I love a good mystery. I love being surprised. Imagine my reaction when my husband texted me on November??? saying he booked a trip departing on November 29th. and all I had to do was show up. I was ecstatic!!! No hint of tropical or mountains and his hints made no sense, which only confused me more. Steven planned on revealing his plans days before our departure, but I was determined to ride out this mystery as long as possible.

How did this work? I laid out both tropical clothes and mountain clothes, Steven packed what was appropriate and hid the rest.

The big day arrived and Steven is wearing this big “cat at the mouse” look on his face. We show up to the airport, he checks us in, boarding pass in hand…. I actually board the plane, still without a clue.

We land in Houston, kill time during our layover then hang out at the wrong terminal. As the plane begins the boarding process, Steven reveals that we are going to CABO SAN LUCAS!!! Whaaaaattttt!!!

Final destination, the stunning Chileno Bay Resort, Auberge Resorts collection. https://aubergeresorts.com/chilenobay/

Pictures do not do this beauty justice. There are butterflies flitting around. Hummingbirds jetting from tree to tree. The sounds of nature – birds singing, ocean water crashing to the shore. Cool breeze from the wind.

Upon arrival, we had wonderful desserts waiting for us in celebration of my upcoming birthday and our upcoming 31st wedding anniversary. What a treat!!!

Steven & I came to Cabo 4 years ago, and we had the amazing Enrique, EM Weddings, http://emweddings.com/ take our pictures. Steven arranged for him to come to our resort for a photo shoot. Enrique made the shoot so much fun and is a very talented photographer. We are both grateful for discovering him. Below is a small sampling of his work.

Following our photo shoot, we enjoyed dinner at the resort. When I saw octopus on the menu, I knew this was the opportunity. Just go for it!!! And so yes, I ordered it. Yes, I ate it. Yes, I lived to tell about it. To some people it may not be a big deal. But for this girl, its a HUGE deal. For one, I’m very picky. One look at something “weird” like octopus, and its an immediate NO. Not even no, but hell no!!! And look at me now, embracing the opportunity. You have to check out the video on my Instagram, lifewithlisa9. Steven & I had fun with this challenge. As I said, “fear factor” style.

Next up on adventures… Fishing!!! Do you want to go for a 5-hour fishing excursion??? Blue marlin? Tuna? Well, yes I do. It was a beautiful morning watching the sunrise. Calm water. Set & ready. Wellllllll, have you ever been sea sick? Yep, it happened. And it happened early on. I pushed through because I WANTED to catch a really BIG fish!!! But, it never happened and thats OK. We attracted beautiful sea life on our way back in. Mr Seal was the only lucky one on our fishing trip. What a ham!!!

When Steven & I first came to Cabo in 2015, we stayed at Pedregal and we returned there for dinner at El Farallon. Breathtaking. Spectacular. It is quite the experience and we are so happy to have returned there for the beauty and delicious meal.

For El Farallon, I had to wear the dress. The beautiful dress that Steven surprised me with. But first, let’s be honest about Steven packing for me. He surprised me with beautiful purchases from my favorite boutique, Ballins. And he did GOOD!!! My girl, Michelle, hooked him up just like she always takes excellent care of me. I’m talking GOOD. One of the purchases, a BEAUTIFUL black cocktail dress. GORGEOUS!!! There’s only one glitch. No, not accessories, the dress is stunning enough that it wouldn’t really matter (in my opinion). I ask Steven, “Where are the shoes?” Drum roll…….. “I didn’t bring any…., but you can wear these (holding up my beach flip flops) 🤣🤣🤣

Gosh, I love him so much. He put all of his TLC into every detail of this trip, who needs shoes? The locals validated Steven’s response. In Cabo, sandals fit with EVERYTHING!!!

I made do with another pair of shoes that I had and all was good in the world. Besides, that dress had me feeling sassy!!! You can’t see the detail, but it had some sexy feathers along the slit that had me like 💃😝

Often people have preconceived notions about “having” to do something when you go to certain places. News flash: You don’t HAVE to do anything. Let’s talk about sobriety. Can you imagine going to Mexico and not partaking in margaritas or tequila shots? Well, as a matter of fact, YES, I CAN!!! Am I missing out? Yes, I am. I’m missing out on blurred memories or blackouts, horrendous hangovers, and all of the other messy things that alcohol brings on. No, thanks, you can have it. I’m here to ENJOY my vacation, and be present for every moment, soaking it in with the man I love. At over SIX years of sobriety, I’d be a fool to throw that great gift away.

Beach time. Pool time. Mock tails. Delicious food. Working out. Yoga time.

Lots of R&R. Lots of laughter. Lots of memories made. When we leave the beautiful Cabo San Lucas, I will leave with a heart filled with gratitude. A deeper love and appreciation of life and everyone and everything that I’ve been blessed with. I intend to continue living my best life, embracing opportunity, and soaking it all in.

Imagine with all your mind ~ Believe with all your heart ~ Achieve with all your might

Life With Lisa 💕