Today is the 5th Anniversary of the day I moved to Cancun. I can’t believe it’s been 5 years since I boarded a plane with 10 bags full of all of my remaining worldly possessions and headed to a foreign country. I didn’t even have a home when I arrived in Cancun.

I look back on all I’ve been through in the past 5 years and wonder why I’ve stayed. It’s certainly not been an easy adjustment. Yet, for some mysterious reason, I still wake up every morning happy to be here. Of course, there are plenty of things I’d change about Mexico if I could, but there are plenty of things I’d change about the US too.

Yesterday, I was looking around my home and I realized that I’ve acquired nearly everything in the place since I’ve been here. There are very few items from my life in Denver. Not only have commited to buying furniture here, but I’ve also bought appliances. (I never thought that day would come!) The best things I’ve acquired since moving to Cancun are definitely my dogs. In 2006, my mom gave me an early birthday present…..my fabulous puppy, Catalina. I now have 6 dogs (including the fabulous Catalina) and have no idea how I ever survived without them.

In 5 years, I’ve also made some of the best friends I’ve ever had, started my own photography business, and met el amor de mi vida (the love of my life). Believe me, adjusting to a new country, and picking up a foreign language has all been MUCH easier than taming the man of my dreams. (I’ll never understand men, but that is another blog entry entirely.)

After 5 years, life in Cancun is still as wonderful as I’d hoped it would be…with it’s occasional ups and downs, of course. Below, I’ve listed some of the highlights (and lowlights) of my time in Cancun. I hope to check back in with you in another 5 years.

Good Things That Have Happened in the Past 5 Years:

–I have my own business and do a job I absolutely love and, most of the time, I get to work in my pajamas! (I only wear pajamas in my home while doing work on the computer. I never wear pajamas to a photo shoot. I’ve considered it, but would never do it….well, probably not.)

–I get to work on the beach when I’m not at the computer in my pj’s!

–I have a flip-flop tan all year long. (I don’t even own closed-toe shoes anymore.)

–I have incredible friends that I can always count on (and they can always count on me).

–I have learned a second language and can now flirt, talk smack, and argue in 2 languages! (Ok, my Spanish is horrible and I really only speak at about the same level as a 4 or 5 year old, but people laugh at my jokes so I think they understand what I’m saying….even though I’m sure I invent my own words from time to time.)

–I have a pack of 6 dogs that give me much love and millions of puppy kisses every day.

–I fell in love with the man of my dreams. (It’s currently NOT working out like I’d planned. See list of bad things below.)

–I finally got US tv channels and can watch my soaps, Oprah, and David Letterman again!!!

–Hurricane Wilma. I know this was a devastating storm, but it was a turning point for me. After the storm, Tim and I started writing this blog. I also decided to make photography my main business after the hurricane.

Bad Things That Have Happened in the Past 5 Years:

–Home invasion while I was sleeping. Shortly after moving to Cancun, I woke to find a stranger in my bedroom rummaging through my things. I chased him out of the house and had my landlord install bars on my windows and door immediately. (I wasn’t hurt and he only stole around $50 USD. It could’ve been MUCH worse.)

–Heartbreak and sadness, thanks to the love of my life. (See, told you it’s not working out as planned.)

–Hurricane Wilma. My neighborhood didn’t have power for nearly 2 weeks. A few days after the storm, I fled to the US and got stranded there because all flights to Cancun were cancelled. The beaches and much of the city looked totally destroyed. Surprisingly, it all came back to life in a very short time.

–Hurricanes Ivan and Emily. No major damage in Cancun after either, but being in a hurricane isn’t exactly a calm, relaxing experience…although, during Wilma, I DID spend most of my time reading and sleeping. I guess I was used to hurricanes by then.

As long as the list of good things continues to be longer than the list of bad things, you’ll find me in Cancun.