Tag Archives: travel

May15

I’m Back!

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I’m Back!

A bus trip and three flights and I’m back in Washington. Everything went off scheduled. I got my usual three questions at Immigration: Where are you going? What is the purpose of your trip? How long will you be in the USA? I downloaded the I94 onto my phone and I’m good for 180.

I left Aguascalientes last Thursday at 8 am and arrived in Wenatchee at 1:30 pm on Friday. Joanne picked me up and brought me home where I collapsed into bed. My suitcase stayed out in the garage until Saturday. Of course I didn’t start unpacking it until Tuesday. My closet and drawers have more than enough clothes, and my toiletries were all waiting for me in my bathroom.

Joyce and I went out for lunch on Saturday and on Sunday I went back to church. Monday was a killer. I left the house with Christina just after 8 am. I went into Cashmere to visit my tree and have coffee at Weeds. Then on to Leavenworth to Shears for a much needed haircut and highlights. Charleen and I went to the golf club for lunch after. Then back to Wenatchee to do some shopping. I love Bath and Body Works!

Tuesday I stayed home to unpack and do laundry. Wednesday I went to the Senior Center for lunch and then back to Cashmere to volunteer at an essentials bank with Joanne.

This morning I was at Soul Sisters at church. I’m at home now and have finally booted up my laptop for the first time since I’m back. But this will be a short post as I still have a lot of organizing to do in my room. I’m determined to at least return my suitcase to its place in the closet.

May2

Last Post From Mexico

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Last Post From Mexico

A week from now at this time I’ll be back in East Wenatchee. I just glanced up at the calendar on my wall and noticed that it’s already started to fill up with activities. I’ve missed Apple Blossom and May Day but there won’t be many blank squares on the calendar for long.

Now that I’m down to my last few days in Aguascalientes, there will be more goodbyes to friends. I strolled through the Thursday tianguis on my street yesterday and on Sunday will be going to a swap meet for the last time. I went to one last mass at a Catholic church last night and am looking forward to getting back to my church in East Wenatchee. And of course I want to make one last visit to La Feria.

And I need to pack. By now you’d think that I’d have that one down to a science. But I don’t. I remember the first time I left Tlaquepaque and returned to Winnipeg. In the time it took me to pack up my bathroom, Alfredo had completely filled my suitcase with everything from the drawers and closets in my bedroom. I also remember the days when I used to leave a suitcase in Mexico and only take one with me back up north. But I haven’t done that in years. Instead I started leaving a suitcase in Leavenworth. And now in East Wenatchee my closets and drawers are full as well as a suitcase full of craft supplies.

But I’m getting better. I now travel with only one Samsonite and even that has been downsized. My Baggallini laptop bag is the best carry-on ever invented. I love all the compartments and side pockets. And it fits under the seat on the plane.

The dilemma of what to wear for travel is always a concern. I’m leaving sunshine and 90s and headed to overcast skies and 60s, with a 12 hour layover at LAX. Layers are always a major pain going through TSA. But it’s usually cool on the plane. Time to pull out the sleeveless quilted vest and jeans.

Time to go outside and visit with my neighbors, an elderly couple. My Spanish has improved dramatically and I am quite comfortable sitting and talking with them for a couple of hours. I recall the days when I’d feel overwhelmed after only a few minutes. Now we talk about a lot more than just the weather or their dog.

Have a great weekend and a great week to follow. I’ll post again once I’m settled in East Wenatchee.

Apr27

10 Days and Counting

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10 Days and Counting

April 19-May 11, 2025. La Feria.  Three weeks. I can hear the music when I sit outside with my neighbors at night. I can easily walk down two blocks. But I also enjoy sitting there watching all the traffic. There is limited street parking and traffic is crazy. Lots of police patrolling the area including the National guard. I feel very safe.

I’m down to my last 10 days. That means it’s a time of saying goodbye to friends until next fall. It’s always bittersweet leaving. In all honesty I won’t miss the 90 plus degree heat. I’m looking forward to the cooler temperatures in Washington.

My calendar is already filling up with activity once I return up north. Church activities and volunteer work along with a much needed hair appointment at Shears. And of course I’m looking forward to seeing all my friends and going back to the Wenatchee Valley Senior Center to writers group. I’m undecided about Tai Chi. I’m thinking of maybe getting back in the water and joining the YMCA instead.

