Celebrating 31 Years Lived in Mexico

I cannot believe the month of May is already over. I am sure it went by quickly due to the fact that I was out of the country the last part of April and then leaving the country again two weeks later. May is, naturally, one of my favorite months because it’s my birthday. Not only is it my birthday but the weather starts changing as the days become longer and the sun hotter. Per tradition, Chad and I took an international vacation for my birthday. I was worried he wouldn’t want to go anywhere seeing as I just got back from Costa Rica, but as I suspected he wanted to take a vacation as well. Since they are short handed at work he couldn’t get the whole week off which affected our choice in travel plans. Originally we wanted to go to Iceland, then Columbia, Panama, Guatemala…all those exotic locals. We were basically wanting some place warm with a beach and since we didn’t have a lot of time and wanted a direct flight in and out we picked Mexico.

Oh Mexico. It’s been years since I visited. You hear a lot of negative press about Mexico which makes one not want to go on a vacation there. Tourists being kidnapped and beheaded. Drug Cartels, random shootings. You could visit and never come home. So we decided to go to Puerta Vallarta knowing that it was a tourist town that was safe and over half the population relies on tourism and catering to such. Chad ended up getting a sweet deal on a hotel via hotwire so we stayed at the Sheraton which met my main requirements – on a beach and with a swim up bar.

 

I had never visited the Pacific Side of Mexico so I was unaware the beaches were not really the best. Where we stayed the sand was filled with rocks and so we spent most of our time poolside. However, when we walked down to the old town or “romantic zone” we saw the beaches were much better. The farther away you stay from the marina the better the beach but we were perfectly happy where we ended up. We could walk to shops and restaurants and were a short cab or bus ride to the marina.

 

Seeing as we only had a couple of days there we had to make the most of our time. I was unaware that Puerta Vallarta had some amazing night life (without all the crowds). On our first day we stayed at the hotel until close to dinner where we wandered around until we found a restaurant where we could enjoy our meal with a sunset over the ocean. Along the walk through town we found various attractions on the beach as well as shops where people were selling everything from flip flops to tequila. This is the low season for Mexico so everyone was looking to give us a deal to have us dine at their restaurant or buy their goods.

 

There were lots of clubs along the main strip on the beach that were also looking to get us in their doors. One bar was completely empty and they lured us in with free drinks then a two for one deal. The DJ took all our requests and we kept the shot girls who walked around occupied. At the end of the night our tab was $25 and it felt like highway robbery for how much we consumed. Here was the realization that yes, indeed, we had picked the right vacation destination.

 

We opted not to do our hotels “all inclusive” food and beverage package so drinking at the hotel swim up bar got a little pricey. We countered this by wandering around town and eating on the cheap. There was a grocery store nearby that had delicious pastries that we consumed for breakfast. For my actual birthday we went parasailing and were able to book the tour with one of the guys selling stuff on the beach. They had a rope up around the property and the vendors were not supposed to cross the rope but all these men would be out there selling bracelets, sarongs, hair braiding etc. and one was selling these tours. He was proud to say he wasn’t affiliated with any time shares which are a big deal down there. Most all the people selling tours also sell timeshares and they will try to get you to sign up to do a time share tour in exchange for a free excursion. In fact, when you leave the airport walk right past every single person trying to talk to you and head outside and find your own taxi. This will save you from paying too much for a cab and falling into the time share talk trap. The parasailing along the beach in front of the hotel was only one person so we ended up taking a cab to the marina for our tour where they could do two people at a time. It was nice to get out on the boat and over the water and to see a different part of the town. We ended up taking a bus back to our hotel which cost less than $2 for two people whereas the cab ride over charged us $10.

 

At the recommendation of a guest at the hotel we went to TheHappy Lobster for my birthday dinner. I would say this was one of the highlights of the trip. The restaurant is off the beaten path, if you will, and we had a coupon from the hotel front desk for 2 for one margs. The margaritas did not disappoint and neither did the seafood platter which we shared for around $60. The guacamole was fabulous (as it was every place we ate at down there as a matter of fact) as was the strolling mariachi band. Chad told the staff it was my birthday and the band came over and played for me and the waiter gave me a shot of tequila and a piece of flan cake. You can’t beat a birthday in Mexico!

