“I want to feel both the beauty and the pain of the age we are living in. I want to survive my life without becoming numb. I want to speak and comprehend word of wounding without having these words become the landscape where I dwell. I want to possess a light touch that can elevate darkness to the realm of stars.” Terry Tempest Williams, When Women Were Birds Sometimes I feel like an alien anthropologist sent to Earth to observe her beauty and violence. Poor Gaia, I think, and how much she must be suffering from withstanding the invasive human species endlessly sucking up her resources. Maybe I’m just projecting my angst and Gaia is merely a reflection of all of us. She’ll be fine, I tell myself; but many species, including homo sapiens, may go the way of the DoDo. I know I am not alone when I express having ‘world […]
Gringos in Paradise – Phase II – Seven Months In
Seven months into Gringolandia find us enjoying our mañana lifestyle where it’s OK to put off today what you can do tomorrow, or the next day or next week! We feel we have entered Phase II of our permanent Mexican vacation—living more comfortably and consciously in our adopted country. The first six months, as mentioned in prior posts, felt like “bootcamp”, or campo de entrenamiento (say that quickly after a couple shots of tequila!). It has been an initiation into a different culture, language, monetary system, and living at 5,000’ on an uneven, rocky terrain. However, we’re living and learning—estamos viviendo y aprendiendo—and adapting nicely! It took us nearly six months, but we found our ideal, bright, modern lakeview home that we have leased for a year or more. We are feeling blessed, having gotten our sky back and being able to watch the planetary conjunctions along the ecliptic celestial […]
New Life En Otro Lado
We’re still here en otro lado—on the fun side of the wall—skipping the light fandango as we begin our fifth month in our adopted country. I hit a wall literally and figuratively on 8/18 (nice bump on mi cabeza!) and, as if knocking some sense into me, finally felt that I could make Mexico my home. We’re learning that “homecoming” takes a while to fully adapt to a new culture, language, monetary system, terrain, climate and cerebral rewiring, but we feel that we’re here for the duration. There is so much heart, life and color here on Lake Chapala! Here’s a pithy FB posting that speaks to making a new life: We began the process of disengaging from our old life after the 2016 election where we felt that the U.S. was no longer a compatible or affordable place for us to thrive. And here we are at last recreating […]
Finding Home in a Foreign Country
Home is said to be where the heart is and, for some, wherever you hang your hat. For me, who doesn’t like to wear hats, home is a place and state of being in which I find sanctuary. Home for me is where I can truly be myself, where it all comes off—jewelry, face, and any restrictive clothing that are called for when taking my persona out into the world. As an introvert, I am sensitive to environmental factors and too much stimulation. I seek a bright, open house connected to a serene and spacious external terrain. Maybe that comes from a lifetime or two having been incarcerated in a dark, dank dungeon! My Spirit, and no doubt my brain chemistry—that vast network of neurotransmitters and synapses—comes to life when exposed to beauty and sunlight. For both my husband, Alex, and me—two curious Scorpios—home is our place of refuge to […]
Gringos in Paradise—Five Weeks In
Alex and I are into our fifth week living in Ajijic! We’re still in the Welcome-to-Mexico-boot-camp phase, adjusting our minds, hearts and musculature to a new terrain and culture, including our intestinal biomes. Mexico definitely stretches you with its random chaos, noise, and challenge to adapt to its asymmetries. The other day we turned up an unfamiliar rocky road and I was suddenly transported into a peaceful dreamscape from the spaciousness of the lake at that vantage point. Then I thought, “Wow! I’m living in a Neptunian or M.C. Escher-like world” where you never know what you’re going to discover around the next corner or through the next doorway. Along with the effort it takes to accomplish basic tasks—like communicating, shopping, driving on narrow pebbled streets, figuring out the money exchange—there are so many astounding moments! For example, one evening when we were sitting on the balcony at sunset, Alex, […]