These two weeks have come and gone, and so ends my beautiful Mexican holiday. My husband and I had quite the busy year last year, and spending some time at the end of 2014 and the beginning of 2015 just recharging and reflecting was exactly what we needed.
We joined his family in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, a lovely beach town on the Bay of Banderas. This bay keeps Puerto Vallarta protected from the larger Pacific Coast waves and the angle of the coast allows for beautiful sunsets.
We spent the majority of our days on the beach or around the pool, catching up with one another or a book. We’d venture out for dinner, trying a new place or a regular favorite. Our first night in town we discovered Pancho’s Takos, which is rated really high on Trip Advisor. It didn’t take long to find out why. This little taco stand turned restaurant specializes in al pastor, or Mexican pork kebab, which is cooked and cut right on the street. We devoured al pastor quesadillas, tacos, volcanes, and more! And then we went back a week later with the rest of the family and consumed even more. Pancho’s was a new favorite from this trip.
We saw a few incredible sunsets, which continue to leave me breathless when I look back over the photos. I even wrote an entire blog post on sunsets inspired from the beauty that I’ve witnessed here over these weeks.
Exploring the city streets with my camera by my side has a been a highlight as well. I just got my new Panasonic GH3 before we left, and I loved experimenting with the new setting and becoming more comfortable with it. I’ve been really happy with the results, and expanding my photography. I even had an Instagram featured on the Puerto Vallarta tourism account! This city is so full of life and color. There’s character around every street corner, and I don’t think I could capture it all if I tried. The Church of our Lady Guadeloupe is a central icon in Puerto Vallarta’s historic downtown. I probably photographed it 3 different days! It’s a beautiful church with gorgeous architecture
We had a blast in Sayulita, Mexico, which is just a 45 minute drive from Puerto Vallarta. Another blog covers all we experienced on that adventure, but needless to say, it was a favorite memory from this trip.
But probably the best thing about this holiday was just being with family. We’re preparing to move overseas to Southeast Asia in just a couple months, and our family will become quite far away as a result. Having this time together, uninterrupted by work or schedules, we truly were just able to be together. I’ll remember this holiday forever.
An American Mom in Asia 