Tag Archives: travel

May11

On To Plan B

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On To Plan B

When Plan A doesn’t work there’s always a Plan B. Plan A was working. I arrived in Winnipeg last Thursday and Laura came with me to buy a scanner on Friday. On Monday she came over and set it up and gave me a crash course in how to use it. But Plan A was already off-track as I hadn’t connected with my son and he’s been storing the photo albums. So this week has gone by and I haven’t had any photos to scan yet.

Plan B in action and I am taking the week to see friends instead. And as I visit with my friends I’m going through different chapters in my life.

Rita. We met at an auction back in 2000. We’ve gone through divorces and our kids’ marriages and a whole lot more. Before Rita sold her cabin at Hillside, I always went out there with her when I came back to Winnipeg in the summer, even after the knee surgeries. It was fun maneuvering my walker and much easier when I graduated to a cane. There were steps involved in getting up on the deck and into the cabin. This year Rita picked me up at the airport and we went straight to VJ’s for gut bombs. It was pouring rain but that didn’t stop us.

Laura. My computer guru. We met in college when I was getting my ESL certification back in 2009. She was very pregnant and her baby arrived late so she was able to write the final exams and graduate. Although I moved away in 2010 we’ve kept in touch and get together whenever I come back. She shops around for computers and whatever other technological devices I require. Then when I get to Winnipeg we get together and I buy what she has picked out. They must love us at Best Buy. Whenever the sales person asks a question I refer them to Laura. I only need to be there to tap the credit card.

Sheila. We met back in middle school and have been friends for sixty years. Yep. We’ve gone through a lot together. When we get together it’s like we’ve never been apart as we catch up on kids and grandkids. Sheila doesn’t enjoy traveling and admitted to me that she hasn’t been on a plane in nine years. That’s very different from my nomadic lifestyle. I’ve been on four planes in just the last month.

Jacque. Our kids were in the same pre-school program when we met back in 1983. Jacque was also a caterer and has shared several wonderful recipes with me, the most requested one being the peanut butter cheesecake. Our kids all went to different schools throughout the years but Jacque and I remained in touch. She moved back home to Rochester, Minnesota for a while but returned to Winnipeg a few years ago. I was already well into my nomadic lifestyle but we always get together when I come back for a visit.

Donna. In another lifetime I taught water aerobics at the YMCA in Westwood and Donna was in my class. We also share a love of music and have gone to concerts together. Donna’s husband makes amazing wine which I always enjoy when I go over there. When I was here last summer we spent a memorable afternoon at The Leaf. We were talking at lunch the other day about maybe going to the Museum of Human Rights this year.

Marilyn. After my knee surgery I went to physio at Concordia where I met Marilyn. This awesome physical therapist is one of the reasons I bounced back as quickly as I did from those surgeries. She’s retired now and travels to New Zealand to see her daughter quite often. Over lunch today we talked a lot about Mexico and she’s thinking of coming this winter.

On Sunday I will finally get to see my son and I hope I will get those photo albums so I can start scanning. It will be nice to be with my son on Mother’s Day. We haven’t done that in several years.

Today is May 10 and it’s Mother’s Day in Mexico. It’s been a while since I’ve been in that country for Mother’s Day too.

To all the mothers out there, whether you celebrate today or on Sunday, Happy Mother’s Day!

Apr30

Challengers and Bluegrass

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Challengers and Bluegrass

It was a busy weekend. I should have been thinking about doing laundry and packing but there were too many other distractions. I decided to take advantage of those instead.

We went to see the movie “Challengers.” Although I’m not a huge tennis fan, I was drawn in by the twists and turns in this movie. It was well done and delivered more than one strong message. I highly recommend that you go and see it.

The Bluegrass concert in Cashmere was most enjoyable. Thunder Ridge is a band from Portland. But Saturday night they were more of a hodge-podge of musicians as a couple of the regulars weren’t able to make it. However they put on an amazing performance although they had only rehearsed for a short time earlier in the day.

Do you remember the movie “The Graduate?” Back in the 60s we all thought it was pretty awesome. But it’s 2024 now and when I watched it the other night on TV, I had a very different opinion. Boring and predictable. Lame acting. Corny. Hmmm. Do we even use the word “corny” today? My age is showing.

We’ve had rain and it’s been cold. And the weather doesn’t look too promising in Canada either. Wonder if I need to pack my Columbia ski jacket and my Sorels. But it’s May. It isn’t supposed to be winter. Maybe I’ll throw in some warmer clothes just in case. Days like this I really miss Mexico.

On that note it’s time to get out the packing cubes. My next post will be coming to you from Canada.

Have a great week!

Apr23

New To My Carry On

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New To My Carry On

When I come up here to Washington each spring, there are things I do as a matter of routine although I am not a person who does well with routine. Some people thrive on it, but I prefer flexibility and my middle name should be “Change.”

The first week back I did do something which has become a biannual routine. I did a CPR refresher. I did them in Canada when I was working in social services and then there was a lull for a few years when I lived fulltime in Mexico. Once I moved to Leavenworth CPR refreshers became routine in my volunteer work at church and in teaching fitness classes. It’s interesting how ideas change from course to course, especially with regards to the issue of providing breaths in addition to compressions.

