Tag Archives: Aguascalientes

Mar30

Last Post From Aguascalientes

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Last Post From Aguascalientes

The winter flew by fast. But my six months is up. I’m taking a break from packing. It’s easier packing to leave than to come here. Everything goes and nothing is left behind. But it’s still not a task I enjoy. I do love my packing cubes, so that definitely helps.

It’s been a week of goodbyes with friends—one last torta, one last desayuno, one last hamburguesa, one last cerveza together until October. That’s the hard part about leaving.

Tomorrow is Easter Sunday. Last year I went to Sage Hills in Wenatchee. This year I’ll be at one of the Catholic churches nearby. I wonder where I’ll be for Easter next year.

I will miss my lackadaisical days of writing when I feel like it. My life is a lot more structured up north. My April calendar is already filling up and I’m not even back yet. But I must admit I’m looking forward to my hair appointment at Shears. Every year I try out different stylists in Mexico but they can never quite seem to get it right.

I spoke to my daughter yesterday. I can’t believe my baby turned forty. Wasn’t it just yesterday I gave birth to her? Okay, I’ve embarrassed her enough if she’s reading this.

My journey home begins tomorrow at midnight when I take ETN to Puerto Vallarta. I opted for only one day there on the way back. Semana Santa is pretty crazy there. On Tuesday it’s Alaska to Wenatchee via Sea-Tac. And I refuse to check the weather forecast because I know it won’t be in the eighties and sunny.

To all who celebrate, have a blessed Easter. He is risen!

Mar14

Life 101

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Life 101

Life 101: Mental and Physical Self-Care. University of California, Irvine. That’s the course I’ve just started this month on Coursera. This week we’re discussing habits. We’re learning how to overcome bad habits and turn things around so that we form good habits. We’re learning how to look at our current life situation and interpret things in a more positive way than we have in the past. We’re learning how to strive for goals differently by considering the benefits of intrinsic motivation over extrinsic motivation.

The beauty of taking a course on Coursera is that I work at my own pace. Other courses I’ve done on Zoom demand that you be there on certain times and on certain days. With the nomadic lifestyle I follow, this is difficult and sometimes even impossible. Thankfully some of the writers’ workshops I attend on Zoom frequently send me recordings of the session and that is quite helpful.

Less than three weeks left until I fly back to Washington. I finally went down to Central yesterday and got my bus ticket to Puerto Vallarta. I have a hotel booked and I fly back up north to Wenatchee via Seattle on April 2nd. This winter went by way too fast.

I’ve been stockpiling meds as the cost here is about a third of what it is in the USA. I really don’t enjoy all these tedious last minute things to do before I leave. And I especially despise having to say goodbye to friends. It’s interesting the close relationships you develop with people although you’re only in a place for a few months.

And then there are other friends who have left Aguascalientes and are now living in other areas in Mexico as well as in the USA. But Aguascalientes has become home to me. I love my neighborhood and the delightful tiendas and papalerias. I have my favorite restaurants that haven’t changed much over the years. There are the familiar parks and streets that are comforting. However, I still look forward to the time I spend up north.

When I first arrived in Mexico in 2010 I met several people in Mazatlan who had decided to leave Mexico and return to the USA. I really pondered that one until I reached year six living fulltime in Mexico. That first visit to Leavenworth in 2016 had an impact. I became a snowbird after that. And I have been blessed to enjoy the best of both worlds.

But it’s still hard to say Adios when it’s time to leave.

Jan21

A Gringa Saturday

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A Gringa Saturday

Today I did something very uncharacteristic of me. I ventured into gringoland in the north area of Aguascalientes instead of walking around in Las Flores or in El Centro as I usually do on a Saturday. I spent the afternoon walking around in two very different places, along with Raul, Alethia and Emiliano.

Our first stop was Altaria. This is a huge indoor-outdoor mall which has grown considerably. The two landmark stores are Liverpool and Sears but there are other stores such as Bershka, Sephora, Sanborns and H&M to name just a few. There are also a multitude of restaurants such as Italiannis, La Creperia, and Chili’s. And of course you’ll find Cinnabon, Dairy Queen, Starbucks and the like. There is even a casino, movie theatres and quite a few banks. I heard lots of English spoken here today. Most gringos live in the north part of the city.

Our next stop was Costco. It was time to renew my membership and buy some cheddar cheese. Yes, that’s why I have a membership. Costco is the one place you can find cheddar cheese regularly. Occasionally I’ve seen it at HEB, but Costco is the most reliable. A bonus is that the cost of a membership is about $25 US while up in Washington it’s $65 US. And I can use my card all over the USA and Canada.

A few hours later I’m back in my own neighborhood, comforted by the hum of voices speaking Spanish.

Jan13

My Day Friday

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My Day Friday

I was born on a Friday and maybe that’s why Friday has always been my favorite day of the week. Even Friday the 13ths don’t get to me anymore.

But yesterday was not a typical Friday. It was far more exciting than the usual Friday.

