Tulum with Honor

from The Nashville Edit Volume 1, 2019

An Ocean of Inspiration

WORDS AND IMAGES BY BROOKE BOLING

We are in the thick of “remote work” culture. We see blog posts detailing “how to work remotely,” Remote Year programs expanding in popularity and practically every coffee shop in Nashville is occupied by comprehensive office setups consisting of nothing more than a Macbook, airpods and blue blocker glasses. Many of us have the resources to work anywhere, so why wouldn’t we take advantage of them?

Here is where we bring in the “Work Away” concept. For those of us who are seasoned in our careers and comfortable in our financial position, the world truly is our oyster. Beautiful cities across the globe that have typically been deemed tropical, vacation getaways are now equipped with what is necessary to run an entire business - wifi and an electrical outlet. So naturally, when I had the chance to book tickets for my team to head to Tulum for a week-long “work away” I punched in my Southwest Rapid Rewards number without hesitation.

**Amanda, Brooke and Kenzie of Honor Creative photographed at Casa Pueblo Tulum — Natalie Busby Box Top in Smoke**

On a rainy Saturday morning, the Honor Creative team members shuffled along the wellknown BNA carpet, having donned sandals and beachy hats; unashamed of the clear “see ya Nash, we’re headed to the beach” vibe we were giving off. A painless flight just short of three hours got us into Cancun. The entire team connected and set off on an hour and a half SUV ride to our final destination of Tulum (mandatory pit-stop for Pesos, Tecate and tortilla chips included of course). By 4 o’clock in the afternoon, we were settling in with watermelon margaritas in hand and a smile that rarely left our faces in the days to follow.

**Fanny And June The Painter Hat — Kenzie of Honor Creative photographed at Casa Pueblo Tulum**
Photo by Brooke Boling

We were all very familiar with Casa Pueblo as we had spent previous months working on design and social media projects with them, but that did little to lessen our initial breathtaking moment. There we were, having just walked in from the bustling Mexico streets. All around us, the sheer art, thoughtfulness and refined tranquility of the space enveloped every square inch of the structure—and in turn each of us. The pleasant, sun-kissed faces at the front gates of Casa Pueblo promptly gave us the brief rundown and of course our biggest business essential—wifi, (the password: “ourcasaisyourcasa”). We’d be meeting our client, Derek Klein, later on for dinner, but until then we were free to set off for a quick tour of the surrounding streets. We took in the local architecture, colors, mariachi music, and a few tacos while laying out our tentative schedules for our week.

A quick freshen up and an outfit change later we were whisked to the beach road to come upon what was the most magical scene we could have imagined. Loyal Order is a Turkish restaurant spread across a sandy landscape just steps from the ocean. We sat at a low, long table adorned with beautiful terracotta pottery dishes and red and white Turkish napkins. Once settled, we cozied up between the assortment of pillows on rustic bench seating in the dreamy, bohemian ambiance as the remaining moments of dusk gave us the chance to take it all in before a dark and starry backdrop moved in. Our night consisted of gorgeous local dishes, bright refreshing drinks and lengthy conversations of Tulum’s rapid growth and all it has to offer the modern traveler. We found that many people come for a quick trip and become indefinite transplants— embracing the laid-back lifestyle while working in the thriving creative and hospitality industries.

Our bags were packed with favorites like Sun Potion, So De Mel, Ceri Hoover, Clary, Natalie Busby, Fanny and June, Brown Fox Collective and Able. And we spent the day capturing these beautiful, curated goods that fit the aesthetic of our location and muse.

**Clary Collection Balm photographed at Casa Pueblo Tulum**
Photo by Brooke Boling

Still starry-eyed from our first night in Tulum, we indulged in a slowmorning. Our AM routine consisted of casually sipping coconut milk cappuccinos and checking emails while nestled into the airy corners of Casa Pueblo’s outdoor dining area beside the oblong, sparkling pool. Our home base became a ten-foot wooden table where we spalyed out our laptops, camera gear, and photoshoot content. As plans were finalized for our workaway visit to Tulum, we partnered with native Nashvillebrands (and a few national ones) to feature products that would tell the story of the quintessential “modern traveler.”

**Natalie Busby dress photographed at Casa Pueblo Tulum**
Photo by Brooke Boling

**Able Abera Convertible Backpack**
Photo by Brooke Boling

**Sun Potion Solar Rose Water pictured pool side at Casa Pueblo Tulum**
Photo by Brooke Boling

After wrapping up our first day of shooting, we returned to the beach road to tour Derek’s latest project, a stunning restaurant named La Bomba for which we built a simple, but bold landing page later in the week. Our night ended with a meal at which can only be described as the best restaurant experience of our lives, followed by a nightcap under the flicker of Gitano’s disco ball. We found our conversations flowing into testaments of admiration for the talents and strengths of each woman on our team and celebratory cheers of our glasses to the journeys that led us to that moment.

Each day, we started off with a handful of plans and reservations but quickly caught on to the go with the flow attitude the town exudes. We found ourselves able to throw our cameras and computers in bags and have a readily available internet connection wherever we landed. So, we alternated between adventurous moments of swimming in cenotes and getting work done at popular beach spots such as Nest, Casa Malca, Posada Margherita, Sanará and smaller gems like Taqueria La Eufemia. The team quickly established the balance of work and play we had come there to find. The feeling of being productive and recharged simultaneously was foreign but very welcome. No automated “away from the office” email necessary.

**Amanda and Kenzie photographed on the beach from of Nest Tulum**
Photo by Brooke Boling

**Margaritas at Nest Tulum**
Photo by Brooke Boling

On our last morning, we were up early to get the remainder of our Honor internal photos; almost struggling to capture the full essence of our experience. With camera in tow, we took a slow stroll around the city streets; popping into local cafes and boutiques to savor our last moments. Loading our bags for the trip back to Nashville was a moment we hadn’t been ready to face, despite feeling excited to get back to our families and routines. While stretched across a row of airport seats, we filled the sparsely populated terminals with stories of favorite moments and meals—igniting fits of laughter and longing sighs. Our noses were buried deep in our computers; eager to begin the editing process of the hundreds of photos. And I have to admit, there may have even been a few searches for Honor’s next work away location. “Siri, look up tropical locations with wifi please.”.