RHOC 's Vicki Gunvalson Officially Moves Into Puerto Vallarta Home: 'One of My Best Decisions'
American Independence Day may be just around the corner, but Real Housewives of Orange County alum Vicki Gunvalson is celebrating south of the border.
The Bravo star, 58, revealed in an Instagram video post on Thursday that she has officially moved into the Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, condo she purchased at the end of May — and she couldn't be happier with the decision.
"I took a leap of faith, I ended up closing on a condo last month and I got here last night," the Chicago-native explained to fans in the video, filming herself in front of a view of the ocean from the condo's balcony. "And I thought, you know what? This was what was meant to be."
"Although I was apprehensive to go through with it, I have to tell you all it was one of my best decisions," she wrote of the purchase in the post's caption.
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On May 26, Gunvalson first shared on Instagram that she had purchased the home in the Mexican resort city to serve as a vacation and retirement home, calling the destination "one of my favorite places in the world."
"I know some of you may think it's wrong, especially in the state of the world, but for me it immediately gives me hope and peace that things will resume to a new sense of normal soon. I won't be visiting there until I'm able, but as of today I own a home that makes me happy," she wrote at the time, seeming to acknowledge the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Sharing that she was finally able to fly to Mexico via American Airlines, Gunvalson says she's currently working on furnishing the condo and making it her own.
Vicki Gunvalson/Instagram; Charles Sykes/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Vicki Gunvalson
vicki gunvalson/instagram
Vicki Gunvalson/Instagram
The reality star previously noted that she is donating the home's existing furniture and bedding to "an orphanage" and hiring a decorator to redesign the space.
"Lots to do to make it a 'home,' but it's going to be fun doing it," the mom of two captioned an Instagram Story video tour of the work-in-progress on Thursday. "I'm excited to create incredible new memories."
According to her Instagram post, the insurance pro has a "new dining room table being made," a "big TV" going up in what will soon be a den and a desk with shelving being built for a personal office near the back of the condo. "It's going to be so cool," she says.
Perhaps the most stunning part of the new digs is the massive balcony that overlooks the palm tree-covered beach, marked by a private, built-in jacuzzi.
Vicki Gunvalson/Instagram
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Gunvalson says that she has been visiting Puerto Vallarta for over 30 years now, and is so happy to finally be able to call it a second home.
"Other than being with my children, grandchildren and @stevelodge_oc, it's one of my happiest and fondest memories and one of my parents' favorite destinations," she wrote of the vacation spot.
In May, she told her social media followers to keep any negative thoughts about her purchase to themselves, writing: "Thank you to all who support my decision as it wasn't an easy one to go through with it. Those who don't, keep your mean comments to yourself. #imhappy #puertovallarta #sunsets #kindpeople #peaceful."
