Central America Road Trip Part II: Why I Fell in Love With Belize!

When you go on a trip through eight countries you are bound to get the question- what was your favorite place? For me, that was easy....BELIZE. I absolutely fell in love with the lush tropical country, the culture and the local cuisine. We spent the next week on various islands, indulging in fresh caught lobster, and snorkeling through the worlds second largest barrier reef!

Welcome to the island life....

We landed in Belize City after a quick layover back in America and headed straight to the island of Caye Caulker- only a 45 minute boat ride from the Belize City port. From the minute my feet hit the island I was in love. There are no real roads or cars on Caye Caulker, only sandy walkways and golf carts.We planned to stay two nights and ended up staying four nights in this paradise. We spent our days taking in the sun, swimming in the crystal blue waters, having massages on the beach, and lobsters for lunch. It truly was a magical paradise, and we felt like we were finally on vacation. If I had to recommend one place to visit in Belize it is 100 % Caye Caulker, so here are five highlights/recommendations for the island!

Rainbow over the water! 

Sunset on the island

Go slow, the island life.

1. The main beach and swim spot to hangout at is The Split so don't settle down anywhere else. Located at the end of the island, The Split is where Hurricane Hattie hit and divided the island. Today, visitors spend their days laying out on the docks of the split and enjoying drinks at The Lazy Lizard. Their specialty drink is "lizard juice," it's green and I still am not quite sure what it is, but try it out for yourself! You can even swim across to the deserted island that literally split off from the mainland. Just ask any local where The Split is and they will happily point you in the right direction.   

Enjoying the sunset on the split

2. The island is known for its seafood and you will catch cooks grilling up lobster and snapper on every corner. We tried a ton of seafood, but by far the best meal we indulged in was at Rose's. They have all of their local catch of the day laid out and you hand pick your piece. It may take awhile to get your food but that is only because they are cooking it to perfection. After three days of constantly eating lobster, Rose's outdid every other place and exceeded my expectations. The tender meat was seasoned beautifully and melted in my mouth.

Our first lobster feast!

Chris and Nelle finishing their dinner at Rose's

3. On our third day we found a hammock spot where for $5 you get a reserved hammock on the beach plus access to Wifi! It was a great place to take a nap and catch up on emails while till enjoying the beach...plus, we love hammocks!

4. Fry jacks- a Caye Caulker specialty and the best bargain on the island. The fry jack shack is only open certain days at irregular times, but there is always a crowd. A fry jack is fried dough stuffed with your choice of meat, cheese and eggs. They are simply incredible and only $3-$5 depending on your filling! The best breakfast and hangover cure is fry jacks and fresh watermelon juice from the stand next door...don't miss out! Side note- I don't have any pictures of fry jacks because I usually consumed them way too quickly to get a snap shot!

5. People from all over the world come to Belize to snorkel and dive the barrier reef so the island is filled with tour offices offering 1-7 day snorkel and dive trips. After four nights on Caye Caulker we decided to hop on Ragamuffin's 3 day sailing/snorkeling/fishing/camping trip from Caye Caulker to Placencia, Belize in the south. It was a great experience, minus the fact that I get seasick. We spent our days taking in sun on the sailboat and snorkeling along the way. As we journeyed from Caye Caulker to Placencia we camped out on Rendezvous Caye and Tobacco Caye, much smaller islands, but beautiful nonetheless. Our meals consisted of whatever fish we caught that day, and they were some of the best meals of the trip- Thanksgiving dinner was lobster and snapper! Although we lead groups and camp for a living, it was nice to be travelers for once and just relax on the trip.

Preparing to dock at Rendezvous Caye

Nelle and I enjoying the sunset on the private island- Rendezvous Caye

After our sailing trip we landed in Placencia where we would stay for one night before going our separate ways. The town was much quieter and fairly desolate compared to Caye Caulker. However, it was off season and I can only imagine how busy it must get during the summer with its' beautiful beaches and colorful cottages. We spent one final night with the group at the Tipsy Tuna, a beachfront bar known for its nightlife. The next morning we were up early...the boys were flying to Mexico to pick up the car, and Nelle and I were about to begin what would be the craziest chicken bus adventure through Guatemala!

The whole group when we docked in Placencia

Central America Road Trip Part I: Mexico-Tacos and Tequila

Having a seasonal job is a lifestyle. We work 7-8 months out of the year, non-stop, 24/7 but then have 4-5 months of complete freedom. Some people choose to get another seasonal job while others choose to travel. I was completely torn between the two. I couldn't imagine not having any source of income for the off season, but at the same time I wanted to see the world. One of our G mottos is "If not now, when?" ....and so I decided the only thing to do was travel.