This year the course was a combo of CPR and First Aid. And I was introduced to Naloxone, an emergency treatment in case of opioid overdose. I had read about it previously but at the course our instructor encouraged us to obtain at least one kit and to keep it handy. I went home that night, went online and ordered a kit. I opted for the nasal spray. The kit contains two single dose nasal spray devices and arrived in the mail in one week.

I did some research and it is legal to have it in my carry-on. It is also legal in Canada, my destination next month, although it is not as easily obtainable in that country. And I’m thinking it’s something that I can easily throw in my purse as well. So forget guns and pepper spray; this Washingtonian will be carrying Naloxone.

Apr9

Back in Washington

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Back in Washington

Coming back after 6 months away is always a blur of adjusting and getting organized. We’re actually going to hit 60 today which is a far cry from 87. My sciatica is complaining. But in time it will settle down. It wasn’t exactly thrilled with the 4 hour flight back from Mexico.

I’m unpacked and getting organized. I went to AT&T and got my phone number for the year. I’ve been busy texting and messaging my new number to friends. My What’s App stays on my Mexican number. Also have been dealing with credit card companies to register the new number and access my online accounts. They don’t like it when I change countries and phone numbers as often as I do.

Adjusting to an English world. The only Spanish I’ve done since I’m back is on Duolingo, although I have texted friends in Mexico in Spanish.

Only one trip to Costco so far in terms of shopping. Joyce and I are going to Dollar Tree tomorrow after lunch at the Senior Center. I don’t really miss Waldo’s in Mexico and much prefer the American version of a dollar store.

Did a Bible study with my life group on Zoom this morning. We’re planning on getting together in person later in the month. Not everyone lives in Wenatchee or East Wenatchee so it does take some planning.

I just came home from a SAIL Lunch and Learn and it was nice to reconnect with everyone after several months away. But I don’t intend to do any teaching until I get back from Canada in June. Did I say Canada? Yes I’m back on a plane in 3 weeks to head up north.

Speaking of planes, I didn’t get sucked out of my window seat on the Boeing 737 on my way back from Mexico. No blown tires, cracked windshields or missing parts of the fuselage either. Great flights that left on time and arrived early. Even Immigration welcomed me back.

Yesterday was definitely one of the highlights of my first week back. I traveled to Leavenworth to Shears for my hair appointment. Lisa always has her hands full dealing with the mess the Mexican hairstylists make and she had her hands full yesterday. But as usual she did an amazing job.

Yesterday in Leavenworth I also got to see Linda. We picked up sandwiches at Dan’s and settled in to watch the Virgin River Christmas episodes. We’re also making plans to attend the Leavenworth Summer Theater productions.

I have a CPR refresher on Thursday and then I will finally have a day to relax on Friday, if you call doing laundry and housecleaning relaxing.

Another highlight was going in person to Sage Hills Church on Sunday. So much nicer than on-line. And I got to meet some of the women from my Zoom life group in person as well.

Sunday afternoon Clairesse and I went to Blue Spoon for some delightful frozen yogurt. We had a lot to catch up on. That happens when you don’t see each other for 6 months.

Sunday night Christina and I watched a movie together. We decided that Sunday nights will be movie nights while I’m here.

I haven’t even looked at my WIP since I’ve been back. I had a lot more time for writing when I was in Mexico. But that’s okay. I still have friends to see and places to go and things to do. And I have writers’ group next week!

And my dear tree in Cashmere, I haven’t forgotten you. I promise I’ll come visit you really soon.

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!

Mar18

Destress

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Destress

In the course I’m taking, we have now gone from recognizing habits to stress management. And that is a topic that I’m sure everyone needs help with in their lives right now. But first I’ll digress to the habit that I decided to deal with in this course.

Months ago I decided that I was spending too much time on social media. I stopped scrolling. Next I started unfollowing friends. When I go on Facebook I check out the expat and travel groups I belong to. I check out the writers groups. I tell friends that they need to DM me if they post anything important as I don’t scroll. And I’m now at a point where I follow only a handful of the six hundred friends I have on Facebook. I also dissed Instagram and Twitter long ago.

But the habit I’m focusing on now is cutting back and watching the news online. Talk about stress! Is there anything going on in this world right now that comes close to resembling positivity? Between the wars going on, the politics, the food recalls and the crazy weather………that’s a real cocktail for stress. But the big one for me right now is Boeing.

Door plugs, blown out tires, planes freezing in midair, cracked windshields, missing panels………I can hardly wait to board that flight back home in two weeks! I’ve almost forgotten the days when I used to enjoy flying. Now it’s just the most efficient way to get from point A to point B and it is far from enjoyable.

This is my new strategy. I check my newsfeeds in my email every morning. And when I’m online, as tempting as it is to click on that little news button, I’m limiting that as well. And I’m only reading the headlines. If it’s another article about a plane with a malfunction or an emergency landing for sure I’m going to ignore it. I’m determined to keep my cortisol levels down.

Of course watching the movies on Lifetime may help my Spanish but probably increases that cortisol level. The movies are primarily labelled as thrillers and my Spanish vocabulary now includes words such as stalking, harassing, kidnapping, hostages, nightmares, killers and sexual assault that tend to show up in daily newscasts around the globe but that I hope will never be a part of my own daily life.

Time to meditate. Peaceful. Tranquil. Calming. Think I’ll envision an ocean and billowy clouds today.

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.

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.

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.