Hola, amigos!!!
I am back and feeling rested, rejuvenated, and reconnected after five incredible days away with my hub. This was a much needed retreat for us, and I honestly don't think we could have had any more fun if we tried. It came at just the right time, and the whole time I was pinching myself, grateful for every moment and every memory.
My hub works incredibly hard to support our family, and I was so excited to not only have this time away with him but also to celebrate him, and his co-workers, and all they do as part of Medallia. This trip was funded by Medallia, and they took care of every single detail. The hard work and dedication that the planning team put into making this trip happen was evident in every component of the trip. No detail was neglected, and I felt spoiled and completely undeserving of all they did. All that to say, please know that I am so, so, SO thankful we were able to be a part of this trip. I pinched myself repeatedly at the little slice of heaven we got to experience and am truly grateful for every moment. It's a trip I will NEVER forget! And to help me hold on to these memories, a photo-heavy recap of our time in Cabo San Lucas (or as I hashtagged it, #CaboSanLutons ;) ).
The Resort
Before I trek down memory lane, I have got to share pictures of the ridiculous resort where we were lucky to reside for our 5-day trip: Chileno Bay Resorts. I could not recommend this immaculate place any more highly! Not only was every single employee incredibly kind and accommodating but the resort itself was absolutely breathtaking. I'll let the pictures tell the story:
Photo cred to my new friend, Jen. Isn't this insane?!
One side of our room
The view from our balcony
The other side of our room
Our beautiful tub (not pictured: the awesome, private outdoor shower, to the left of the tub)
We spent every afternoon at this pool with so many of my hub's co-workers and it was SO fun! The margaritas were flowing, the fresh guacamole and salsa was unending, and the music was pumping. Absolute blast!
A view from the restaurant where we ate breakfast every morning
The staff wrote the company name and logo on the beach sand each morning
View standing on the beach and looking up at the three infinity pools
This was the resort's tacos and tequila beach bar. We gave them LOTS of good business during our stay ;)
Day 1
We were up and at 'em early to catch our 7:30 am flight! We flew to Phoenix, had a short layover, and then were off to Cabo! I was so surprised when landed to see the terrain. For whatever reason, I was expecting lush greens as far as the eye could see, but nope! Cabo is actually a very dry, arid, and mountainous region. It was beautiful! And for those who enjoy the "Bachelor" franchise, we bumped into a very familiar face when we landed and I just had to snap a pic to send to a few of my girlfriends. :)
We then headed to the resort (aka heaven on earth), checked in, and were escorted to our room, where the first of many surprise gifts was waiting for us from my hub's company. We quickly changed into our swimsuits and hit the pool, where many of my hub's co-workers had already gotten the party started. :) The ended with a welcome reception, some *interesting* entertainment, and lots of laughs.
Day 2
This was a day my hub and I have talked about for months: we wanted a day where we could lounge on the beach without having to get up to change a diaper or hand out snacks or spray endless sunscreen on little legs or put tired kiddos down for a nap. We wanted a day where we could lay for hours and listen to the waves crashing while reading and relaxing, not even leaving our towels for lunch and beverages--having them delivered straight to our towels. Well.....mission accomplished! Before the beach relaxation began though, we each got our workouts in - mine was with a well-known trainer named Modu who offered a 60-minute beach bootcamp. OhmydearLord. Between the unsteady rocks/sand and the heat, I seriously almost passed out mid-workout....but it was awesome! A real burner that I enjoyed resting off the rest of the day. :) And this day's spoiling by Medallia was unreal: we each got to select a brand new pair of Maui Jack sunglasses. There were probably 30 pair to choose from and we tried them all on, taking our time to pick our favorites. They are the nicest glasses I have ever owned! I LOVE them!!!
My morning coffee - missing that view!
Our new shades!
Can you tell I was excited?! Ha!
I almost died but it was a GREAT workout with this guy!
And now, we rest :) Before I even sat down, a waiter was beside me with an ice bucket filled with bottled waters. I'm telling you - most incredible service ever at this resort!
See that tray? It contains the remnants of that day's taco lunch. Best tacos I've ever had!
Mission accomplished.
<3
We closed out the afternoon by spending time in the pool with co-workers. My hub also provided a little floating bar service. :) We got to be on our own for dinner this night; so, we headed into downtown Cabo (so fun!!!) where we had a(nother) delicious meal at Hacienda. We also spent some time walking around and selecting souvenirs before making our way back to the resort for a good night's sleep.
Bartender Clay, at your service
Downtown Cabo
Souvenir success!