Our internet is very sporadic these days. Raul is planning on changing service providers once the current contract is up. The current provider is less than reliable. Every time they install a new modem or cable, we laugh. New to us but probably taken out of someone else’s home. Their equipment is nowhere near state of the art. And if anyone ever inspected for safety around here……….. But it’s all the fun of living in Mexico. There are dangling wires everywhere.

I got an email from Alaska asking if I want to preorder food for my flight. The choices aren’t that great. It’s just under 3 hours from Guadalajara to LAX. I’ll take my chances on the overpriced airport food. I have a 12 hour layover before my flight to Sea Tac.

I’ll end with humor.

Why was Cinderella so bad at soccer? She kept running away from the ball!

Have an amazing day!

Apr23

Maybe

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Maybe

I have no idea when this will actually get posted, maybe today. Internet issues. Apparently there are problems with the modem. Someone from Izzy (our service provider) is supposed to come out to fix the problem today. But this is Mexico.

Fifteen years ago today I attended my daughter’s pinning ceremony for nursing. And about a month later her convocation at University of Manitoba where she obtained her Nursing degree. It seems like just yesterday.

I look back on the photos of that event. So much has changed since then. And I think back to my own graduation from University of Manitoba decades earlier. Both of my parents were there. And I feel badly for my daughter that this wasn’t the case for her. My marriage had ended the year before. While I felt it important to attend her graduation, (even delaying a move to Mexico by several months) sadly her father chose not to attend.

It’s hard to let go of your kids. My kids would probably say I was a helicopter mom when they were growing up. But thankfully that expression wasn’t coined until years later.

Still, I enjoyed volunteering in all their extracurricular activities and attending all their concerts and competitions throughout the years. Now, I watch my daughter compete in Powerlifting events on the internet. It’s not nearly as exciting as being there in person. But it does allow for some type of connection.

Only two weeks until I travel back to Washington. A bus trip and three flights. But every time I think maybe I’m getting too old for this, I think I want to keep going. I lead an interesting life and am not ready to give it up just yet.

I’ve decided on a title for the first book in my trilogy. Little Boy Lost. My protagonist hasn’t yet been diagnosed as being bipolar. He’s a child and is too young for that. But it provides good insight as to his character which is needed in order to understand what comes next in the following two books. My plan is to publish Little Boy Lost this summer and the second book shortly after.

I’m on my final edits now and am determined that they be done by the time I leave. So off to work I go, despite the temptation of having La Feria de San Marcos only two blocks away from where I live.

Apr2

Ho Hum Humpday

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Ho Hum Humpday

Don’t ask me why but I was wide awake at 6:30 this morning. This is NOT my norm. Consequently I found myself actually eating breakfast at 9:30 am, long before I usually do. My norm is lingering in bed with coffee for a couple of hours while watching a movie in Spanish and scrolling through newsfeeds and emails, throwing in a few games of Candy Crush.

I feel so disoriented. I hate when that happens. I think I’ll blame it on my protagonist. He was on my mind when I fell asleep last night. I’m doing the final edit of my third draft and I’m still trying to tweak that one part that just isn’t quite what I want it to be. YET.

It’s going to be another hot one. Yesterday the temperature soared to 89 degrees. My friends in Washington assure me that it’s warming up there too. In a little over a month I’ll be on my way back. And I don’t want to see snow.

The other day one of the members of our Conversation Club sent me a video of tranquil ocean waves. So calming and peaceful. He is currently somewhere in the Caribbean for a week, a professional musician and entertainer who is currently working on a cruise ship. One other member of our group, another musician, is on a flight to Barcelona today. He will be working on a cruise ship for 6 months.

Cruises. I have friends who love them. They’ve been all over Europe, Alaska, the Mediterranean, the Caribbean. Me? Nope, although I once did go on a cruise in the Puget Sound for a few hours. That’s more my speed. I’d rather vacation on the beach or in the mountains.

I’ve learned some really interesting trivia from my newsfeeds this week. Apparently Vincent Van Gogh didn’t cut off his entire ear. He only cut off the lobe. The Blue Lagoon in Malta attracts over 10,000 tourists every day, although it’s only 1.4 square miles. Steve Martin once received a Grammy for Best Country Instrumental Performance. His instrument of choice was a banjo. And the East Wenatchee Macy’s store is not on the chopping block.

