I'm going to Vallarta... Me amo a Vallarta

I've never really enjoyed writing as it has felt more like a chore, but every time that I have taken the time to jot down some thoughts or detail my adventures, I have always enjoyed returning to the writing.  After a few folks suggested that I start a blog of my current adventure in Puerto Vallarta, I figured it would be fun to not only return to the experience at some point in the future, but to also share my experiences with family and friends.  Hopefully, these posts will be as amusing for you to read as they are for me to write.

So, here goes nothing...

Puerto Vallarta (PV)

Bay of Banderas and Puerto Vallarta

Puerto Vallarta is an amazing place.  The people are friendly, the food is awesome, and the setting is breathtaking.  Located on the Pacific side of Mexico, Puerto Vallarta lives on the Bay of Banderas.  While PV is, in many ways, paradise, there is so much more history that makes each trip down here feel like I am coming home.  My father first came to Puerto Vallarta as a child, beginning in the late 1960's when Puerto Vallarta was a just a small fishing village.  My father's aunt married a man, Lou Foote, who's boat had been stolen and recovered in Puerto Vallarta in the late 1930's.  When Lou traveled to Puerto Vallarta to bring the boat back to California, he fell in love with Vallarta, and ultimately became an ambassador for the village, not to mention spending about 6 months a year living in the village.  During my father's childhood, he had the opportunity to spend three summers in PV with his aunt and uncle (Lou).  Many of his stories include a local boy named Felipe that was about 9 years his senior.  After a 15 year hiatus from Vallarta, my father reconnected with the city and his friend, Felipe.  Our families have become friends over the years and there isn't a trip to Puerto Vallarta where we don't at least see Felipe and his wife, Teresa.  In 2004, my parent's love of Puerto Vallarta finally culminated in the purchase of a condo in Amapas, a neighborhood overlooking the city.  Ultimately, we have incredible stories from Vallarta and some of my favorite family stories are from our trips to the city.    

November 2013, L-R: Sharon (my mom), Teresa, Felipe, me

First experience in PV

Villa Olivia formerly "Casa Mas o Menos"

My father has now been to Vallarta countless times.  He first introduced my mom to the city in the late 80's and my brother and I were introduced when my family rented a house called Casa Mas o Menos in April 1992.  I remember celebrating Easter searching for plastic eggs filled with candy and pesos that my grandmother had hid throughout the 4-story home.  That was also the first time that I tried to catch a gecko by climbing on top of a closet in my grandparents' bedroom, and the first time that I saw a douche.  I can still vividly remember my mom trying to explain what it was to me.  Funny how many times over the years, I brought that up to her as a kid.  I guess anytime you put 4 adults and 4 kids in a house in a foreign country, there are bound to be stories...  This particular trip was quite an adventure.  My brother, about 7 at the time, accidentally walked into the pool fully clothed, just before we were leaving for dinner. Another night, my parents agreed to leave my cousin and I in the house because we didn't want to partake in the evening activity and we locked ourselves out of the house as we explored what we thought was a fire next to the house.  It was just the neighbors burning their trash, but why would an 8 and 9 year old from the states know that?  Instead, we thought we should explore what was happening, locked ourselves out of the house, and were found wondering around the streets of Vallarta looking for someone to help us, while trying to figure out what to do.  While my parents weren't amused at the time, we definitely laugh about that evening now.

Back so soon?
Vallarta is the home where no worries exist for me.  After a few years away, I finally found myself back to visit in November 2013.  I had an incredible trip with my mom, met some wonderful people, and came back to the states with a sense of renewed self.  At the end of my first week back, I sat down to chat with Steven, the CEO of the company that I was working with, who happens to be a good friend.  After launching the Wannado app over the summer months in Nashville, we (as a company) decided to focus on the technology before preparing to scale, which meant that what I had been brought on to do was somewhat on hold.  After an incredible time in Vallarta, a renewed sense of adventure, and a very strong urge to leave Nashville (I was actually planning to move to Austin in May 2013 when I first met Steven), I figured this conversation and change of plans was an opportunity that I couldn't pass up.  I was sad to be leaving such an incredible group of people, but the door was open in the future if I wanted to return... of course, if the timing was right.  It really is amazing how everything can change in an instant and usually, at the right time.

Why Vallarta?

Lux and Morgan... because everyone
should know who they are ;)

After some thought about what I wanted to do first with this new found freedom, I realized that I had always regretted not spending a few months in Puerto Vallarta learning Spanish.  I figured that I could always find a week or two for a trip to China, but finding a few months to live in Mexico may never be possible again.  I called my parents to secure the condo and booked my flights.  Not only would Mexico be an incredible experience, but there is no reason that I couldn't figure out where I wanted to move to after Mexico, while in Vallarta.  In one week, I had rented my town home, moved my stuff into storage, found temporary homes for Morgan, Lux, and my jeep, and said my first round of goodbye's to Nashville.  I would be back in March before actually moving for good, but two to three months was still a good bit of time to be away.