#CABO
Dinner with a view
Day 3
My hub and I were young when we got married, at ages 22 and 23. When we went on our honeymoon, we decided not to do any excursions so as not to waste what little post-college income we had. We have always regretted that decision and decided to make up for it on this trip! We made Day 3 in Cabo our adventure day, and it was so.much.fun.!!! Bright and early, we (and two other couples we love!) hopped on a shuttle and drove about 25 minutes where our excursion would begin: We spent about 2 hours driving around the mountains/sands/beach on UTVs and then about an hour riding horses up and down the beach. It was insane! We loved every minute! We stopped for pics at the breaktaking views and were covered in dust from head to toe by the time we got back to the shuttle. But it was seriously so awesome!
UTV ready!
My hub driving
Me driving
Time to ride some horses! That one's mine!
Yeehaw!
Medallia Cowboys :)
Cowgirl
Horse selfie! ;)
What we should have done on our honeymoon - making up for lost time! :)
The most breathtaking views!
Our adventure crew!
Fun photo op!
We got back to the resort and had plenty of time for quick workouts and, what else, more pool time! Then it was time to get dressed for the fun celebratory dinner Medallia hosted for us at the most BEAUTIFUL place, called Acre. They had a "Night of the Living Dead" theme there, which was so fun! The food and drinks were delicious but the decor and band were my favorite! It was one of the most fun bands I have ever heard and we just danced and danced. There was also a little petting zoo there (#becauseMexico) and the most beautiful scenery!
View from the shuttle on the way there
The greeters when we arrived :)
Nothing to see here, folks. Just a goat climbing a tree.
LOVED the color scheme - bright pinks and oranges and yellows. So festive and fun!
;)
Such a beautiful setting!
Resting our feet before hitting the dance floor!
Day 4
Our resort is one of few that has an Auberge luxury spa, and on Day 4, we decided to take full advantage! We got in a quick breakfast and workout and then headed straight there. Ohmyheavens. It was DIVINE. My hub and I each got 60-minute massages, which were phenomenal but what came next was just as great: the spa was divided into male and female treatment rooms, so we each took advantage of the services offered on our own and then met up together in the co-ed reflexology pool when we were done. There was this treatment circuit we were followed. Specifically, we each started in aromatherapy steam rooms (so, so cool!), then moved into salt inhalation rooms, and ended with hydrotherapy pools (this involved sitting in a hot tub for five minutes before then plunging oneself into ice cold baths and repeating the process three times). The whole thing was just amazing.
Breakfast with a view <3
A quick stop before hitting the gym
Relaxation station! The hot and cold hydrotherapy pools
So relaxed!
Such a great morning!
We then headed to, where else, the pool where we spent the rest of our last afternoon - reading, eating, drinking, and having fun with co-workers/friends. Then, it was time to get ready for Cabopalooza! This was the celebration hosted by Medallia to close out a great trip and to celebrate the 2018 Club members one more time. It started with two hours on the beach with delicious food (think fresh, lobster tacos; cactus salad; and so much more!) and drinks. We then bused it back to downtown Cabo where we went to the marina and were escorted onto the "Cabo Wave," which took us all around the Sea of Cortez for a sunset cruise. There was an awesome dj on board, open bar, and loads of delicious desserts. It was seriously so, SO fun. I was so sad when we got back to dry land - none of us wanted that boat ride to end!
We LOVED these watermelon margaritas!
Last afternoon in the pool
Last night. Let's do this!
Cabopalooza time!
We girls wanted to get some good views and decided to climb some rocks ;)
Totally worth the incoming tide and treacherous climb! ;)
Ready to sunset cruise!!
The view I'd been waiting to see all trip! Loved it!!!
My love.
So...
Much...
Fun!!!!!
We made our way back to the resort where we hung at the restaurant for a bit (we even ate the (cooked!) grasshoppers that accompanied the guac we ordered!) before saying our farewells and going back to our rooms for one last night of shut-eye in Mexico.
And Day 5 was spent traveling home. We boarded a shuttle at 6:30 am Cabo time, hopped a flight to Dallas, had a 2-hour layover, and then touched down in Charlotte at 6:45 pm Eastern time. Although we made it back safely, our suitcase decided it wanted one more night out - ha! But it has now made it's way to our home. :)
We were so happy to see our kiddos when we got home and to give our Bammy and Digby BIG hugs and lots of thank you's for holding down the fort, and managing our four crazy kiddos and summer schedule, in our absence. This was truly a trip of a lifetime, one that will sustain us when times get busy and things get hard. Those five days with my husband were a God-send, and we were thankful for every moment. Adios, Cabo. And thank you, Medallia, for a trip we will never forget.
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