Grandson number five was born in Culiacan yesterday! Mateo arrived in the morning and at night he was on his way home with his mom and dad to his four brothers. That is way too fast for me. I recall the one week hospital stays I had back in the 80s when my kids came along. It was nice to be pampered for a few days.

Yesterday Joanne took me to her hairdresser in Bosques. Betty isn’t Lisa and the salon isn’t Shears, but I am happy with what was done. It was three hours well spent and well worth the drive. And Joanne had her hair done too so we had a great visit as well. Bonus: The price was about a third of what it is in the USA too.

As it had finally warmed up yesterday, I was able to go for a longer walk when I got home. Inspiration hit and I got some writing done too, not just editing.

That was my day, Friday.

Jan3

Here We Go 2024

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Here We Go 2024

Happy New Year! May 2024 be filled with good health, love, peace and joy.

Right now I’m also praying for warmth. The month of December was rainy and cold. Overnight lows in the 30ths and daytime highs that don’t even reach 70 are not my idea of a winter in Mexico. Mexican homes are built to keep the heat out so it’s not surprising that outside it feels warmer than inside. This is my fourth year here in Aguascalientes and I wish I’d brought a ski jacket with me. Last year I never even put on a sweater. This year my hoodie is my best friend.

Do you ever wonder about why you are where you are and why you do what you do? Today is one of those days where I find myself doing just that. When I first came to Mexico back in 2010 it was a one year plan to teach English in Culiacan. But here I am fourteen years later, still in Mexico. Granted I reverted back to a snowbird in 2016 when I discovered Leavenworth, Washington. But I still haven’t found that one place where I want to settle down.

Sometimes I imagine what that one place might look like. I prefer smaller towns to large cities. I’d like to avoid snow but I would like to experience the beauty of all four seasons. I make friends easily everywhere I go and a sense of community is important to me. And if I ever do settle down again I would definitely get a dog.

I would love to perch comfortably on the seat of a bay window when I write. I’m not one for traditional chairs and desks. I find it more inspiring to gaze outside, especially if I can also hear the sound of waves lapping on the shore. Sunshine is also preferred although the patter of rain is also welcome from time to time.

But right now the bay window and the dog are still just a dream. And that’s okay. I will continue to volunteer my time teaching English in Mexico in the winter. And I look forward to going back to Wenatchee in the spring and rejoining the writers’ group and the Tai Chi classes at the Senior Center.

I have no idea what else lies in store for me in 2024 although I do have some tentative plans that include travel to Canada. I have a mission to accomplish but haven’t quite worked out the logistics yet. In the meantime I intend to enjoy the three months I have remaining in Mexico.

I encourage you to continue praying for world peace.

Dec28

Adios 2023 Bienvenido 2024

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Adios 2023 Bienvenido 2024

This will be my last post for 2023. It seems like just yesterday I was writing my last post for 2022. The older I get the faster the time flies by.

Highlight of the year was spending a magical weekend with my kids and my granddaughter in Brandon when I was in Canada last summer. I hadn’t been together with both of my kids together in eight years, and who knows when we’ll do it again. One of the dangers of my nomadic lifestyle is that I spend the year in two different countries where neither of my kids live.

It’s been a cold December here in Aguascalientes, very different from past years. Last night it went down to 34 Fahrenheit that translates to about 1 Celsius. We’ve also had a lot of rain which is very unusual. And they have the nerve to call it global warming!

Christmas Eve I found myself in church with my friend Gloria and her daughter Romina. Afterwards we had dinner with Gloria’s family. Then on Christmas Day we vegged and watched movies. I also had a video call from my granddaughter Madeline in Canada.

I still haven’t made it to El Centro to see the lights yet. But I plan to do that with a friend on Friday night. But I will have to bundle up. The high will only be 64 tomorrow and once it’s dark out the temperature will plummet. Last year I didn’t even need a sweater at this time of year. Now I layer and wish I’d brought my Columbia ski jacket with me this winter.

I’d like to wish all my readers out there a HAPPY and a HEALTHY 2024. And let’s all pray for WORLD PEACE.

Nov29

Whirlwind Weekend

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Whirlwind Weekend

I had an amazing weekend with my family in Culiacan. It’s almost a year since I last saw them and I’m determined to see them one more time this winter before I head back to Washington. I hadn’t realized just how large a country Mexico is until I started doing some serious traveling. And Aguascalientes is twelve hours away from Culiacan.

The whole family picked me up at the bus station Saturday morning bright and early. We were all excited to see each other and I marveled at how much the kids had grown since I last saw them. How can they possibly have grown so big? Juan Carlos is 14, Jose Agustin is 11, Angel is 9 and Christien is 4.

We drove out to La Limita Restaurante for breakfast. The food was wonderful and we had a fabulous time visiting and catching up. And of course this abuelita was overwhelmed by all her nietos vying for her attention. Life doesn’t get any better than this.

After breakfast we went to the mall for a while. After a short break at home we were off to a park to watch Juan play basketball. We came home for dinner and this was followed by a most interesting game of Super Mario Monopoly (in Spanish). Most unusual rules in this game and I’m not quite sure that I even now understand them.

