A year ago I was wandering around downtown Leavenworth taking photos of the brightly colored trees. I was also wearing a ski jacket and boots. It was a pleasure to take photos of the lights in Centro Aguascalientes wearing only a light sweatshirt and tennis shoes.
On my way home I walked through the Jardin de San Marcos where a Christmas market was in full swing.
My last stop was a stroll through Expoplaza where a children’s fair was happening.
Feliz Navidad!
Yep. That’s me. And oh the changes I’ve made in my life! And how wonderful I feel about myself! And then there’s that peaceful feeling in my heart!
There was a time when I lived my life for others. I never put myself first. I was afraid of doing the wrong thing and offending someone. It was easier to do what others expected of me rather than what I would have preferred to do. And I was caught up in the world of creating a good impression.
Does this sound familiar?
One of the most difficult changes I made in my life was learning to say No! and not just when asked to do something I didn’t want to do. Closely related was venturing off in a completely different direction than the one others had advised me to take.
Conformity is no longer a word in my vocabulary. I am free to make choices and couldn’t care less about being judged or criticized by others. Bring on the adventures!
It’s not an easy path that I’ve chosen. It is filled with struggles and challenges. But it is more than overflowing with strength and growth.
Here’s the result.
And I wouldn’t trade her for anything!
2021 is drawing to a close. A sigh of relief. Almost through year two of the pandemic. It appears that Covid and all of its mutations are here to stay. I wonder how different 2022 will be.
I was living in Wenatchee when 2021 arrived. It was my first winter in snow since 2009. While it was a relatively mild winter compared with the Canadian ones I’d experienced before, it was winter in a cold climate nonetheless.
This afternoon, seven of us enjoyed lunch together outside on the patio of an Italian restaurant. Now that feels more normal to me. With the exception of last year, outdoor dining in December has been the norm since I first arrived in Mexico in 2010.
In January I moved back to Leavenworth. There was more snow and the temperature was colder than in Wenatchee.
In February I was vaccinated and I began thinking about the future. I wasn’t ready to return to Mexico yet and the USA issued a Level 4 travel advisory against travel to Canada.
In March I retained an attorney and applied for an extended stay. I didn’t receive the confirmation that my stay had been approved until July. So I was in limbo for a while.
In April I had biometrics done at the USCIS Field Office in Yakima. Quite an interesting experience. But one step closer to getting that extended stay.
In May I moved to Dryden. It was peaceful living along the river, away from the hoards of tourists who continuously flock to Leavenworth.
The month of June flew by quickly as Amtrak became my new best friend. I traveled by train along the coast from Seattle to Los Angeles, visiting with friends in Portland and Sacramento along the way.
July and August were tense months. I was trying to figure out a way to get to Canada to see my kids and my granddaughter. Every day the rules changed with regards to travel restrictions. The Canadian airlines were gouging customers and I refused to pay quadruple the airfare I had paid before Covid. PCR tests were not available in small-town Washington.
In September I returned to Mexico for the same airfare I’d paid in years previously. No gouging here. No PCR test required. I was back home in Aguascalientes.
Considering that I’m not teaching or doing any volunteer work, I now find myself at more than halfway through my 180 days. The only traveling I’ve done was to Mazatlan for Thanksgiving and to Culiacan to see my family, as well as a day trip to San Jose de Gracia.
I will be with friends in Mexico City for New Years, and then on to Pechuca, Hidalgo. After that, who knows? What is certain is that the travel bug has returned, and that makes me happy.
We’re almost halfway through December and Christmas is in the air here in Aguascalientes. After all, who needs snow when sunshine and seventies prevail?
Yesterday I checked out the Christmas market at the Jardin de San Marcos. Jewelry, clothing, crafts, food and Christmas baking, pet supplies, perfumes, oils, toys and more.
I continued my walk along Carranzas and was delighted to see several horseback riders, although the traffic jam they caused along this main downtown street was something else.
When I reached Plaza Patria I was amazed at all the decorations in addition to the obligatory Coke tree. I intend to return at night when it’s all lit up.
The shrill of sirens and the honking of horns signaled the start of the parade of the Virgin of Guadalupe. Dancers, mariachi and a multitude of decorated transit buses with the Virgin prominently displayed on the windshields.
All of the above was on my walk yesterday. I wonder what awaits me on my walk today.
I grew up in the archaic age of memorizing times tables and using slide rules. Those dark ages were filled with calculating areas of triangles, rectangles and other shapes. Then there were logarithms and other nightmares too numerous to mention.
Math was never my strong suit yet somehow years later I found myself working in the accounting field. Just couldn’t escape all those numbers! But at least I had a computer program to do all the calculating.
