Traveling with your Tribe, Jose Ignacio, Uruguay — PART 2

Beach Vibes, Jose Ignacio – Peaches, Horses and Lagoons

Our eight fantastic days in and around Jose Ignacio were full and long, but the trip passed in a flash. As I settled into the Jose Ignacio way of life (suits me well ha), I was reminded how meaningful and rejuvenating it can be to travel with your tribe. Finding the right travel tribe is not an easy feat — but when it works, traveling together can be such a treat. It allows a certain fluidity of parenting and helps normalize the struggles we all face as parents. I relished laughing over ALL the moments I think only happen at our house. So needed these days!

It was also sweet to see our kids travel in a pack, entertain themselves and deepen their friendships too. I especially enjoyed our long, connecting meals over good wine and lots of great conversation. Our days and evenings consisted of beach afternoons until sunset, long, late lunches at amazing (super chill) restaurants, pool time, boogie boarding, kite surfing, exploring lagoons, asados (bbqs) at home, traveling to nearby towns (they are all so different and worth a visit!), meeting our friends’ family and friends, arts and crafts, friendship bracelets, Frozen 2 sing-a-longs, horseback riding, daily runs to the tiny grocery in town to get more and more of the amazing local peaches (we couldn’t get enough!).

Traveling with our extended crew also allowed my friend and me to sneak away and stock up on stylish beachwear at least twice while the kids were with the dads (huge score, felt so luxurious…). And my husband got to go kitesurfing without guilt. I had plenty of people to keep me company and sane! We all managed to relax a tad as well, with massages over multiple days at the house while we took turns watching the kids, and even made space for each other to get a little time, gasp, alone. We thoroughly enjoyed everything that comes with the perfect beach getaway in the MOST chill, hip, unpretentious, understated, family-friendly international beach town I’ve visited. Jose Ignacio really is THE BEST, especially with kids.

Lunch with old and new friends at La Linda

Post lunch shenanagans with the Jose Ignacio faro (lighthouse) in the distance

This was all made possible, of course, because our friends, for the most part, matched our tempo/style of travel. Even when I occasionally annoyed them, like when it took me too long to leave the house because oops — I couldn’t find the darn sunscreen/forgot the boogie board/lost the towels. Or when I got the rental car stuck in a ditch on New Year’s Eve in front of the restaurant I was sent to pick up food from for the party we were hosting and had to be rescued by my friend and a few locals and their truck with a hitch. That was fun! Fortunately, we were all able to roll with the frustrating times, find them endearing (for the most part) and laugh. All a MUST when you decide to holiday with an extended crew. Vacation time is so precious. Tempos and agendas need to match, or everyone needs to understand and be ok with the differences. Being thoughtful about how you travel, and who you travel with, is always worth considering.

As the days unfolded, my love of traveling internationally, with my kids, also came back to life…thank goodness — after traveling internationally every 4-6 months with my kids over the past few years, I was feeling a bit tired and wanted a break! Travel for me is about exploring, connecting, finding inspiration and creating memories to connect with in the future — remember when we saw that panda, or ate that yummy pavlova, or learned about the Aztecs? Even this simple, relaxing beach holiday was a point of connection we brought back home with us and reflect on regularly. And the international angle always adds a different, challenging (in a good way!) dimension. We all learned a lot in a short period of time about Argentina and Uruguay. It’s also always very moving (and makes me proud) to see my kids so curious about other cultures, and how much they appreciate, and are inspired by, their experiences when exploring a new country. This trip re-inspired me and reminded me why all those 11+ hour flights are worth the effort.

One particular experience that really brought us together, and inspired me very much, was a special visit to Haras Godiva, a horse riding ranch, towards the end of the trip. Kasia had found the ranch during one of her daily runs on the dirt roads behind our rental. We kept saying we should sign the kids up for riding lessons, but eight hours of beach time and wine lunches later and we’d just push it to the next day. We finally booked a lesson for the two older kids the day before we left, and as soon as we arrived, wished we’d gone the first day we found it. And every day after!

The ranch was like a setting out of a movie — so simple and beautiful. There was a main house with a covered patio area off the immaculate stables, a huge indoor and outdoor training arena behind the stables, and rolling hills, sweeping vistas, and big sky with the Atlantic ocean in the distance. Paulina, the manager, and a mother of three kids of similar ages, was amazing. We connected immediately and felt at home with her. Paulina is a magical teacher. She was calm and in charge, but very warm and playful. She pushed the kids to do more in two lessons than my son did the entire last summer. Thank you, Paulina!