 

By the last full day at the hotel we had wised up to buy a cooler and fill it with beer and keep it with us by the pool. The hotel staff did not appreciate this but we coerced them into letting us keep the booze on the beach where we would retrieve our beers as necessary. There were plenty of other people by the pool with coolers we pointed out so they couldn’t argue much with us after that. We basically found that whatever we did, and wherever we went, we were treated very well. The service was impeccable at each restaurant and there were deals to be had everywhere. If you stayed away from the time share selling guys you could pretty much guarantee a wonderful vacation in paradise. Our hotel also had a fantastic champagne brunch on Sunday (they have it every Sunday) which would have been well worth the $30 for all the food and mimosas had we not been feeling less than stellar after our night out on the town.

 

 

I would highly recommend Puerta Vallarta to anyone considering a vacation but especially if you don’t have a lot of time to enjoy paradise. The people were friendly, almost everyone speaks English, the food is amazing and you can drink like a fish and dance all night if you choose. We walked around at night and never had any issues with anyone bothering us at all. I would say to bring lots of cash with you as the ATM’s there charged me high fees for withdrawing money and cash is the currency of bargaining. Most every restaurant took visa/mastercard but if you are interested in booking tours or buying from the locals you will need cash. The rooms had safes to store everything in and going through customs in Mexico is a breeze. Visit one of the many tequila stores and bring home plenty for your friends as a souvenir and haggle with the locals for jewelry. 

 

Turning 31 in Puerta Vallarta was a memorable birthday and I am so thankful for my husband for arranging 

this amazing vacation for us. Usually I do all the planning, but finding a hotel was so easy for him he took charge! It was one place I can definitely say we will be returning too sooner rather than later!

 

Yoga by the sea

The highlight of being in Costa Rica on this yoga retreat was the fact that I was able to practice yoga twice a day with my mentors and my two favorite yoga teachers. It was amazing being able to look out from the yoga deck and see the ocean and feel the breeze on my face. I was worried that it might be too hot to practice but since we were scheduled in the morning and evening it was perfect. The only bad thing about the evenings were they seemed to attract sand fleas and mosquitos. You might be laying in savasana at night and have a hard time laying still because your arms and legs were being eaten alive. There were also a few wasp nests in there so several people got stung by them during the week. Part of the trade off for practicing outside I suppose!

View of the yoga deck

alter when you entered the room

Being able to practice twice a day took my practice to a whole new level. I was able to work on some advanced asanas that I had never had a chance to work on before as well as revisit some old "friends" that I haven't done since an arm balancing workshop I took.

partner work - melting the heart to prepare for Scorpion pose

dragon fly

yogi dandasana aka flying squirrel or pidgeon

sun dial - never done this one before!

what week wouldn't be complete without window L-sits

Naturally I practiced on the beach in my free time. The sunrise made for lovely photos:

Side plank on a tree

dancer's at sunrise

side plank tree on a tree

dancing with the ocean

opening to the sun

This retreat was also the first time I held hand stand on my own. I don't know if it was all the strength and flexibility from yoga or the environment but my fear was gone and I just went for it:

This trip not only gave me the opportunity to take my yoga practice to the next level but allowed me to build on what I already knew and opened me up to possibility. I realized I had a lot of lingering fear and self doubt as a student and a teacher and I needed to leave that behind. I also came to terms with the fact that while I am strong in some areas I need to soften in others. My legs and thighs tend to be very strong but my heart needs to soften in poses. The strength and flexibility go hand in hand. It was amazing to learn so many new things and new flows and to be able to bring this home and share with my students. I know I'm only scratching the tip of the surface here but I feel like I will only continue to build as a teacher as long as I allow myself to be a student first. And being a student in costa rica, well that isn't half bad...

When you feel like an ocean being warmed by the sun.....

Yogi Magee goes Costa Rica

If one is lucky enough they will get to visit Costa Rica at least once in their life. If one is extremely fortunate, she will get to visit it twice. This past week I was that fortunate one.

The first time I went to Costa Rica was about five years ago. It was the first place I had ever been internationally outside of Mexico and Cananda and the first time Chad and I had ever left the country together. We went with my friends Jason, Casey, and Brandy and we all flew standby down to San Jose then took a five hour shuttle and ferry ride to Santa Theresa. I celebrated my birthday there. When I left I was devastated. I did not want to leave and felt like I was leaving a piece of my heart behind. I promised I would be back and I truly felt I would return that fall. But the years went by and I traveled other places and though Costa Rica never stayed far from my heart, how do you go back when there’s so much else in the world to see?

