We got back from vacation this week! Zack and I finally went on our honeymoon…almost 8 years later. Getting married young and broke didn’t provide the opportunity to take a trip before life started but we made it. We finally did it and it was the best trip ever.
I shared our trip on problem solution essay topic but had several questions about where we stayed, who we went through to book, resort hospitality, my outfits (which makes me laugh-I’m not a fashionista) and more so I thought I’d blog about the whole experience.
I’ll try to go in chronological order of the trip so I don’t miss anything.
First let me start by saying, if you are on the fence about going on a trip with just you and your husband, DO IT. And don’t feel guilty about it. I did at first. It was expensive, we would have to leave the girls for a few days, we were spending time on ourselves, etc. That’s OK. After being a fireman’s wife, I’m more aware that each day isn’t promised. I’m a huge advocate for making your marriage a priority and I don’t want to wait until we are old to spend time on us. What if we don’t get that time? Obviously Zack and I don’t travel and take trips often, it took us 8 years to get this one but now I want to spend more of our money on making memories and less on stuff. I’ll never forget this week on the beach and I can’t wait to have more family adventures like this with our girls.
I booked this vacation last year and I went through Staci with Fairy Godmother Travel. She does anything from Disney trips to cruises to trips like ours at all inclusive resorts. She and her husband were newlyweds and my youth pastors my Junior and Senior year of high school so I loved being able to go through someone I knew and trusted. Not to mention, several of my friends have booked great vacations through her. My requests for this trip were tropical, all inclusive, pretty water, and white sand. She and I both did some research and we found our perfect spot.
What I love about going through Staci is that her services are free, she plans your entire trip from flights to transportation to and from the resort. She answered my plethora of questions and was so patient with me during the whole process. I’ve never really been anywhere so I had no idea what to expect. We also had the option to put a deposit down and pay here and there, having our trip paid in full just a month before we left. Otherwise we wouldn’t have had the chunk of money to put down and go. We have booked a surprise Disney trip for the girls later this year and are doing the same thing. I love having that option.
After lots of research we settled on Secrets Akumal in Riveria Maya. Hands down the most beautiful and accommodating resort. If you want a low key, adults only all inclusive place, this is it. Not once did I ever feel unsafe (we never left the resort) and it was such a simple process with getting there, checking in, etc. The staff was so helpful and we never asked or wanted for anything.
We left on Sunday and traveled most of the day. We had a little scare when Zack left his passport at customs but thankfully he got it back without too much hassle. Staci had arranged our transport from the airport to the resort which was about an hour and as soon as we arrived they took our luggage and gave us a tour. When we reached the lobby, someone was singing John Mayer live and we looked at each other and smiled, like this was the place. It was a sign. Haha (he’s my favorite musician) Being our honeymoon we went with a nicer room and had the Preferred Club Junior Suite Swim Out with a pool attached to our patio. We loved this and if we go back will be getting it again. We used that pool every day and swam a lot at night. Our room also had a large Jacuzzi tub inside. With the preferred club you also get access to more and its not that much extra. Our room was cleaned, bed made, mini bar re-stocked, fresh linens, and room picked up every day. They had a turn down service at night and would periodically call and check to make sure everything was going ok. One of our favorite things was the iPad in the room. On it, you would order your room service, book excursions, plan massages, and had the resort schedule for each day listed.
Made everything so easy and hassle free!
That evening we got settled into our room and walked around the resort. It gets quiet around 10:00 which I liked. They do have evening entertainment but this isn’t a party resort like some can be. We had a steak dinner and finished the evening at our pool. There are iguanas, geckos, and these Mexican monkeys roaming the grounds which were neat until they scared the daylights out of you in the dark.
Earrings| The Buckle
Necklace | Dear Heart
Swimsuit | Amazon {will have them all linked on my store at the bottom of the post}
Our first full day on the beach was awesome. The breeze coming off of the ocean made for a great nap and I had several of those while we were there. We played in the water off and on and used most of the day to get a good tan. The weather was incredible. We had a few showers while we were there but they never lasted more than five minutes.
They have a beach wait service that continuously brings food and drinks all day. The food was so stinking good. I’m pretty sure we had a cheese burger and quesadilla every single day and I love myself a good fruity drink. I was pretty shocked that we were about the only people there who tipped but we had great service and they deserved it. We did a dollar every time they brought something. I think Zack and I spent a total of $200 the entire time we were there and that was with transportation, room service, tipping all day and at meals along with the gifts we brought back and few snorkel items he purchased at the gift shop.
Glasses | Pit Viper
You can take the fireman out of the station but can’t take the station out of the fireman.
Our first night we had Italian which wasn’t our favorite but we got dressed up and had a good time. I wish I would have gotten a picture of the dress I wore that night. It was my favorite. An eyelet midi dress that zipped in the back with a pair of camel leather clogs. Most of the restaurants require dress clothes which I didn’t mind, we don’t get fancy that often.