My parents weren't thrilled when I mentioned the idea that a bunch of us CEO's were going to drive through Central America. I began to question it myself when Nelle told me to read the book, "Don't go there, it's not safe you'll die." We didn't have much of a plan, or detailed itinerary, or really any idea where this adventure would lead us when we left San Francisco bound for Panama City. All we knew was that we had to make it to Panama City before our flights home for Christmas. Life was an open road of beautiful sunrises and breathtaking sunsets.

Nelle, Stirling, Chris and I before we hit the road.

Part one of the journey began when we crossed the border into Tijuana, Mexico. If you are considering road tripping through Mexico, here are some tips, tricks and highlights we learned along our route!

Day 1- We crossed the border via Tijuana and headed to Ensenada where we planned to spend our first night. The modern border crossing allows you to drive straight through without stopping. However, you do need to stop and get your visitor permit and FMM if you are driving. Unfortunately, we didn't know that and later had to pay the fines in order to get to the mainland with our car. Once we made it to Ensenada we headed straight out for a night of epic street tacos and margaritas!

Day 2- We knew we had some ground to cover in order to make our way down Baja California so we prepared for a long drive day. Being CEO's we are used to long drive days with minimal stops which made it super easy to cover a lot of ground.

Days 3 & 4- Finally arrived at Playa Buenaventura, a beautiful secluded beach on Bahia de Concepcion. We had been recommended this spot by a few friends who had recently driven down Baja, and boy were they right! The small shack on the beach is owned by a local fisherman and his family. They welcomed us with open arms and lots of tequila! In the mornings they went out fishing and the local catch would be our lunch and dinner. We ate some of the best, freshest Baja fish and shrimp tacos in the world! They allow camping anywhere along the beach and even let us set up our hammocks under a palapa. We quickly decided we needed two nights in this paradise, and it ended up being one of our favorite places on the whole trip. 

Our hammock setup in Playa Buenaventura

Days 5-7- After leaving Playa Buenaventura we had a solid drive day to make it to La Paz before sundown. We had a few recommendations for camping spots outside the city and after checking out the options we decided to pitch our tent at Playa Tecolate. The beach was picturesque- white sand and blue waters, and we were the only humans in sight! I can imagine in the warmer busy season that this beach is packed because it was much nicer than the city beaches in La Paz city center. Our plan was to spend one night here and then board the ferry over to Mazatlan. However, due to some immigration issues I mentioned when we crossed into Tijuana, we ended up having to take a later ferry, leaving us with three nights in La Paz. Although it was a slight inconvenience, we made the best of the situation and enjoyed cooking camp meals on the beach and waking up to the most epic sunrises ever. The city of La Paz wasn't anything spectacular and the beaches were fairly dirty. However, if you are visiting La Paz I highly recommend driving just approximately 15 minutes south of the city to some of the beaches that are hidden gems along the coast. 

Camping on the sand dunes at Playa Tecolote

One of the best sunrises I have ever seen.

Sunset from downtown La Paz.

Day 8- It was time to take the ferry over the Mazatlan! With all our paperwork in order we boarded the ferry and I prepared for a long seasick journey until we arrived in Mazatlan. 

Day 9- Mazatlan is known for big beach resorts, but we were able to find a cute little bed and breakfast just a couple blocks from the beach. We spent the afternoon enjoying the beach and a few pina coladas. As the sun began to set we decided to post up at a cute little cafe on the beach for some appetizers. I think we all agreed it was some of the best food of the trip. The portions were small but that didn't stop us from loving every bite of the red snapper and ahi tuna tostadas! 

Nelle and I enjoying the beach in Mazatlan!

Day 10- A few travelers we had met along our journey highly recommended the town of Tequila- where all Tequila is produced! On our drive to Tequila we were looking for somewhere to stop for lunch when I spotted a goat restaurant on the side of the road. I have never had goat and didn't know what to expect- but hey it was time to embrace the bizarre! I actually liked the goat chorizo and shredded goat and it ended up being one of our food highlights. We blasted the song Tequila as we drove into the small colonial town surrounded by Agave groves. A market was setup in the town square so we did some shopping and tequila tasting before calling it an early night.

The town square and marketplace in Tequila.