 Then the opportunity to return presented itself in such a way I could not say no. Qi, the gym I teach yoga at announced last October that they were planning a yoga retreat there. Not only was a yoga retreat to be held there in April but my absolute two favorite teachers and my inspirations were leading the retreat. I put it out to the universe that I wanted to go. I needed to be there. So right before Christmas, I got an email from Chad asking if I would like to go to Costa Rica as my Christmas present. I nearly melted I was so thrilled at the prospect. It is by far the most unselfish gift I have ever been given in my life and I could not be more grateful to my husband. He knew how much it meant to me so he signed me up and just like that, I was headed back “home.”

flying on Nature Air from San Jose to Puerto Jimenez

I tried not to think about the trip to much ahead of time. I tried not to let myself get excited until I was on the plane and taxing away from the gate. I flew to Newark solo and it didn’t really hit me that I was traveling alone until I arrived there at 1am. I slept in the airport because the flight was so early. At about 7:30am I was on my way down to San Jose and so thankful that the standby God’s were with me and allowed me to get on the flight. I had a confirmed ticket from San Jose down to Puerto Jimenez where the retreat was being held and I had drank a few too many cocktails on the plane which gave me a renewed confidence when I arrived in San Jose. I barely remember picking a taxi driver or the drive to the Nature air airport. I do remember being extremely hung over and tired sitting in that little airport with nothing to do for three hours while I waited for my flight. Lesson learned – do not drink so much at the start of your vacation.

The flight from San Jose down to Puerto Jimenez was a little intimidating in that it was via a small 12 person plane on Nature Air. I had never been on a plane so small that there wasn’t a flight attendant so I said a silent prayer that everything would go ok. It was only about a 45 minute flight and there was no turbulence. Had I to do it over again I would suggest taking Sansa because those flights leave from the San Jose airport and then it won’t cost an extra $50 in cab fare roundtrip.

I was arriving a day earlier than most of the other yogis coming on the trip so I got to stay with some of the girls in a cabina that they rented called Cabinas Jimenez. From the airport in Puerto Jimenez (which really isn’t an airport at all, just a small building outside of an air strip) there were some vans lined up waiting to take people to where they were staying. Now it really hit me that I was alone because all these groups were going off together and here I was on my own. Luckily I was approached by someone who spoke limited English and between that and my limited Spanish I arrived at the Cabinas Jimenez. It really was not a long walk to the place at all as it was right off the water so if I stayed again I would have walked the next time.

fresh coconut water cut right from the trees at the cabinas

The Cabinas Jimenez was right on the water but had a swimming pool as well which was great because at low tide there wasn’t much of a beach to swim in. We could walk the length of the town which was a dirt road and there were a few restaurants, a grocery store, a liquor store and some bars. The Cabina’s had bikes we could use for free which made walking into town during the hot afternoon hours easier.

Typical Food in downtown Puerto Jimenez.

Getting into town a day earlier gave us an advantage in that we weren’t nearly as tired as those who had taken the red eye flight in. A shuttle from the Blue Osa where we were staying for the retreat came and picked us up at the Cabina’s and we were on our way to paradise for the week.

sunrise that woke me up at 5:15 daily

It was surreal for me to be surrounded by everyone I see at the gym and teach with and talk to here in a foreign country. When we arrived we were greeted by Aaron, one of the owners of Blue Osa and given our room assignments. Robyn and I had chosen to room together and we had a third roommate, Lisa. I must say we had the best room I believe. It was room six, right under the yoga deck and it faced the ocean. Each morning at 5 I would awaken to the sunrise and there was always a steady ocean breeze. The rooms had two double beds and a single with one bathroom. Our bathroom had no door to where the toilet was and no shower curtain. So if you have a shared room get comfortable because at some point someone will see you naked some way some how.

