Paul and I met at our 30 year Santana High School reunion in 2017. We both grew up in Santee, went to the same high school and graduated the same year, but never really talked until the night of our reunion.

That night, Paul shared with me that he was retired and moved to Los Barriles in June of 2016. He told me he spent his time in the great community of Los Barriles with new friends, helping out with the local dog rescue, fishing, swimming, snorkeling and playing a new sport called "Pickleball".

After the night at the reunion, we often chatted through text and phone calls. We met again a few months later when Paul returned to San Diego for his parents' 50th year wedding anniversary. We spent most of that weekend together and planned for him to come back for Christmas. After Christmas we dated and traveled back and forth from Baja to San Diego for over a year. I really loved being in Baja with him and we decided that I should move there. We bought a small house together and remodeled it. With the remodel complete, and my youngest child finishing her first semester in college, we decided it was time to begin our adventure together in Baja.

Paul and I packed up my belongings, including my pets, and we spent the next 4 days driving south through Baja until we reached our destination, Los Barriles, on January 1st, 2020.

There have been a lot of challenges since my move to Los Barriles, including Covid and leaving Los Barriles to work in the hospital, losing my brother in 2021 and all the pain and changes that accompanied that, and missing my family and friends, but luckily we are able to get to San Diego and Jacksonville often.

Our life here in Los Barriles is quite busy. We both work at Baja Properties selling real estate. Paul returned to work here in Los Barriles, once he saw how much fun I was having selling. Ha!

Our free time is filled with playing pickleball, swimming, dog rescue and fostering and foster failing, and breakfast, lunch and dinner dates with our Baja family. We did another remodel last summer and added a master bedroom, bathroom, and walk in closet to our home, and updated our kitchen in the rental. There's never a dull moment and always something happening in town. By "Baja Midnight" (9pm), we are wiped out and ready for bed!

I feel quite blessed that Paul has come into my life. He and his family have been an addition to my soul and have filled my heart. He has taught me to appreciate life each day and that no matter what challenges are tossed our way, together we can overcome them and rise above. I love his lust for life and his dedication to God, evidenced by his daily readings in his prayer book and watching him sit still for 1 minute (the only time he sits still) thanking the Lord for his life and praying for strength to tackle each day. I'm looking forward to spending the rest of my life with him, and consider myself lucky.

Thanks for taking the time to read my side of "our story".