Strong Plans, Loosely Held
“Seek not that the things which happen should happen as you wish; but wish the things which happen to be as they are, and you will have a tranquil flow of life.”— EPICTETUS
Sunset on San Pancho Beach, Mexico
October 6th, 2025
📍Puerto Vallarta, Nayarit, Mexico 🇲🇽
¡Saludos desde el desierto!
I am writing to you from the airport lounge in Puerto Vallarta (which I have free access to thanks to my Marriott Bonvoy Platinum AMEX), waiting to board my flight to Cancún, Mexico.
I've just spent the last four days in San Pancho (north of Puerto Vallarta) doing a site visit for a potential retreat venue for RENEW Retreat in April 2026. The first leg of my trip was preparation for April's retreat, and the second is a chance to practice Janzu in the cenotes and celebrate mine and two of my friends’ summer birthdays. I would like to plan a future retreat in Tulum, and I’m excited to explore the area.
The breakdown of my best laid plans started three weeks ago when the potential retreat venue contacted me to inform me that the construction of the house wasn't complete, and that the mini retreat they were hosting for me and a group of other retreat leaders needed to be rescheduled. Due to my subsequent travel plans to Cancún, Playa del Carmen, and Tulum, I was unable to change my flight.
Thankfully, my host was able to secure a nearby rental for me, but my experience in San Pancho was anything but the retreat or photoshoot opportunity I had been promised when I booked this trip—big bummer. The good news is that, staying next door to this potential retreat venue (with quite a bit of construction still to go), I learned that it was not the ideal venue for RENEW.
When God closes a Door…
I took this closed door as a blessing and went with my original retreat venue choice, south of Puerto Vallarta, in the jungle at Equilibrium. Nestled in the Sierra Madre Mountains, this resort and spa is a truly unique place with its own microclimate. This venue surrounds you with countless tropical birds, orchids, butterflies, and medicinal plants. A perfect space to heal and connect.
The view from this “open window” is breathtaking.
I still don't know what the rest of this trip has in store for me. One of my two travel companions won't be joining me in Cancún after all. My heart breaks for her having to miss out as much as it does for me and our other friend, who were looking forward to celebrating our birthdays together (and splitting the rental car and Airbnb costs three ways).
So far, this trip has been an exercise in letting go of expectations. Aside from my flights, not much has gone as originally planned. The Type-A planner in me has had every opportunity to be easily disappointed, and I'm still working through my frustrations.
One of the things I'm learning on my travels as a digital nomad is to hold my plans loosely. With so many moving parts and uncontrollable variables, everything won't work out exactly as I planned. I've been practicing going with the flow over the last year, and this trip is no exception.
The highlight of my trip so far was running into my friend Xochitl on the beach—Totally random and unexpected surprise (see pic above). I'm flying back to Colorado on Thursday and will be there just long enough to pack up my camping gear before heading out on my first solo extended car camping road trip through the American Southwest.
In the meantime, be on the lookout on Instagram for photos from my travels through the Yucatán. I'll spend Monday swimming the cenotes of Xcaret, exploring Xoximilco in Cancún on Tuesday, and dining in the treetops of Tulum on Wednesday.
With Love,
Jennifer
P.S.—I’d love to hear from YOU! Rather than emailing me or dropping me a DM, please post a comment below 👇
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