Our home away from home for the week

Upon our arrival we were also introduced to our schedule which they had on a white board outside the office each day. At 6am they would put out fruit, granola and yogurt but we were to eat and drink in silence. In fact quiet time ran from 10pm until 7:30am each day. After a lite snack we could go place our mats on the yoga deck and were given the opportunity to meditate from 7-7:30 after which we would have a yoga class led by Dawnelle. This class would last until about 10am, at 10:30 brunch was served then we had a snack time at 2pm and the next yoga class, taught by Alex was at 4pm. This lasted until 6pm or so then cocktail hour started at 6:30 and dinner was ready at 7. They had a bell in the main dining area that they would ring to alert us when the food was ready which was a good thing considering no one wore a watch or really knew what time it was!

Blue Osa had tours available to us to take but most of us stayed “on campus” as it were. Between the ocean and the pool and our imaginations there was never really a time to be bored. There was also an extensive spa list although those that got massages in the afternoon were subjected to us yelling and carrying on at the pool because the massage hut was right beside the pool. I had an aloe wrap on the last day which was perfect for my sunburnt skin as well as a way to have not been around when half the group left to go home. I’m not one for saying good-byes…they make me too sad.

The pool was excellent for swimming and relaxing

or leisure diving

lots and lots of leisure diving

The beach had just the right amount of shade and waves

great fallen trees for a little yoga

 One of the highlights of the trip was the deep sea fishing we did on Wednesday. My friend Sherry invited a few of us to join her on the trip to Marlin fish. I was sad to miss two yoga practices but it was good to get away from the group for a day and get out on the ocean. I admit, I was terrified to deep sea fish. Last time I did, well the last two times I went I vomited the whole day. The last thing I wanted to do was ruin Sherry’s fishing trip by being sick. Marlin fishing, however, is a whole different ball game. You go about 30 miles offshore and throw six lines in and troll for them until you can catch one on the line. Then whoever is up first has to run down and sit in a chair and start reeling as fast as she can. I decided to go first since I was afraid I would be sick later in the trip and I wanted to get a turn in. Sherry, in actuality should have been first but she immediately starting vomiting as soon as we were about 5 miles offshore. She stayed sea sick for about 5 of the 8 hour trip which was a big bummer for her but, as she says, also a learning lesson in surrendering control.

 

Boats and beers what more could you want?

My fish was about 110lbs (estimated by the captain) and let me tell you reeling one of those guys in is a ton of work. The deck hands were great though and tell you exactly what to do. Sport fishing is a dance of letting the line out and reeling in. You have to hold the rod tight so that it doesn’t go flying into the water but you also have to relinquish control so you can tire the fish out. It seemed like I fought with the fish for half an hour although in reality it was only about 10 minutes and then he got away. Apparently they use these circular hooks now that biodegrade and are better for the fish but they are also easier for the fish to come off of. Next up was Robyn and Brandi and Brandi ended up being the only one who got the fish into the boat for us to take a picture with. Although it wasn’t a Marlin but a sailfish, I couldn’t have been prouder of my friend for catching the fastest fish in the ocean. We released the fish after taking a picture and it reminded me a lot of what this trip was all about – us to enjoy but ultimately something we had to let go of. 

sitting in nervous anticipation

Me vs. the sea

catch of the day

you can't tame this

There are lots of things I will miss about Costa Rica and this trip- the morning meditation and the yoga with the ocean breeze in my face, the snack times and the group swims in the ocean, the afternoon leisure diving and reading, the evening yoga with torrential downpours, the frogs in front of our rooms at night and the late night swims, the dinners with different people every night, the fishing and the cold beer after, the watermelon from panama and the best pineapple I’ve ever tasted, add-on and catchetones, the chocolate ice cream donuts and the salsa, the conversations and the whispering, the tears we all shed when we left. I know that even though I will go back next year it won’t be the same because we will all be different. And maybe that’s what makes returning to the same place over again, not such a bad thing. You see or learn something new each time….just like every experience I have on the yoga mat is different.

our last yoga class together in paradise

 I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to get to know better these people. I braved many obstacles to come down there and in return I left my worry and self doubt behind. I took home with me a courageous spirit and a melted heart and I learned much about myself. To the husband that made this all possible I cannot express enough gratitude. To the teachers who led the retreat I cannot thank them enough for their wisdom and knowledge. To the friends that I got to know better I cannot thank them enough for the laughter and the energy. And to Costa Rica for offering me a new insight I say Pura Vida. Until we meet again….

