San Miguel de Allende is quieter in April. Maybe lots of gringos have gone home to pay their taxes or spend the summer season in the States. Sometimes I curse the other gringos because there are so many, but I think their presence is a big part of what makes San Miguel special. They add to the cultural offerings and the arts. Plus, many restaurants cater to weak stomachs so I haven’t worried about eating raw veggies here. You know how much I love my salads. But I like shopping in the market and cooking at my house even more. Next week I am having a potluck.
While quieter, it’s also hotter and dustier this month. It hasn’t rained since I arrived. Come to think of it, I haven’t seen clouds here either. Apparently May will be the hottest month and then things cool down in June when the rains come. Until then I will marvel at how quickly my clothes dry and how much lotion my skin absorbs.
I like the new group of students taking Spanish with me at the Academia Hispano Americano. There are about 20 students from Mount Hood in Oregon at the school right now. They stay for 2 months and get 15 credits; seems like a good deal to me. Their presence certainly tips the age scale in the other direction. Last month the vast majority of students were retired.
I like learning Spanish much more than I expected. If I go back to the Cape in June, I think I will have to return here in the fall. Like Salsa, learning another language is a real challenge for me. It’s frustrating because I am usually so quick to pick up new things.
Besides the fun I am having with new friends, great weather, and friendly Mexican people, one thing that is certainly keeping me here is my boy Benito. He’s really fun and hanging out with his has done wonders for my Spanish. He doesn't speak any English and you know how much I like to talk. He is very patient and also helpful with corrections, plus his facial expressions are precioso. I appreciate the experience.
Every morning I wake up so amazed that I am in Mexico. I love the dusty cobble stone streets and the whistles I get from policemen. I mean, sure they can’t be trusted, but at least they are good for boosting confidence.
I still need to invite some stillness into my life and take time to figure out what I want. It took a long walk yesterday to figure out that I did indeed want to go to Peru with Liz, Lauren and Julie in May. I just made reservations today for some crazy plane rides. I leave Mexico City at 7 am on May 16th and I don’t get to Cuzco until 7 am the next day. As a super highlight, I get to stop over for at least a week in Costa Rica on the way home. I am a little nervous about hiking with three girls that are in incredible shape. One is doing another Iron man this summer, the other is training for a Half Iron man, and the third is always in good shape, especially with her recent spinning adventures. These are impressive, but intimidating friends. It’s only for 4 days, so even with the high altitude and the many flavors of Mexican ice cream I am sampling, I will make it, just not sure how good I will feel during it. http://www.salkantay.org/salcantay/salkantay-package-details-4days.html
In preparation, I joined a crappy little gym last Monday. It has a few stationary bikes and lots of weights and I got a student discount. Four rooms of weights and many pictures of Mexican body builders on the walls. I saw another woman there today, so my fear that I was the only girl was put to rest. It’s hysterical and very dirty and so Mexico for me. No one is ever at the desk to check me in, but that’s ok, because there are only 1-2 other people there at a time. They think my crazy abs and leg lifts are pretty funny too.
I’m off to a birthday party tonight at a bar with a wonderful view. Since the clocks changed last week, I will make it in time to see the sunset over the city. While making the reservations, it was the first time I have thought about going home. I might just fly back to Boston from Costa Rica in June in time to make the Provincetown International Film Festival that starts on the 18th. Not sure what I want, but here are a few thoughts. I want to feel the extreme peace that I felt during the last few weeks of Yoga TT in Bacalar. I want to enjoy Mexico while I am here. I want to meet up with the girls in Peru. Those are three things I can control, so that’s good. Just have no idea what I want to do when my travels are over. For now, I´ll just live in the now.