So, with all this math background, it appears that I have lost the ability to subtract. In my last post, I mentioned that it had been twelve years since Koal left us. It’s actually thirteen. He died in 2008. Caught up in the emotions when writing that blog post may have had something to do with the miscalculation.
Back to Math, and at the moment I’m thinking very clearly. And I’m still not interested in finding out when two trains traveling at different speeds are going to pass each other. Somehow that has never been helpful in my jobs in Social Services or in teaching English.
Anyone else out there feeling the same way about Math?
Have I really been back in Mexico for three months already? I wonder where I’ll be three months from today. I’m not even sure which country I’ll be in. The travel restrictions appear to change daily, with Canada winning the gong show hands down.
So much for the future. The past came to me in the form of Facebook memories. Twelve years ago today, with Kyle and Kimmy beside me, I held Koal in my arms as he began his journey to heaven. There isn’t a day that goes by when I don’t miss that little guy and long for one last cuddle.
And now for the present. Today Joanne and I began our search for Santa. Apparently the jolly old man doesn’t arrive in Aguascalientes for at least another week. This is what we found at Liverpool.
Next we headed for Altaria. While the mall was decorated, still no sign of Santa.
But we did enjoy a delicious lunch of enchiladas suizas! And there is still lots of time before Christmas to continue the search.
I have this annual tradition when I’m in Mexico over the winter. I head to Waldo’s and buy a small tree which I decorate and then leave behind when I head up north in the spring. And of course there is also the obligatory tin of butter cookies to nibble on while I adorn the tree.
Another annual tradition is spending Christmas in a different place with different people.
My first Christmas in Mexico was in Culiacan. I quickly learned that Christmas Eve is the big event and the menu was tamales and ponche.
Other holidays were in Tlaquepaque, Tototlan, Mazatlan, San Ciro de Acosta, Puerto Vallarta, Lake Chapala and Aguascalientes. Last year was really different. I was living in Wenatchee, Washington.
Christmas is only twenty-two days away and I haven’t finalized my plans yet. I’ve been busy with other plans involving traveling somewhere new to ring in 2022. But more about that in a future blog post.
Time to start focusing on Christmas.
I woke up in Culiacan this morning and, to my delight, found this pic on my Messenger from my daughter. My granddaughter Madeline had a visit with Santa in Kelowna.
I only wish it was as easy to get to Kelowna as it was to get to Culiacan.
This weekend I’m with my Mexican family. Some of the things we’ve done have included a picnic in Sanalona, raspados in Imala, going to church and watching a movie together. But most of all I’ve marveled at how my grandsons have grown since I saw them last about two years ago. Here we are two years ago.
And here they are today with Juan.
Before I came to Culiacan I was in Mazatlan for Thanksgiving, another whirlwind visit. Day of the Dead at Plaza Machado and Christmas at Galarias.
Tonight I’m heading back to Aguascalientes. It’s been a fabulous week.
I think back to November a year ago when I was living in Leavenworth. Covid was rampant and dinners with large groups of people were merely a dream. Even football was affected to the dismay of many.
I’m in Mazatlan right now and am looking forward to spending the holiday with friends. We’re going to Twisted Mama’s for dinner along with who knows how many other people.
I have fond memories of other holiday dinners at this restaurant when I lived in Mazatlan a few years ago. It is nice to be back and to be able to celebrate with friends again.
But let’s not get sidetracked with turkey or with football. Let’s instead delve into the true meaning of this holiday. Our ancestors years ago were thankful for a bountiful harvest, a healthy life and shelter from the inclement weather.
I know I have a lot to be thankful for in my life this year. But I think it’s also important to be thankful for the many blessings in our lives every single day, and not just once a year on Thanksgiving Day. Imagine how different our world would be if we all put this into practice.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Traveling sure isn’t what it used to be. I recall enjoying the journey from Point A to Point B. And I can’t even blame Covid for messing that up. I long for the days before TSA. But those are just a distant memory now.
No. I’m not going to Canada. I can’t believe the idiocy of Trudeau’s latest. A fully vaccinated Canadian, if gone less than 72 hours, does not need a PCR test to come back to Canada. I guess they don’t shop at the same stores or eat at the same restaurants as those of us who are gone longer than 72 hours. Enough of that garbage.
Here in Mexico we’re being told that the entire country is green on the stoplight. Amazing considering only 53% of Mexicans have had even one dose of vaccine.
My travels this week will take me up north to Sinaloa, where I will celebrate Thanksgiving with friends in Mazatlan. And I will then finally get to see my family in Culiacan for the first time in two years.
I may even do another side trip while I’m up north. There’s so much of this country I have yet to explore.
Safe travels to all this holiday week. Will check in again from Mazatlan.
iamkaren23 