ABOUT ME

Putting it all on the line

I am a native-Montrealer who recently upped and left 2 years ago to work and live in Tulum, Mexico with my boyfriend Martin. We ever so boldly put it all on the line and purchased a small 12-room hotel called Posada Luna del Sur (www.posadalunadelsur.com). We’ve been running it together ever since. Marty and I share many of the same passions (which I guess has helped us stay strong for 8 years) as we both LIVE to travel, cook, eat and meet new people.

Of course we’ve faced many challenges over the last 48 months, but I think we’re now up against the biggest one of all- We’re expecting our first child at the end of August! This new development in our lives is what really inspired me to start this blog. This is not the first blog that I’ve attempted since our move to Mexico. Initially it was more of a diary I kept for family and close friends to keep in touch. Now I’ve decided to take it public y’all!

Apart from my passions for traveling and eating, I have always loved to write. I graduated many years ago with a degree in journalism, but never really ended up working in the field. I look forward to using this blog as a vehicle for sharing my experiences and hope that I can stay disciplined enough to keep at it!

People often ask us, what made you do it?

We get asked this questions A LOT! I think most of our guests assume Marty and I are an older couple on their way to retirement and are surprised to find that we’re  younger than they thought. What made you do this, they ask. Well, the story is actually not all that intriguing. One evening, after a long day at work, something inspired us to start a little innocent research on buying a business abroad. One thing lead to another and we began to see the possibilities of actually making this dream come true. My father and brother both live in Houston, Texas and we felt the need to share our revelation with them. Coincidently, they were having the exact same conversation that very same evening! Now that we had 2 more partners on board the possibilities seemed endless…and so the field work began. It just so happens that we fell in love with Posada Luna del Sur immediately after our first visit, and four short months later we were running the place ourselves. At present, Marty and I are running things together as my brother needed to return back home to the US. My father helps us out here and there when we need some time off, but otherwise he comes down to enjoy the fruits of his labor! So, as you can see, there wasn’t anything specifically that “made us do this” except for a little inspiration, and ultimately a leap of faith. At the end of the day we had to make a move or accept things as they were. Do I miss the furniture, flat screens and everything else we had to sell to get here? Heck no!

Posada Luna del Sur

Since embarking on this posada adventure, what has happened over the last two years?

I still can’t believe how fast time has passed by since we arrived here last May! I still remember the very first day we took over. Neither of us spoke a word of Spanish, not to mention we had never run a hotel in our lives- let alone having worked in the hospitality industry. I was coming from a background in television and Marty had gained much of his experience working in sales. Yikes! The other small concern was being able to work together 24/7. It was either going to make us or break us!

I am very happy to report that things have only progressed in a positive way since our take over two years ago. We truly have been enjoying the amazing experience of living and working abroad!

We were lucky enough to figure out early on what are own strengths and weaknesses were, which I think is what ultimately made this work. Marty is  excellent when it comes to dealing with people, whether they are guests, staff, the handyman, etc. He has a way of making everyone feel important and I often admire his social stamina, as I tend to sometimes feel overwhelmed with the constant inflow of guests all year round. I on the other hand thrive on keeping things organized, like guest reservations, and have always enjoyed things like design, cooking, writing etc. I think I also tend to be the one to keep things fresh by coming up with new ideas, and then we somehow are able to execute those ideas together pretty successfully. We’ve been pretty lucky and I always try to remember to appreciate how we got here. Lots of hard work!

Most importantly this posada adventure has sparked a fire in both Marty and I. Ok, I know that may sound a little cheesy, but I am not sure how else to explain it. Once you make a decision to change the direction of your life like we did, you begin to realize the endless possibilities this world has to offer. I’d always dreamt of taking off and traveling the world with my family or working abroad somewhere near the ocean but once you get through school, find a job and buy your first piece of real estate you get comfortable and those dreams become fantasies, which end up being thrown around after a good bottle of wine…or two. Today, it really doesn’t feel like such a big deal. Yeah, I live in Mexico and left my job, home, family and friends behind but people do crazier things. Since embarking on this adventure I am constantly coming in contact with people my age or older who give up their mainstream life to go after their dreams. More and more I see this trend happening all around me. People refusing to conform to the life that is planned out for them by society, and instead, taking a chance before it’s too late. Countless blogs by people who’ve quit their corporate jobs to travel around the world or families who’ve sold all they’re possessions to circumnavigate on a 42′ sail boat. Wild yes? Impossible, no! Once you take the first step forward, you’ll probably never take a step back.

How to contact me?

The best way to reach me is directly through email. I enjoy replying personally to messages so please feel free to get in touch through the CONTACT ME tab. I also love reading your comments and try to respond to them as often as I can. Lastly, if you’re going to be passing through Tulum, Mexico anytime give me a shout- I’d be more than happy to take you to my favorite taco joint!

Thanks for reading

-Sarah