Do you know what alambre de puerco is? It has now become one of my favorite foods. When I put it on the translator it came up as pork on a wire. A wire? Shish Kabob comes to mind. Nope! Ricardo, the guy who cooks for me, sent me a pic. So I ordered it. And it’s amazing! Tender pieces of pork and delicious vegetables in a tantalizing sauce.

And now on to Alexa. Why can’t you trust atoms? Because they make up everything.

Yesterday was April Fool’s Day and today is Humpday. Double whammy this week. I guess that’s why the off-the-wall post today.

Mar21

Screen Time

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Screen Time

Screen time has occupied much of my time in the last couple of weeks. Some of it was necessary and some of it not so necessary. I admit I do enjoy playing Candy Crush but I limit my time with that activity. The other screen time has been far more productive.

The most tedious by far was researching travel. What day should I leave? Where should I fly out of? Where should I fly into? Where do I want to spend the longest layover? When will I feel the least exhausted?

I’m taking a course online from Yale University. We delve into feeling and expressing our emotions in a more positive way, even if they are negative emotions. Videos, lectures and readings are most informative. And of course there are the assignments that we submit.

I’ve also had two very interesting webinars from writing groups I belong to. Today’s was especially interesting as it focused on going from the first to the third draft before submitting for publication. And I am currently on the final edit of my third draft.

I also tuned in to a Zoom meeting on North Central Washington Libraries. This one dealt with homelessness, a very real and increasing problem in our world today.

I also had my usual weekly Bible Study on Zoom. We are studying 1 Corinthians and always have interesting and lively discussions.

And now I’m writing this post on WordPress. It’s a short one as I’m eager to take a break from writing and studying. The sun is shining and it hasn’t quite hit 85 yet so I’d like to go out for a walk.

Have a great weekend!

Mar12

A Semiannual Tradition

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A Semiannual Tradition

Most people have annual traditions. They’re usually associated with holidays, birthdays, vacations and the like. I’ve had a semiannual one now that began back in 2016. It’s called PROCRASTINATION.

Oxford defines procrastination as “the action of delaying or postponing something.” I like that one way better than Webster’s which is “moving or acting slowly so as to fall behind” and it implies blameworthy delay especially through laziness or apathy. Cambridge is somewhere in the middle, “to keep delaying something that must be done, often because it is unpleasant or boring.”

In my case, it definitely isn’t laziness or apathy. It’s not boring either. Unpleasant yes. Tedious and frustrating would be the words I’d use to describe this situation. What am I talking about? BOOKING FLIGHTS!

I remember the days when I used to enjoy traveling. I think those were also the days when I’d let a travel agent do all the legwork. Now it’s a matter of pulling up a number of screens on my computer showing available flights from various airlines. I’m beyond looking at prices. Now it’s convenience that matters to me, as well as layover times. As I get older and airports get bigger and bigger, I find that my days of running marathons to make connecting flights are over.

There is absolutely no convenient way to travel from Aguascalientes to Wenatchee. But Alaska Airlines will get me where I’m going although it involves a 12 hour layover at LAX. That actually may be a good thing this year as I’m Canadian and Trump has changed the rules. I’ll have lots of time to deal with Customs and Immigration.

Now back to my itinerary. A bus from Aguascalientes to Guadalajara, a flight from Guadalajara to Los Angeles, a flight from Los Angeles to Seattle, and a flight from Seattle to Wenatchee. The option exists to take the Wenatchee Valley Shuttle from Seattle to Wenatchee rather than flying, but it’s more convenient to wait only an extra half hour to take the flight rather than the shuttle. It’s also a very short flight, usually only about a half hour, as compared with a three hour drive.

I finally booked my flights yesterday. And I’m glad I won’t have to perform this arduous task again until it’s time to return to Mexico in the fall.

Mar5

Different Things

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Different Things

I slept in this morning. My first cup of coffee was at eleven. Breakfast was pasta alfredo at about 1 pm. It’s humpday and it’s one of those days.

