As I've mentioned before, my husband, Adam, is a travel agent. He got his current job just a couple of days after I first met him (You can read about how we met at this post). The travel agency Adam works for specializes in leisure travel, family vacations, destination weddings, cruises, Disney trips and the like.
Throughout my life, as I've been at crossroads with my various jobs, I would look into possibly working as a travel agent. It never really seemed liked the right fit for me, although I do like traveling. Little did I know that later in life I would meet and marry a man who had worked for many years and still continues to work in the travel industry. Funny how life works. 
Being married to a travel agent definltely has its perks with discounted or free travel, flights, accommodations and other upgrades or amenities. Many times you get the 'Wine and Dine' package without asking, which is nice.
When I was still single, before meeting Adam, I rarely took vacations. I am not saying this is a good thing. It was mostly my way of saying, 'I don't have time for vacations because I am a Strong Single Woman and I have to work and take care of myself and I need the money and I just have to work, work, work.' Again, I am not saying that was a good thing, but that's where I was in my life. What vacations I did take were either shortened (Like, we had a family reunion one year in Branson for the week. I went for half the week, because, you know I HAD to work), day trips to a State Park on a Sunday afternoon by myself (Is that really a vacation though?) or with my family (Typically. One year I went to Florida with friends. It was a kind of last minute decision, but also one of The Best vacations I've ever had. I felt so rested and rejuvenated after I got home).
Before I met Adam I also had a tendancy to vocalize to family and friends that when I DID get married I didn't want to go to Cancun for my honeymoon. Why? Because everyone goes to Cancun for their honeymoon. It was just where you went.
Where are you going on your honeymoon?
Cancun.
Oh.
Where are you going on your honeymoon?
Cancun.
Oh.
Where did you go on your honeymoon? No, no, let me guess. Cancun?
Yes.
Knew it.
Then...life changed. I met Adam. And he was a travel agent, specilizing in leisure travel and resort destinations. And where did we go on our honeymoon? Yep...Cancun. You know, it's the thing to do. 
Not only did we go to Cancun for our honeymoon, but we've been taking a yearly resort vacation ever since we've been married. It feels luxurious to say that. I feel privilged. And yet, I also feel like it a gift from the Lord, a special way that He is telling me He loves me. That is is OK to relax. It is OK to take time to rest and rejuvenate. That it is OK to take time to do nothing. That it is OK to just be, to not work, to step away from the everyday routine of life and do something different. It is OK to put time into my marriage by just being with my husband one-on-one away from our daily norm. That it is OK to play a game at three o'clock in the afternoon and get a snack at the snack bar if I'm hungry. It is OK to lie on the beach and read a novel. It is OK. And it is good. It almost feels weird to say that simply because it is such a complete switch from how I used to be. And maybe that is also God's way of gently and kindly laughing at me; the tables have turned. I thought I'd never go to Cancun on vacation; so much that I knew.
So now I've gotten wholeheartedly on the resort bandwagon. I love them. I love the resort culture. I love getting dressed up for dinner. I love laying by the beach or the pool. I love the sunshine. I love the fact that everything is included in the all-inclusive resorts (To a point. More on that later). I love that I can have a three or four course meal. I love that I can order anything off the menu and if I don't like it I can order something else or get room service later. I love that I can have more than one dessert and it's OK. (Dessert? Yes, please. Don't mind if I do. In fact, I'll take two). I love the sea breezes, the view, the different atmospheres of the resorts, the friendly waitstaff, the opulence, the luxury, the relaxed atmosphere, the just being.
So, all that to say that here are the resort recommendations, the places that I've been to and stayed at the past few years. I will list them in the order of which I experienced them, chronologically. Then I will list them by my favorites with links so you can visit them yourself, at least virtually. (And remember, I get no compensation for recommending these resorts or from any other links in this post).
May 2016; Honeymoon, Le Blanc in Cancun, Mexico.
May 2017; 1st Anniversary, The Fives (When we went it was Azul), Riveria Maya, Mexico
May 2018; 2nd Anniversay, Playacar Palace, Playa del Carmen (This is when I discovered Bloomish, my favorite Mexican body care store)
May 2019: 3rd Anniversary; Le Blanc in Cabo and Secrets in Cabo (Travel Tip: Unless you are a thrill seeker don't book a sunset sailboat cruise with the company Cabo Adventures. I thought I was literally going to die in the Pacific ocean on my third wedding anniversary. This is an experince I try to block out of my memory. Enough said)
September 2020: 4th Anniversary; El Dorado/Casitas, Riveria Maya
October 2020: FAM Trip with Adam's Work, Hyatt Ziva and Le Blanc in Cabo
May 2021: 5th Anniversary; We didn't go anywhere this year. We spent our anniverasary working then went out to dinner at Cafe Natasha's on Grand (Which has since closed).
May 2022; 6th Anniversary; Fiesta Americana and Secrets the Vine in Cancun
Recommendation resorts in order of my favs:
- Le Blanc in Cabo
- Le Blanc in Cancun
- Playacar Palace
- Fiesta Americana
- El Dorado
- Hyatt Ziva in Cabo
- The Fives
- Secrets The Vine Cancun
- Secrets in Cabo Adam says I'm spoiled and if Secrets Cabo is, to me, the 'worst' resort I've been to, well, then, I haven't experienced anything bad. I haven't been to a Riu yet (Apparently one of Adam's former co-workers stayed at a Riu and stood in line for 45 minutes just to get a hot dog on a piece of bread. No condiments, nothing. Not even a bun. Just a piece of bread acting like a bun. People, this is NOT my idea of how I want to spend my vacation and definitely not what I want to eat on vacation). There you have it folks. Those are my top resort recomendations.
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