Seven year Flying Magee

One of the questions I get asked most often is, “How did you end up in Denver as a flight attendant?” I get it. It’s kind of a mysterious job. At least I always thought it was. There’s not exactly a manager on duty that you can talk to at the airport and drop your resume off with. Most people don’t even fly often enough to even think about talking to the flight attendants to find out how they got to where they are. About this time seven years ago I was preparing to fly out to Salt Lake City for my flight attendant training. How I came to be a flight attendant was a matter of chance. A chance firing at one job. A chance reading of the Sunday newspaper classifieds. A chance open call interview. Life is all about a small series of chances that add up over time and lead you down the path you were meant to follow whether you realize it or not.

When I first became a flight attendant I said I would stay in the job at least 5 years before quitting. Five years seemed a reasonable amount of time to travel the world and see the things I’d always wanted to see. Paris was checked off the list, as was Costa Rica. Suddenly the world seemed a lot smaller. If a friend moved away, I could fly to visit them. If someone got married and had their bachelorette party half way across the country I could go. My family was able to see the sunset on the beach in Hawaii because of my job. My mom ate chocolate croissants for breakfast from her first class seat on the way to Paris for mother’s day. My friends rode ATV’s through the dusty jungle roads of Costa Rica and jumped off the top of waterfalls. My brother took his wife to Hawaii for a vacation. All because of my job as a flight attendant. As a journalism major I was never seen as the one who could provide for the family or be someone they could particularly need and now here I was the travel agent. The link between home and the rest of the world. It didn’t matter that I didn’t make a lot of money because I, you, we could travel. And as anyone knows, it doesn’t matter how many things you own, it’s the experiences you have in life and traveling opens that door.

The problem with being a flight attendant however, is that when you are at work, doing the job you are getting paid to do, you don’t really matter much to anyone. Pilots don’t really care about you – the majority think you are uneducated and can’t do anything better with your life. (I had one pilot, upon finding out I was from Alabama ask me if this was the first job I’d ever had to wear shoes for) Passengers think you are stupid and constantly challenge you. Even other flight attendants treat you poorly. Some will boss you around, some will tell on you for chewing gum. Some just don’t work at all so you have to do your work and theirs. Of course anyone in customer service has to deal with this drama on a daily basis – the only thing that makes this job slightly worse is the fact you don’t get to go home to your own bed every night.

As many of you who read my blog know, about 3 years ago I found yoga as a means to de-stress and get in shape. Then about a year ago I took it to another level and started to teach yoga at the studio I so loved as a way to give back. Recently I became certified to teach spin and this has opened yet another door for me. A chance finding of a studio on yelp which has taken my life in a direction that was probably always meant for me. Recently my boss, mentor and friend at the studio I teach at proposed I quit my flying job and teach full time. To be yogi magee over flying magee.

The thought made me smile.

You see teaching yoga and spin is not a thankless job. When people come in to the yoga studio I have 75 minutes to make a difference in their lives. To turn their day around. To teach them something. To challenge them. They come to me, not because they bought a ticket and had too, but because they wanted too. People don’t come to yoga because someone died and they have to be there or because work made them go. People don’t just come to yoga over Christmas or spring break. There is no Have too only Want too. And that makes all the difference. It is my responsibility to make them glad they came and when they leave they smile and they thank me. Something that rarely happens on the airplane. If they are stressed when they come in, they leave de-stressed whereas sometimes when flying after they leave my airplane they are worse for the wear. To teach spin is to push people to push themselves. To make them sweat and to cheer them on. To be the voice outside their heads that tells them they can. It’s to be part coach, part cheerleader and part drill sergeant. To let them leave and tell their friends what an awesome addition to the day it was for them. To see them come back time and time again.

It’s not that I don’t get a chance to make a difference in someone’s life when I’m flying. It’s not that I don’t meet interesting people or hear fantastic stories. It’s just that these encounters are like fireworks – they happen once and then it’s over. I will probably never see those people again which at times is wonderful and others sad. I do not get a second chance to make someone’s day better or to let them fall in love with me. And as someone who’s had many in their life – I love second chances.

