke-out from fear.  But I got on my smartphone and booked four random tickets from Cancun to Miami, for a random date. It's only 682 non-refundable dollars, no biggie.  Thanks, Jetblue, I know we'll become best friends. By the way, Orlando airport is creepy.  It's completely populated by angry 4-year

Oh my God. I am Going. To. Die. That is how I feel about being in an airplane.  This is a new phobia that developed over the last 10 years, and if you are phobic about flying, you know that is is not just a case of nerves.  Every moment from takeoff to landing is torture. Pure torture. I feel like I am on the verge of death the whole entire time. Which is the real reason that I convinced my poor husband that a scenic road trip through the States would be the greatest way ever to kick off our move to Mexico. At first it was going to be an epic road trip from Peterborough, Ontario aaaaaalllllll the way down through the States and Mexico to the South of Mexico then back up the Yucatan Peninsula.  I was actually really looking forward to that trip, because there is a heck of a lot to see between point A and B.  A lot of people make that drive safely, however after getting advice from a few people, both Mexicans and expats, about the best route to take, we decided that with two small

Maybe you are following this blog about moving our family to another country and thinking "Gee, I bet these people have some great tips on relocating/packing/travelling/being good at life!" It's true, blogs are a great way to learn from others' experience and get tips on how to do things. And these tips are available in many blogs. Other blogs. The blogs of super-organised people.  You should go check out their blogs for tips.  And then share them with me. Please. I need tips, dammit, TIPS! Seriously. I have no idea what the hell I am doing.  "Tie-dye my shorts" was an actual item on my to-do list. Got 'er done, though didn't I?  ;) But if you insist, here is how my family moves to Mexico: 1. Once you have made the decision to leave, put a big pot of panic on simmer on the back burner.  This constant low-grade anxiety will cause you to avoid thinking about the huge-ness of what you are doing at all costs, allowing you to procrastinate 

"Wow.....I could never do that! "   That is what most people say when we tell them we are moving to Mexico. In reality, anyone can sell their house, quit their jobs, take their kids out of school, sell all their stuff and move to another country.  But most people wouldn't. Most sane people, anyway.... Before we had kids, my husband, Louis and I were pretty impulsive travellers.  Want to ditch our wedding plans and elope to Thailand? Sure thing!  How about working in the Middle East for a few months? Why not! At one point we lived in 4 different Continents in the space of 3 months.  Things inevitably change when the wee ones arrive, however.  When you have a new pair of twin baby girls to care for living out of a backpack becomes much less appealing. Suddenly we had routines that we don't want disturbed, boxes of things that have sentimental value, and a comfy, cozy nest where everyone is safe and warm. And that has been a lovely phase in our lives - feelin