Category: Blogging

Sometime in the middle of the night I remembered to breathe again. My mind has been racing for days – getting here, adjusting, finding our way around. Processing the problems and potentials. Can we do this? should we do this? how do we do this??? whoa…Put the breaks on. Disfruta el dia! (Enjoy the day!)

Night sounds bird songs children playing and laughter in the streets. The old man in the produce store spearheads a shop packed with black plastic trash bags (plastico negro) and children, babes to teenagers; his vegetales looking as tired as he does through his snaggle-tooth smile. The convenience store clerk leaves his counter to guide us around the corner to buy our own trash bags, opening a package of smaller ones to show me the size.  He didn’t have to do that.  The smiling cooing hermosa bebe (beautiful baby) of the owner of the best vegetarian restaurante in town is deeply loved & shows it. A donkey brays nearby and an occasional horse climbs the cobblestone street with its rider. A few stray dogs wander. A gringo with a yoga mat slips insider her door but hears our comments and steps out to chat. Six months here and loving it. We strike up a conversation over breakfast with a couple running a B & B soon-to-be-retreat center. Instant friendships and shared stories abound.

There is so much we want to do in this month that is already flying by.  Chapala market, Tuesday organic market, Wednesday food and artisan market, Jocotepec, Guadalajara, friends to visit, the bakery (panaderia), even Walmart (to see what’s available)…the Malecon, Arbol Magico (my favorite clothing store with goods from Oaxaca).  Hiking, coffee shops. So much we don’t know yet, haven’t seen yet.

My clothes stand out making me an obvious gringo (too blonde, right?). Clothes I’ve barely worn after years of nursing. A homeless man sleeps in his stench on an abandoned restaurant bench. Are gringos pushing the locals out or giving them much-needed work-or both? The PK in me wants to make it all right. Not to be part of the problem. Missionary work. Presumptuous. These are for the most part some of the happiest people I’ve ever seen.

I don’t have to decide yet. Or have I already? Processing. Always processing. Rightfully so. It is a lot to digest. It’s 2:30am now and I have finally remembered to breathe……..

We have somehow balanced preparation for a month long vacation with winding Ben’s business down (including orders flying out the door!) for a few weeks now. It takes a lot more to go away for a month than I realized.

Do I have my passport? My phone/cord? Lights off? Trash out? Electronics unplugged? Mail stopped? Books to read? (thank you Kindle) Snacks for the plane? Dollars? Pesos?  Am I taking too much? the wrong things? My ticket? (why am I so reluctant to do e-tickets?) Ride to the aeropuerto arranged? (3:15 AM!!!) Do the right people know we’re leaving? (thanks to employee, neighbors & the police) Is the frig cleaned out? Compost out?  You get the picture!

Friends here have scurried to meet with us to say good-bye (we’re not moving yet guys!) & new friends in Ajijic have asked for our time when we get there. Feels good knowing you have friends in so many places. Thank you everyone.

So just how much Spanish DO I know? Many of you have asked-do you speak Spanish? I’ve been studying since January from several different sources & putting it to use anytime I can. Thanks to Gladys @ Restaurante Ixtapa, Julia on Facebook, signs in English & Spanish & every other opportunity I’ve had. I can count to 1000-last time I was at the Wednesday Market in Ajijic I was a nervous wreck because I couldn’t understand the prices called out. I ended up taking a list of numbers written in Spanish & vendors would graciously point to the right ones. I hope. I trust. Uno, dos, tres…..

Well, it’s another busy day & we’ll be going to bed very early so I’ll say good-bye for now. Nosotros vamos a Mexico mañana, primero de agosto.  I’m leavin’ on a jet plane…..see you in September!

Right! 67 years old today! Feliz cumpleanos to me! (Someday I’ll have to add Spanish to my computer.) The card was given to me last Saturday by my dear son & daughter-in-law, thus the date. In it was their love & blessing for our new adventure. And I thank them for that with all my heart.

I’m hoping that when I click the button at the top of this page my blog will go into action. Please note that I’ve spent days (& many YouTube hours) trying to figure this out. I know there will be some glitches but let me know how it looks & “sounds” to you.

This is my journal. This is my life!

“What would my mother say???” She’d never believe I’m traveling to-& considering living in-Mexico!

After finding out the whereabouts of a former massage school teacher we made our way to AJIJIC, a small village filled with expats & friendly locals. Friendlier, smaller & less expensive than San Miguel (though not as architecturally charming). We were off & running.

It all started in January of 2017 when Ben & I returned from San Miguel de Allende after a week of mind boggling visuals. Sitting at the dinner table talking we began to realize that we were BOTH-1) inspired by what we saw 2) DONE with daily grind & 3) ready for an adventure.

Continue reading “Endings & Beginnings”