Our second day was much the same and the following days would be as well. We spent the day on the sand and would get in the water here and there. Ate a lot and napped a lot. Everyone got a kick out of Zack’s fire helmet beach hat and mustache. From day one most of the staff referred to him as Poncho Villa. LOL My mom got the cute beach bag for me at Target and one thing you need to bring with you to the beach is a Bluetooth speaker. Zack and I love music and literally have it playing anywhere we are. I got this one for $19 and have it linked on my amazon store here. It’s also waterproof so it’s perfect for beach/pool days. I also got to read which felt like a luxury as I don’t have the time to these days. I’m a sucker for Nicholas Sparks and this was a great beach read.
That evening we got dressed up for Mexican and I had the best fajitas. Afterwards we came back to the room to change and get ready to go out for the night to the dance club.
Kimono and Shorts | American Eagle
Tee | Target
We are creatures of habit and had a routine down for every day by the third full day at the resort. Zack would wake up and order us breakfast to our room. We’d eat and then get ready, trying to get there early enough to stake out “our” spot on the beach. We’d spend all afternoon there, snorkeling, napping, eating, playing corn hole, and whatever else that seemed interesting.
By 5:00 we’d venture back to our room and swim in the pool as he’d order “happy hour” food to our room. We’d peel ourselves out of our bathing suits long enough to wash the salt out of my hair, get ready and get dressed to go out for the evening. By the time we would come in for the night, we had a bowl of chocolate ice cream on its way. It’s truly amazing we didn’t gain 20 pounds on this trip.
Day three we snorkeled but had no luck seeing anything other than sungill and a stingray that we almost stepped on. The sand is so soft on the floor and they blend right in. We ate steak again for dinner and went shopping after. We really indulged in the New York strips, taking full advantage of this all inclusive deal.
Shorts | American Eagle
I loved getting to fix up on this trip. It seems like all I wear lately are workout clothes. This might be why I had so many comments about the outfits-because I looked like a normal person! HA. But I enjoyed getting some fun pieces for this trip. This top is my absolute favorite thing I wore and I’m sure I’ll be wearing it completely out by the end of the summer.
Day four was a complete dream. We had been trying to find the sea turtles the last two days that the locals were talking about. Akumal is known for sea turtles and there were two nests marked off near the guard tower. There was word that there were some swimming just right off of the beach so we checked out gear from the dive shop to try to find them for ourselves.
We swam from the beach to the buoys and I saw a turtle head pop out of the water. We dived back down to look and there they were, swimming back to the floor and eating on some of the grass. One of the coolest things I’ve ever seen. We stayed for awhile and just watched. It was truly an amazing sight. You don’t realize how big they are until you are swimming with them. I wish I had brought an underwater camera to get pictures.
Shout out to our friends at Stache Salt for hooking me up with some sea salt spray for our trip. We watched the fire show by the pool that evening then ate dinner at Oceana and had seafood and cheesecake & ice cream for desert. So good! Zack met about four fireman while we were on this trip and we met a couple that we ended up hanging by on the beach the last part of our vaca that were from London. They travel often and said that this was one of the best resorts they’ve been to.
Shorts | American Eagle from 2011
Tee | Target
Clutch | Farm Girl
Our last full day on the beach was so much fun and the most enjoyed. We woke up extra early and were the first ones there. We claimed our perch, I took a walk up and down the beach then settled in for a nap while Zack got some snorkeling in early.
Swimsuit | Kortni Jeane
Shades | Lucky
When it was time to pack it up for the day per usual we headed back to the room and went to the pool. Zack ordered an insane amount of food and we stayed out there for awhile before getting ready for the night.
We took a walk on the beach that evening and had one more steak dinner. Ended the night with a movie and completely worn out from doing nothing.
I had several ask about my bathing suits so I thought I would drop the links here. I loved all of them and they fit great.
All three of these suits can be found on my amazon store here. These fit so well and were a great price range. I loved the flounce on the mustard suit. The black top fit great (has adjustable straps and nice support too) on the middle suit as did the bottoms. They were high waisted and didn’t roll. The navy suit was fun with the side strap and it was super soft material but a little cheeky in the back.
These two are great but more on the pricey end. The black one is an excellent fit and is worn off of the shoulders. It’s from Albion Fit. I went with my normal size on it. The Mauve is such a pretty color and is a two piece from Kortni Jeane. The bottoms are high waisted which I loved. The only complaint for me is that the straps don’t adjust therefore it wasn’t the best support for a bigger bust. Regardless, they still worked and I loved having a variety of suits to wear since that’s what I wore all day everyday.
We spent a couple of hours on the beach the next morning and had one last cheese burger and quesadilla before we left around two. We had an extremely long day and night of travel back home but by that point we were desperate to see our baby girls.
We had the best time just getting to be us without any obligation to the world. It was truly the best time learning to relax and enjoy each other. Much needed break with my love and I can’t wait for us to take another trip.
If you have any other questions drop them in the comments and I’ll get them answered! A big thank you to Staci for her time planning our trip and helping us with everything. If you decide to book through her, tell her I sent you. :)
Also here is a link to our beach playlist if you need some good tunes. There’s a variety of genres and a good mix of jack johnson/colbie caillat.
Until next time, Mexico.
Such a fun and memorable trip for us. Thankful for sweet friends to make memories with and the one on one time I got with Paisley. We try to spend time with each of the girls as well as together and I’m so glad we booked this one. If you ever make it up to Okie Land, I highly recommend visiting these venues.