So where does this leave me now. Seven years – it’s gone by in a blink. There are times when I’ve locked myself in the bathroom on the plane and wondered how I would ever find the strength to come back out. There are moments in my hotel room in a city thousands of miles away from home where I catch myself in the mirror and wonder what it is I’m doing here. Moments, chances, memories. Seven years.

I caught up with an old friend the other day. I mentioned I was still a flight attendant but that I was getting into teaching yoga and how much I enjoyed it. My friend suggested that maybe becoming a flight attendant was supposed to bring me to Denver so that in the end I could find the life and the job I was meant to have all along. After all, I could have been based in over 25 different cities but chance led me to Denver. I still have a big list of places to travel too and see and I’m not ready to leave the sky forever but something tells me that in the end, my life is following whatever direction is meant to be.

All I can do is have gratitude along the way for everything that’s brought me to where I am so far.

Happy Valentine's Day!

I have a confession to make - I love Valentine's day. My favorite color is pink which probably affects my opinion greatly. It's not like Valentine's day has always been perfect. I didn't have a boyfriend to speak of until I was 18 and in Jr. High my life was made miserable watching all the "popular" kids send candy grams to each other. But my grandmother always made a big deal about Valentine's day -giving us cards and pink marshmallow filled chocolate hearts. Today I was dusting and was reminded of her as I came across two heart shaped jewelry boxes she gave me on separate occasions on this day. She always had some sort of treat for us for Valentine's day whether it was a box of chocolates or a card with a little extra money. My mom would always make sure we had valentine's day cookies from my favorite bakery or fill a gift bag full of goodies. The important thing was that my family made me FEEL loved just an extra little bit on this day. It's probably why no matter if I have been single or in a relationship on Valentine's day I feel so happy. This has always been a day of love for me no matter who was in my life because starting from an early age my family made it so special.

Since I have been with my husband we have typically gone skiing on Valentine's day or celebrated the holiday by skiing. I don't recall how it got started or why this became the tradition but it just is. One year I flew to New York City because Chad was working there and we spent the actual holiday eating huge slices of New York pizza and drinking wine out of plastic cups (we went to a nice dinner the day before). Browsing through my thousands of photos I managed to pull pictures from our Valentine's throughout the years:

(skiing with my brother at Keystone)

(on top of the Empire State Building)

(Secret Stash in Crested Butte)


(skiing in Monarch)

Now that I am married I don't have to worry about always having a Valentine on this day but I still have a big space in my heart for all those I ever spent a Valentine's day with and all those who made it special. From my grandmother and mom to my best girl friends who helped me celebrate with scary movies (opposite of love!) and every kid who every went the extra mile to buy those paper valentine's cards with the candy attached. Perhaps it has been all that sugar throughout the years that made me so delighted for this day but I am lucky to have such wonderful memories and reminders of love year after year. And because it's Valentine's Day and because it's my blog (so I can) here are 14 reasons I love my husband:

1. He wakes up in the middle of the night and lets the dog out while I sleep* (*sometimes I'm not actually sleeping but that's our little secret)

2. He attended all my yoga classes when I was first getting started - stopped coming to set me free and now comes all the time because he actually looks forward to it

3. He taught me how to snow ski

4. He hikes almost every 14er with me because he doesn't want me to be alone

5. He builds the best damn campfire ever

6. He cooks dinner because I don't

7. He bought me bebe (our dog) which was the best present ever and totally out of the blue

8. He bought me kinglsey (our cat) even though he did not want a cat at all

9. He knows how to dance

10. He shovels snow before I've even had coffee

11. He laughs... A lot

12. He's always up to date on the latest current events because the news is pretty much his favorite channel

13. He puts up with my bullshit in whatever form that may be and he rarely complains about it

14. He supports every dream I've ever had. He let's me be me.

My life wouldn't be complete without my best friend and I'm so glad he's here every day for me. Because I love my family and love all my friends but they can't always be there for me so I'm glad I have someone who can be. I've been on my own in Colorado and being alone is a scary thing. I'm talking, your car breaks down and you don't know a soul in the city to call alone. Like, have the flu you are afraid you are going to die and and no one will find you alone. Yes I've been that alone and I've learned a lot from it and it's made me a stronger person. But having someone to love is just wonderful.

I remember before my grandmother died I was talking to her on the phone and she said, "I'm so glad you have someone..you are much happier when you are in love."

Aren't we all?