Day 11- We had read about an awesome hike in Tequila that we were determined to find that morning. We drove through the Agave fields and up to a point that appeared to be a trail head. Climbing through the trees we searched for the "los azules cascades" we had heard so much about. Finally we heard water and had arrived. The waterfall was spectacular and the water was so blue. Nothing beats a morning swim under a waterfall! After our hike we had quick showers and hit the road toward Mexico City. We stopped in Guadalajera for some pretty great quesadillas and a wander around the city. We knew we couldn't get to Mexico City that night because laws are in place that prevent foreign vehicles being driven in the city on certain days at certain times. Therefore, we decided to drive as close to Mexico City as possible which brought us to a thermal hotsprings camp. I honestly couldn't tell you where in Mexico we were, but the place was perfect for the night! We decided to splurge for a cabin over pitching our tents and cooked up some goat tacos.

Loving life under the waterfall.

Agave fields for days.

We made it!

Day 12 &13- Driving into Mexico City was an experience in itself...imagine L.A traffic with no rules or defined lanes. Eventually we found parking and made it to our hostel. Excited to be in the capital city, and one of the largest cities in the world we hit the streets. The first afternoon we wandered around on our own to The Zocalo, Plaza de la Constitucion, and Chapultepec Park. That evening we were looking forward to a big night out in the city so we were shocked when the streets of Mexico City seemed to shut down before 10pm. Maybe we were in the wrong area, or maybe it is not safe to be out... either way there surprisingly wasn't much going on. The next morning we met our guide for a walking tour of the city. It was a great way to see the city and learn more about the history of Mexico. After the tour we went to the Museo Nacional de Arte, one of Mexico Cities wonderful art museums. We ended the day at the top of the Torre Latinoamericana rooftop bar. While the drinks were pricey, the views were worth every penny. 

The Zocalo

Plaza de la Constitucion

Rooftop cocktails

Day 14- We left Mexico City bound for Oaxaca with a planned lunch stop in Puebla. Unfortunately, we only made it as far as Puebla when our car broke down. After several hours at a mechanic we were told our transmission needed to be replaced. We had two options- leave the car, or pay for it to be fixed. Looking back we probably should have left it, but we weren't ready to give up on Margarita (our cars name) just yet. Our plans had gone completely array and we were forced to sit down and make some decisions about our next steps. Our decision concluded with flights to Belize....so the next morning we boarded a plane and would be back for Margarita!

Poor Margarita :(

7 Months on the Road in 10 Moments- Life as a G Adventures CEO

I have thought about how start this post for months now. Where do I even begin? How do I possibly put into words everything I have experienced since my last post in May? How can I sum up how much working for G Adventures has changed my life? So here it goes, my attempt to concisely detail my emotions into a logical cohesive story of my last 7 months on the road.

Let's start with why I disappeared from my blog. Back in June my laptop got stolen, yes again, along with everything that I owned. There I was, standing in NYC, with only the clothes on my back to my name and 17 strangers looking for me to drive them to our first destination. I kept it together, got us to our campsite, set up camp, fed them dinner, all while holding back the tears. It wasn't until my friend, Teala, called to see if I was okay that I absolutely broke down in tears to her. She told me it wasn't the end of the world, "its all just stuff," and that on the bright side I had an excuse to go shopping at every Walmart and every souvenir shop along the cross country trip I had just begun. Although she made me laugh, in that moment her advice seemed irrelevant...I had lost everything and I couldn't get past it. Little did I know that in losing everything, I would gain so much more. This is where my journey began.

After that day everything changed, I changed. I began to see the world through a different lens and suddenly many things that used to seem so important to me weren't anymore. Through this new perspective on the world I learned the greatest lesson of all- that happiness comes from living a life you love, living in the moment and appreciating everything about those moments. Those moments are nearly impossible to describe, but they are also what makes my job the best job in the world. As a G Adventures CEO (chief experience officer) I spent my days on the road visiting some of the most incredible places in the U.S and Canada, living in these priceless moments. It is hard to translate on a page all the incredible places I visited this season, but I am going to attempt to by giving you the top moments/places/experiences I had on the road this summer. These are the moments that forced me to stop and appreciate the world around me, and grow into the tie-dye loving, free soul that I have become.

1. When my stuff got stolen, I took Teala's advice and began buying the most ridiculous shirts I could find on the road. The "old me" never would have dreamed of wearing Walmart clothes or cheesy neon shirts from the places we visited. Yet, in losing everything none of that mattered anymore. Throughout that trip, and really the rest of the summer, I brought my groups into my wardrobe game. They would help me find "all-American" shirts at Walmart, or convince me that a Corn Palace shirt was definitely a necessity. It became this ongoing hilarious joke, but one memory will stick with me forever. During that cross country trip, we were having dinner in Keystone, South Dakota when I spotted a tie-dye custom clothing booth- which of course meant I had to buy a shirt. What came next was completely unexpected- the entire group bought matching shirts. The next morning when I woke up to set out breakfast each one of them came out of their tent wearing their new tie dye shirt- they said, if I had to wear ridiculous clothes, they would all do it too. In that moment I felt such an overwhelming sense of love from this group of people I had just met a week ago. It is not just about the places we go, its about the moments that shape you and I will never forget that day in South Dakota!