After chatting with Paulina a bit, I was also moved by how intentional she was about her life. Hearing how she lived in the countryside and was committed to raising her kids on their farm, in a peaceful setting, focused on nature and hard work, and how much effort and planning it took to drive them to school 45mins away each way, reminded me how much I need to follow my heart and live the life I intend to. Seeing my kids so happy, curious and at ease with the horses, combined with the setting and how close I felt to everyone, I felt so grateful and overwhelmed with joy. I couldn’t help but get teary. The whole experience filled me up so much. It was one of those very special memories I will return to again and again. And, a good reminder not to put off an activity that looks interesting during a trip. It might be one of the best activities of all, so don’t wait until the end to enjoy it! Fortunately, we were able to squeeze in one more lesson the next day, our last day (with all 4 kids), just before we left for the airport. It was even better than the first.

That afternoon, as I boarded the plane for our first leg back to SF, I fell into my normal re-entry slump (tears included), but pulled myself together and vowed to keep the low-key José Ignacio vibe going when I got home. I committed to getting back to more of the old me in 2020 too. I love how I am evolving, for the most part, but miss the old, carefree, vibrant, really alive “me” these days (life, even a good life, can take it’s toll!). This is why I love traveling so much, I feel so alive. Traveling always brings me back home, to my true, lighthearted, playful self. Travel also brings up so many meaningful questions and curiosities – how do other people live around this great globe of ours? What are their days like? Will we ever take a year and live in another country? What do I want to be doing differently with my life? What do I wish for my kids? Every time I go away I find myself again and come back filled up, inspired, reconnected. And traveling with my people fills me up even more…for this I am very grateful! I hope you get out there and go happy with your travel tribe soon too :)

BUENOS AIRES

Recoleta Cemetery https://turismo.buenosaires.gob.ar/en/otros-establecimientos/recoleta-cemetery

Fervor https://www.fervorbrasas.com.ar/

Gardiner http://gardiner.com.ar/

MAMBA https://www.museomoderno.org/en

JOSE IGNACIO

Where to . . .

Stay:

We rented an AirBnB just outside of town . . .Ignacio was the perfect host and his house was great! https://tinyurl.com/v3haajk

Dine:

La Huella (Jose Ignacio) the best chill, hip beach restaurant ever http://paradorlahuella.com/
La Susana (Jose Ignacio) we had reservations but didn’t make them…was going to be a lovely lunch there too - next time!! http://www.lasusana.com/
Lalinda (Manantiales) a great spot tucked away in a fun neighborhood, in a converted warehouse type of place very hip and kids could run around outside http://www.lalindabakery.com/
Narbona (La Barra) for lunch in the countryside, lovely wine lodge great for kids http://www.narbona.com.uy/en/restaurant-3/punta-del-este-2/
Mostrador Santa Teresita (Jose Ignacio) for lunch, casual great food think Ottolenghi style salads and sides http://www.fernandotrocca.com/2014/01/14/mostrador-santa-teresita-were-open/
SoHo Cafe (Jose Ignacio) for breakfast
Marismo (Jose Ignacio) for dinner, awesome setting http://restaurantmarismo.com/
Volta (Manantieles) best ice cream
Freddo (Jose Ignacio) stopped there more than a few afternoons it’s great

Play:

Playa Brava for surfing
Playa Mansa for swimming (great for kids)
The lagoon in La Barra near the La Barra bridge (the bridge is fun for the kids!)
Kitesurfing lessons just outside of Jose Ignacio on the Laguna Garzon
Haras Godiva Horse Ranch https://www.harasgodiva.com/copia-de-inicio
Buy boogie boards from town and rent surf boards from a town closer to Punta - there is nowhere to rent in Jose Ignacio as it’s a very small town with a very short season
Great shopping in Jose Ignacio, Manantiales and La Barra

Getting there:

We flew from SF thru Houston and Buenos Aires then on to Punta Del Este
We stayed one night in BA on the way down, which I recommend as the transfer from the international airport to the city airport is not easy . . . it was much less stressful to enjoy an afternoon and overnight in BA on the way down, and an afternoon and evening on the way home
We enjoyed a nice lunch and quick visit to the MAMBA during our layover on the way home
A long trip with lots of flights but definitely worth effort!

Is it worth the 6 flights roundtrip? It may not look like it here but YES!!! :)) — Is it worth the 6 flights roundtrip? It may not look like it here but **YES!!!** :))