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Be Open to Expecting Miracles, & You May End up Living in Paradise






be open to expecting miracles, and you may end up living in paradise





SPAIN & PORTUGAL


The plan was to travel to Spain & Portugal in Feb 2016

Our work schedules wouldn't allow it

By May 2016, my husband Todd asked if I wanted to visit Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Meh, I wasn't thrilled

We'd vacationed in Punta Mita the previous year

(near Puerto Vallarta, but had not visited there)

But I said yes


The week we were to leave for Puerto Vallarta

I finished the book "Spirit Junkie"

The one thing I remembered about that book


be open to expecting miracles




LEAVING ON A JET PLANE?


The night before our flight to Puerto Vallarta,

I was deathly sick

Could hardly move

Todd tried to coax me into going anyway

"all you have to do is stand in line and you can sleep on the plane"

It took all my energy to walk ten feet to the bathroom

Every bone in my body ached - there was no way I could fly

Even with this pain, and the possibility of not being able to go on our trip at all

The thought crossed my mind - be open to expecting miracles

Maybe this was happening for a reason


I slept for 16 hours

And when I woke up, I felt pretty good

LET'S GO TO MEXICO!

We were only delayed one day

But due to the delay, our flight stopped in Houston

Due to the stop in Houston

We met Alan and James in line as we boarded the plane (miracle #1)




PUERTO VALLARTA


The first thing we did after arriving in the neighborhood of Old Town in PV

Was take a short walk to a restaurant, Cafe de Olla

We met a couple there from Tulsa, Jeanne and Tom (miracle #2)

And mentioned we'd been looking around the world

For a warmer place to move

To retire, or own a small business

Jeanne said "the ice cream and chocolate shops next door are for sale" (miracle #3)




we're obsessed with gourmet artisan ice cream and chocolate

(and these are the businesses we eventually purchase)




Puerto Vallarta is a charming traditional Mexican city

Amazing restaurants, culture, ocean & beach, activities, theatre, tours, botanical gardens We introduced our four new friends to each other

And had dinner with them all several times that week

Alan & James from Houston (the miracle #1 - met them boarding the plane in Houston because of the delay)

Tom and Jeanne from Tulsa (the miracle #2 - met them at the first restaurant in PV)

It felt like we'd known them forever, not just a few days



On the fourth vacation morning in PV

We were on the pool rooftop deck

I was in a Lord of the Dance Yoga Pose

The sun peeking over the mountain

The ocean was glimmering

The city was coming alive with roosters and city noise

In that moment I knew

I COULD LIVE HERE

Todd captured this photo of me during my AHA moment

And he also knew HE COULD LIVE HERE at the same moment (miracle #4)



be open to expecting miracles





After yoga we took a stroll

To the ice cream shop, Lix

(the one that Jeanne mentioned was for sale)

There was a sign on the front of the shop

"How'd you like to own a business in Mexico?"

YES!

We got the owner's information


Then we found a gorgeous historic Hacienda art gallery on the same street

Galleria Dante, where we met Claire the owner, and her daughter Gena (miracle #5)

who owns the restaurant upstairs - Di Vino Dante

Claire moved to PV from Canada thirty-four years ago

We spoke with Claire for what seemed like hours

She was friendly, informative and welcoming

And we told her we wanted to move to PV

I'm sure she'd heard that many times before




TIME TO GO HOME


We boarded the plane to Chicago with a heavy feeling in the pits of our stomachs

We didn't want to leave


Vallarta had changed us (miracle #6)

She seduced us with her beauty and charms

Introduced us to six important friends

Who already lived in PV or would move there soon

And provided us with two possible amazing biz's


By the time our flight landed in Chicago

All we could think about was how to get back to Vallarta

We decided to move there in six months

December 2016




DID THE FEELING LAST


The feeling of excitement to move to PV

Became stronger and deeper every day

Brought happy tears

Joy in our hearts

A tingling excitement


We did think about it logically at times

Logically it wasn't a good financial move

We both made good money

We didn't know if we'd get the businesses in PV

But we knew that we'd move there anyway

Something would work out




THE MIRACLES


Miracles?

Or was it a coincidence that I was sick and couldn't leave on our scheduled day?

Think about it,

If I didn't get sick

We wouldn't have met Alan and James

Nor Jeanne and Tom

We might have met Claire and Gena

We might have seen the 'for sale' sign on the door of the ice cream shop


Yet because I did get sick

And we did meet those 6 people

And learn about the business for sale from one of those people

Puerto Vallarta already felt like home

A welcoming home with people we knew

Sure we loved the weather, the ocean, the mountains, the restaurants, the theatre, the energy, the people

But the key was those 6 people


We knew we'd own a gourmet artisan chocolate and ice cream shop

We knew it was time to leave Chicago

We followed our hearts

And moved to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Six months later

December 2016




be open to expecting miracles

and you may end up living in Paradise




Have you had any experiences like this

Would love to hear your story


xo

Kathleen Naomi

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