2. We explore some pretty amazing places on our trips, just take our frequent stop at one of the natural wonders of the world- The Grand Canyon. Every trip we have a tradition at G Adventures called "the great reveal", where we place paper bags over the heads of all the travelers. We then guide them to the edge of the canyon and when we take the bags off their heads, their breath is taken away at first sight of the canyon. Watching their faces is a priceless moment, one that makes me truly love what I do. The Grand Canyon is also home to some of the most incredible sunsets as the purple and orange layers fill the canyon. People ask if visiting the Grand Canyon ever gets old- never.

One of my groups right before the great reveal.

Enjoying another beautiful sunset.

3. Another spectacular place we visit is Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, which lies just on the border of Arizona and Utah. The sprawling red valley filled with massive sandstone buttes and formations is remarkable. When visiting Monument Valley on our tours we are taken into the park on an open air jeep led by a Navajo guide. The jeep ride is often a highlight of the experience, but when the thunderstorms come down, the open air jeep creates quite the wet adventure. On one of my trips at the end of July, a storm rolled through right as our tour began. We try and teach our travelers that attitude is everything, it is the difference between an ordeal and an adventure. I had run into fellow CEO's Brad and Chris, and we were all trying to keep the morale and energy of our groups up. In an attempt to turn the situation around we began to dance in the rain as it flooded through the giant hogan, I felt so alive and in the moment. And then something happened....the sun came up.

Brad and I dancing in the rain.

Chris and I continuing to dance.

The sun comes out!

4. One of my more unlikely favorite spots is Algonquin Provincial Park in Ontario, Canada. I was lucky enough to visit this place a few times over the summer and every time I left with a feeling of being at peace. It has this magical way of bringing you back down to earth. The best part is that we get to spend two nights there on our Eastern U.S and Canada trip which leaves one day for hiking and biking and one day for canoeing. I cannot tell you how relaxing it is to just spend a day on the water canoeing, taking in the surrounding beauty.

At the top of the lookout trail.

Spending the day on canoes!

5. Another highlight of our Canada trip is going to Toronto and visiting the G Adventures Base Camp (our head office). It was so amazing to meet the office staff and each visit they welcomed me with open arms. Being there puts everything we do into perspective and makes me unbelievably proud to work for such a socially conscious company with great values. Before I took this job I read Looptail, the story of how G Adventures came to be, by our founder Bruce Poon Tip. The book completely drew me into the G culture and the philosophies behind it. I knew right then that this was the company I wanted to work for. My friend Amber had a similar experience, so when we ran a trip together and visited Base Camp we were beyond speechless when we got to meet Bruce Poon Tip. We had told some of the staff how we came to fall in love with G so when Bruce came out of a meeting they called him over to meet us. We chatted with him and then he offered to sign a copy of Looptail for us. We were ecstatic and left Base Camp with huge smiles on our face.

6. I spent quite a great deal of time running East Coast trips this season which brought me to some epic destinations like Niagara Falls. I visited the natural wonder of the world more times than I can remember. Each time I was overcome with its immensity as I stared up at the falls from the Maid of the Mist boat. In October, after visiting the falls nearly 3 times in one month, I was back for one last trip. The weather wasn't great and it was slightly chilly for Maid of the Mist, but we boarded the boat and prepared to get wet. As we crept up to Horseshoe Falls, something beautiful happened- a rainbow came out. There I stood looking up at the falls as I did each time before, but in this moment I stopped to appreciate how lucky I am to have been able to call Niagara Falls my office so many times.

7. I have now mentioned the beauty of Monument Valley a few times throughout my blog. Well, as an optional activity on our trips we offer an overnight stay in a traditional Navajo home called a hogan. If the weather is nice enough we often choose to just sleep outside under the stars and enjoy the quiet peacefulness that surrounds us. The following morning we are woken up by our Navajo guide, pile into the jeep and taken to a view point to watch the sunrise. I am not going to lie, some sunrises are much better than others, it all depends on the weather. On my very last trip of the season we were lucky enough to not only experience the best sunrise I had all season, but probably the most beautiful sunrise I have EVER seen. I sat there on the cold, red Navajo sand staring into the sky having one of those moments where I just felt so happy to be living this life.