On Sunday we went to the mass at church and one of my grandsons did a reading. We came home for lunch and then we were off to another basketball game. This was held at Universidad Autonoma De Sinaloa and was an all-star game. This was the most exciting basketball game I’ve ever seen in my life and the tie-breaker came with a sensational shot with a mere three seconds left in the game.

After the game we came home for a very late dinner. Then the boys were off to bed early as they leave for school at 6:30 am. Classes start at 7. This abuelita was still asleep and didn’t hear them leave the next morning.

We did spend time together when they came home from school. After dinner Juan took me back to the bus station on his way to another basketball game. Somehow it was Monday night and I was heading back to Aguascalientes.

Lucila is pregnant and I’m expecting grandson number five in January. I predict another whirlwind weekend in Culiacan in a couple of months.

Nov9

Reborujado

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Reborujado

This morning I took an Uber over to the Barrio de Salud where my friend Gloria lives. I first met Gloria three years ago. She is Mexican and had a small cafe where she sold Argentinian empanadas and it was only a 15 minute walk from where I lived. Last year she lived in Tulum and I never did get around to visiting her there. But Gloria is back in Aguascalientes and recently opened a small cafe called Reborujado.

First off, Gloria has an amazing professional coffee machine and makes lattes, cappuccinos and the best black coffee in Aguascalientes. For breakfast we feasted on tzatziki… a toasted bolillo with avocado and smothered in the best tzatziki I’ve eaten anywhere.

Gloria makes homemade pasta which I can hardly wait to try another time. Items such as molletes, avocado toast, empanadas, paninis, tortas as well as a variety of teas and smoothies are also available. I adore her empanadas and took some home with me to enjoy later.

If you live in Aguascalientes or are visiting here, I highly recommend that you visit Gloria at Reborujado. The address is La Luna 224 in Barrio de Salud. My feature photo is my friend Gloria and her daughter Romina.

Oct14

Back in AGS 2023

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Back in AGS 2023

A government shutdown was avoided so the air traffic controllers stayed on the job and I arrived as scheduled on Monday in Puerto Vallarta. I dodged Hurricane Lidia by a day and arrived in Aguascalientes by bus at 4 am on Tuesday. Raul, my landlord extraordinaire, picked me up and brought me home where I slept a good part of the day.

With all the craziness going on in the world today, it was comforting to come home to my familiar barrio of Las Flores. I’ve spent the last few days wandering around and renewing acquaintances. My neighbors are the same as last year and my Spanish got a workout. None of them speak English. Everyone remembers me and are very welcoming. I think I bought more stuff at my corner tienda than all the rest of his regular customers combined. I picked up food at a cocina and the lady was quite interested in hearing about my time up north. The lady at the candy store welcomed me back. Yes I’m still addicted to chocolate. I was at a gift shop today picking up a few things. I’m invited to a 5-year-old’s birthday party tomorrow. The lady at the gift shop asked me how my friends in Washington liked the things I’d bought for them when I left in March. And of course my friend Chui still has his potato chip operation only two doors down from where I live.

But yesterday was Friday the 13th and I’m glad that’s over with. I woke up to no internet. Thankfully it reappeared later in the day. But the real fiasco was at Telcel where my chip didn’t work in my new phone. AT&T insists the phone is unlocked and Telcel says it isn’t. So for the time being I’m carrying around two phones until I get it sorted out. A big thank you to Raul for coming with me and translating. The people at Telcel were having problems understanding him and he’s even Mexican. Raul has the patience of a saint as he kept changing the chips from phone to phone. So it appears that I am now using my old phone for Telcel and my new phone for everything else at the moment.

I’m going to end this post on a more somber note. Thank you to everyone who has been praying for my family and friends in Israel. Your texts are comforting and greatly appreciated. Here in Mexico planes are being sent to evacuate over 700 Mexicans from Israel. There is no escaping this horrible war. It has affected everyone everywhere. Unfortunately there is no end in sight and all we can do now is continue to pray.

Apr2

Shelter In Place

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Shelter In Place

Ominous words that are becoming all too common in our world today. It doesn’t matter where you live, you’ll probably hear the warning at some point.

January 2023. I delayed my trip to Culiacan due to Cartel activity and a shelter in place order. March 2023 less than a week after I returned to Washington, there was a shelter in place up the Chumstick. No Cartel here but apparently guns and shooters around.

This weekend in Chicago a different type of shelter in place. O’Hare and Midway are closed as tornados and other inclement weather plague the central USA. Hundreds of flights were cancelled and thousands of people sought shelter in the terminals. Hundreds were directed to the Tunnel of Lights.

Here in East Wenatchee the sky is clear and the sun is shining down as I write this. Granted the temperature isn’t what it was in Aguascalientes a week ago but there are no funnel clouds. And the white stuff has stayed far enough away on the mountaintops.

I’m sure if I were to check out other world news there would be other shelter in place warnings. But I think I’ve seen enough for one week. I’m going to focus on spending time with friends and maybe do a little more shopping. And I definitely need to get that American phone chip done this week at AT&T as well. Telcel switched me over to T Mobile, a carrier I dislike immensely.

Have A Great Sunday!