Today I read a blog post written by a friend in Missouri. It began by mentioning memoirs, evolved into family life, and from there went on to a craft project. Despite the fact that the rain exacerbates her knee and back pain, she always plows her way through to finding something positive. You are an inspiration to all of us, Ty. Thank you.

Sea snakes are harassing beachgoers in Puerto Vallarta. These poisonous creatures are dangerous. It used to be just the tides we had to watch out for. And I guess we can throw the jellyfish in with that too. I detest snakes so won’t be going to Puerto Vallarta anytime soon.

Time to embarrass one of my kids. My daughter just competed in the CPU Nationals (Canadian Powerlifting) and qualified for Internationals. She is off to Panama in October to compete. It’s exciting that I get to watch her live online. It’s almost like being there.

I found a great dentist here in Aguascalientes. His office is only a five minute walk from my house. A visit to the dentist isn’t one of my favorite pastimes, but he was excellent and I actually felt quite relaxed. I’ve even forgiven him for the white diet he put me on after the whitening process.

I won’t comment on Trump’s speech last night. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and I’m not interested in sparring with friends who are staunch Democrats and friends who are staunch Republicans. We’ll just have to wait and see how everything turns out.

I just signed up for a virtual program with NCW Libraries. This one is being presented as a part of Women’s History Month and deals with homelessness.

I’ve started to think about returning to Washington in May but, as usual, am procrastinating the arduous task of booking flights.

Have a great afternoon!

Feb25

February Finale

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February Finale

February might be the shortest month of the year but it’s been one of the busiest for me. While the focus this winter has been on writing, other activities fill my days as well. Church online. Bible Study on Zoom. Writing Webinars. Conversation Club. Tutoring. Friends. And finally this month I did some traveling.

I went to visit my friend Angie in Pachuca. It’s been three years since we last saw each other but we just picked up where we left off. Time was of no consequence. We first met in December 2010 on El Chepe up in the Copper Canyon. We hit it off as we were both teaching English at the time. Angie is Mexican and was a superb translator for me because back then my Spanish language skills were practically non-existent!

This week my daughter is competing in the CPU Nationals in Canada. I must admit that it’s a little unnerving watching her bench press more than her weight but I’m also so very proud of her and what she has accomplished. Last year I got to see it in person. This time I’m watching online.

My granddaughter Madeline turns seven tomorrow. It seems like just yesterday I flew to Ontario shortly after she was born. Video calls will have to suffice until I see her again in person this summer. I predict that she will be as tall as Grandma by then.

I’m attending a program on Zoom later this week that deals with publishing. I’m looking forward to it as I hope to publish a book this spring and the writing world has changed since I first published back in 2009. My genre has also changed and my next book is fiction.

I enjoyed my break from reading all the newsfeeds. And I ignored the podcasts. Now back to reality where people are still trying to hack into my Facebook and Microsoft accounts. Back to reading about more airline mishaps. Back to reading about The United States of Democrats and The United States of Republicans. Back to reading about the gong show going on in Canada. I think I need another break.

Feb18

It’s Time

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It’s Time

It’s time to stop reading my newsfeed. It’s time to stop watching the news on TV. It’s time to stop googling all the craziness going on in our world today.

By this time, I’ve already booked flights back to Washington. But I’m not too eager to do that yet, especially after viewing the crash in Toronto yesterday. My preferred airline is Alaska, synonymous with the 737 issues. But I do fly Delta, yesterday’s airline involved in that fiasco. And I often fly into Sea-Tac, and that airport hasn’t been without incident in 2025 either.

But my best option is still to fly over the border. I’ve done the land thing……San Ysidro, Matamoras, Reynoso, Nogales. Pretty eerie around 2 am which I did in San Ysidro and Reynoso. I highly recommend daylight for those adventures. But border towns are becoming more and more dangerous.

I love trains. I wish I could take a train across the border. But there isn’t one.

Today has been an Uber kind of day. A trip in the morning to run errands. Uber Eats to deliver a pizza. Yes, occasionally I crave something other than Mexican food. But I do put my foot down when it comes to the chimi churri. Salad dressing just doesn’t belong on pizza. Later this afternoon I will also use an Uber when I go out to Conversation Club.

I’m traveling tomorrow to visit a friend in Pachuca. This will be my last post until I return to Aguascalientes next week. And I am definitely going to cut back on the newsfeeds.

Have a great week everyone!