8. The first time I visited Zion National Park I couldn't believe such a remarkable place existed just a few hours from Las Vegas. The formations of Navajo sandstone also make it one of the most unique places to visit with an abundance of pretty awesome hiking trails. On my first visit to Zion during my training program, my friend Nelle convinced me to step outside my comfort zone and hike Angels Landing with her. The trail is extremely steep with switchbacks, drop offs and chains to hold onto for dear life. As we climbed to the top something else happened, we opened up to each other and became friends. Little did I know at the time that this was just the first of many crazy adventures we would have together. I came to find that hiking with someone is often the best way to get to know them. Zion will always have a special place in my heart and every time I have been back since then, I have hiked Angels Landing without any fear or trepidation.

Hiking Angels Landing with Nelle for the first time.

Back at Angels Landing during another trip, happy as can be!

9. People often ask me what my favorite National Park is, and it is a pretty difficult question to answer. Every park is incredibly beautiful in its own way. Yet, at the end of the day my answer always comes back to one place- Yosemite National Park. I cannot put into words the beauty of Yosemite. I also cannot choose a single memory from Yosemite. All I can say is that there is no emotion like driving into Yosemite and feeling like you are home. That is exactly what Yosemite has come to be for CEO's- a home away from home. We visit the park on every trip and on every trip we cannot be more excited to get there and show this spectacular park to our travelers. When we spend our lives traveling from one place to the next, nothing feels better than sitting up at Glacier Point, overlooking Half Dome, El Capitan, and Yosemite Valley and just saying "I'm home."

At the top of Glacier Point.

Classic shot of Tunnel View.

10. Last, but not certainly not least, is the city I call home- San Francisco. I didn't know what to make of the city when I first moved there. It is a pretty city, but so foreign to me. I hated not being able to navigate the subway systems like I did in NYC, or not knowing where to get a good iced coffee. To be honest, I still don't have those answers. Yet, there is something priceless about the moment you drive over the Golden Gate Bridge back into the city we are fortunate to call home. I love everything about that moment. I love seeing the look on my travelers faces when they see the grandiose bridge for the first time, and I love knowing that we are about to return to an office of smiling, familiar faces- our G/IA family. 

Driving over the bridge back into the city

On every trip in San Francisco we offer an optional sunset sail through the bay past Alcatraz and under the Golden Gate Bridge. I have been on the sailing trip numerous times, but nothing beats finishing the season and jumping on one last sailing trip with some of my closest friends. We had just a few days left in SF before we would all go our separate ways for the off-season. We spent that afternoon drinking wine, laughing, enjoying the view and reminiscing on what an incredible season we had. I leaned over the boat railing staring across the bay at the Golden Gate Bridge remembering how I felt the first day I arrived in SF and looked over at that same bridge. I was so nervous and anxious to begin this new journey with G Adventures. Questions filled my head- Had I made the right choice? What if I missed NYC? What if this job wasn't for me? Well, I did make the right choice, and I couldn't be happier with where this journey has led me.

Julie, Jennie, Teala, Carson and I on our last sail of the season.

People often think this job is all about fun- from seeing cool places and meeting awesome travelers to sunrises in Monument Valley and sunsets in the Grand Canyon. While all of that may be true, there were also many long drive days, humid nights sleeping outside, infected mosquito bites, days when cooler water spilled all over me, and of course the occasional meltdown when I could NEVER find parking in Boston. But, as I have come to learn, the highs are so much higher than any low. Being a CEO and working for G Adventures is not just a job- it is a lifestyle. In choosing to live this lifestyle I have learned more about myself and grown to be the best version of me. I have had the freedom to put my past behind me and discover the person I want to be all while taking in some of the most beautiful places in our country. 

I know this entry is long and it may seem like I rambled a bit or got lost in my own memories. Well, it is hard to put my emotions and experiences of 7 months into one post. SO, my New Years resolution is to stay on top of my blogging and keep you updated as I continue my journey next season with G Adventures. What am I doing now? Well, it is currently off season so I spent November and December road tripping from San Francisco through Central America, all the way to Panama City with some of my G co-workers/good friends- stay tuned for more on that epic adventure! Right now, I am enjoying the month of January spending time with family and friends in Los Angeles. It has been a great way to relax rejuvenate before I continue my travels in February and then start back on the road in April. I will leave you with one last thought.... life begins at the end of your comfort zone. In less than a year everything about my world has changed. People say I am lucky because I get to travel all the time...well guess what? It's not luck at all. It's making a plan, having a passion for something and not being afraid to break the social norms to get there. It is not easy to start over and completely change the lifestyle you are accustomed to. But, I will say that every bit of struggle has been worth the reward. Never get stuck living a life you do not absolutely love. I love this life I am living and appreciate every adventure that comes with it.