Real Life Recess - Page 2 of 7 - A blog for & about Aspiring Expats, Vacation Addicts, and Beach Bums

Settling in to our new lives-BEElize it

Aug 26 2019

So, we’ve been settling in to life here in Placencia village; and in to our home/ guesthouse. Which we renamed Driftwood Gardens by the way. General upkeep of a home here is enough to keep one busy most days but we’ve also done some significant and minor upgrades to take this traditional Belizean style house to the next level of comfort. We replaced the old wooden louver windows with glass ones (DM me if you want to hear our Peter’s Glass horror story and scathing review; I won’t…

Hello strangers

Aug 26 2019

Oh my word it’s been a long time since I’ve posted! I plan on rectifying that- on reviving this little blog. So what has been happening since our move? Plenty! We proudly celebrated our first September Celebrations in Belize- it’s almost as if you can’t throw a stone in Belize during this month without hitting a party or parade. The big days being the 10th– St George’s Caye Day. And the 21st– Belize Independence Day. We also celebrated our first Halloween And our first “big fat American” Thanksgiving…

Belizean Bartender Workshop Ladies- Real Life Recess

Aug 24 2017

My friend Nicole (owner of Dolce Cabanas) hosted a very fun event last weekend- a Belizean Bartender Workshop lead by the talented and knowledgeable duo from Taste Belize Tours, Peter and Lyra. It was a PERFECT afternoon in my opinion. The setting: pool side, overlooking the lagoon with two adorable pups frolicking in the yard. The audience: ten beautiful, fun, interesting, friendly, and thirsty women. The show: over a half dozen perfectly crafted cocktails created by Peter using local ingredients like fresh fruit, herbs, and of course Belizean…

Aug 19 2017

Girls just want to have fun… heart pounding, adrenaline pumping, muscle shaking fun. We have SUCH a great group of expats here in Placencia (that I’m so grateful for) that are so welcoming and kind and cool. The moms group organized a ladies only, kids-free adventure outing that was awesome! We all carpooled out to the beautiful and lush rainforest of Bocawina National Park for a day of hiking, swimming in natural pools, and the seriously insane waterfall rappelling. They also have a zip line course in the…

Jul 25 2017

The Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary is a huge park about an hour drive from Placencia that has a bunch of hiking trails and waterfalls and even river tubing. If you come to the village on vacation but want to see the jungle and spot some cool wildlife, Cockscomb is probably the closest trip you can choose. I had the pleasure of tagging along with some other moms from the village on a kids-free morning hike. The entrance fee is $2.50 for Belizean nationals and residents and $10 for…

Pool Fun Maya Beach Hotel Real Life Recess

Jul 24 2017

Placencia has a fair amount of families with young children; I’d guess percentage-wise, probably more so than Ambergris Caye. Or at least it’s my impression that Placencia is more family friendly and San Pedro is more party people and empty nesters that prefer a more refined adult-only vibe. It’s one of the reasons we chose Placencia over the Cayes- we have a wonderful, active, welcoming community of moms and dads here. I joined various “mom’s groups” on Facebook ahead of our move and instantly started low-key cyber stalking…

Jul 18 2017

So on June 28th we actually moved into our new house, Bamboo Gardens. It was exactly 4 weeks to the day from when we first saw the house. Pretty quick for sure. On that morning the utilities were switched into our names. This was done much differently than in the states. Phil and the seller Bob just walked 5 minutes north to the Electric and Water Companies. The companies share the same building and employees. Phil just showed his passport to open an account and then transferred each…

Signing Papers Bamboo Gardens Real Life Recess

Jul 12 2017

So the papers have been signed and its official. After vowing to never own a home again, we are now home owners. Packing Up After living in five homes in the past two years, it’s comforting to know that just about all of our possessions can now be transported in a single trip with a Ford Escape. No big moving trucks or even a large SUV is needed for us. And hopefully we just made our last move for awhile. Lofty Expectations House Hunters International. Beachfront Bargain Hunt….

Lunges on the sea wall in Placencia- Real Life Recess

Jul 02 2017

So one of the handful of things that we miss right off the bat about our lives in the States… a proper gym! You know what I mean- a clean modern facility decked out with cardio machines, all manner of weights, AIR CONDITIONING, and (this is probably asking way too much now) a childcare room?!?! There are two gyms here in the village and neither of them are cheap to join. One is Evolution Gym, an open-air type of place in the front yard of a local’s house……

Jun 28 2017

There are a few Lobsterfests around Belize. Placencia’s Lobsterfest Weekend was June 23rd-25th and some people have said it’s the best one. The tents went up, the tables and chairs were delivered and our excitement was palpable- our first festival in Belize! There was so much to see, do, and eat this weekend! Most of the restaurants had special dinners and others had booths set up on the beach offering various lobster dishes as well as other local fare. Below is just a sampling of what was offered….

Blog

Settling in to our new lives-BEElize it

Hello strangers

Libations with the Ladies

Waterfalls and Rappelling at Bocawina National Park

Cockscomb Hike with the Ladies of Placencia

Mom Friends and Family Fun in Placencia

Our New Belizean House…and you can stay with us!!

We moved again and it ain’t like HGTV

Belizean Beach Body- Our Exercise Options in Placencia

Our first Placencia Lobsterfest!