COVID, COLOR, Y MI CASA NUEVA
In my last post, over one year ago(!), I talked a lot about endless possibilities and opportunities. Sweet sweet ignorance. Totally unaware of the forthcoming, world-halting pandemic. But in that post, I also talked about the privilege and appreciation for those opportunities. And boy oh boy, there’s nothing like a global catastrophe to really let that appreciation for the freedom we once had sink in.
I'm going to skip over a big intro about these unprecedented times because I think we can all agree that this pandemic has been completely weird, undeniably sad, confusing beyond belief, and totally life-changing.
So with that, I'm going to talk about how it has changed my life.
With my highly-anticipated travel plans derailed in early 2020 and no real place of residency or clear understanding of where I wanted to be, I found myself living with my parents. In Alabama. For 6 months. With my parents. In Alabama.
And as not-ideal-for-a-30-year-old-liberal as it sounds, we made the best of it!
We imbibed in nightly happy hours and cooked up fun summer dinners…
I took a fantastic pottery class,
We did a significant amount of tie-dying and other crafty things,
And sifted through old photos to take trips down memory lane.
I also helped my dad start a business, did a Meals-On-Wheels route, took some mini trips to the lake,
Bonded with this nervous beauty, Kiera,
And I got to see my bestie Erin, not once,
But twice!
Along with her sweet sweet baby Cory and her awesome husband Adrian (who just so happens to also be my cousin!)
As a going-away gift my mom got me a green shirt from The Lovely Lady, the nearby thrift store (we’d go Tuesdays for 20% senior citizen discount day) with the words, "BEST SUMMER EVER" in big white letters. I wouldn't go as far as to say best summer ever, but it will certainly be one I will never forget.
I’m incredibly grateful for the time I got to spend with my parents. But after half a year and the anxiousness of "what the hell am I doing here" became too much, I decided (and had the privilege and opportunity) to make a change.
In September, I bought a flight to Mexico City. Frivolous travel during a global pandemic is clearly not the right move. But I did a lot of research beforehand and came to the conclusion that I may someday want to call Mexico “home” and I felt as if I could do it responsibly. And considering I didn’t know a soul when I arrived in CDMX and didn’t speak the language, it’s safe to say I did a pretty solid job quarantining myself.
Pandemic aside, I've always had this impression that life in Mexico was a bit lighter, more chromatic, not only in physical design, but overall mood and way of life. And so far this impression has proven to be true for me.
COLOR IN CDMX
When I arrived in Mexico City I stayed in the neighborhood of Coyoacán. A bit separated from the more happening neighborhoods, home to Frida’s Casa Azul, and the hangout for many old school hippies. It set an amazingly positive tone for my Mexican experience.
I'd take daily walks (seeing as there wasn't much else to do) and each time spotted a new little morsel of color eye candy.
Don’t these houses just make you happy? Man!
I stayed in Mexico City for four months. I loved it, but quickly realized it wasn’t where I wanted to be long term. Don’t get me wrong, even during an absolutely terrible time in the history of humanity, in a country where I knew no one, I was able to find people and things that brought lightness to most days and made me feel very content.
I met a wonderful friend, Samantha, and we’d go on biking adventures most weekends. We always seemed to up in situations like this.
Usually drinking micheladas the size of our hands,
Or our heads.
In Mexico City, I also started Spanish lessons with a fabulous teacher and met fun (and patient!) people who would practice with me, or even take me to try lengua tacos!
I was honored to help a family make mucbipollo, a traditional Día de Muertos dish.
And I don’t have photos of this, but I feel very lucky that I got to spend Christmas eve with another incredible Mexican family. Their gato, Carlos, made me second guess my indifference to cats.
And, of course, I ate my way through this meca of queso, tortillas, stewed meats, and spicy salsas.
Mexico City is spectacular. But it’s massive, dense, and completely loco. The peacefulness of the playa was calling my name.
MI CASA NUEVA
I left Mexico City with the goal of finding a place that offers the following:
The beach
Great weather
The conveniences of a city, but not a big city
Not too touristy, but not completely off the grid
Amazing food
Good internet
Good people
And an airport
A high bar, indeed. But amazingly, I think I may have found it.
Mazatlan, Mexico.
With a 13-mile boardwalk along the Pacific ocean, bands strolling the beaches at all hours of the day, whale watching, sunsets, a vibrant art and restaurant scene, affordability, and relaxed attitude, I’m happy to call this place home right now.
But as beautiful as this city is, for the first couple weeks I was here, I was having a hard time getting in a groove. I was a bit disappointed with the place I rented, I always seemed to feel disoriented walking around the city, and I was back to knowing no one, feeling pretty alone. I had the feeling like there was a tiny pebble in my shoe; a bit uncomfortable, but not really troubling enough to do anything about it. Maybe it’ll settle between some toes or make its way out soon.
A few weeks ago I came to this realization. When I first arrived in Mazatlan, I was dipping my toes (yes, another toe reference). I was holding back, not really sure about the people or the place. I was kind of a skeptic. So when I’m putting out this lukewarm energy, isn’t it completely acceptable that the place is giving me that same energy in return?
Maybe this is all mumbo jumbo, but over the past month, something has shifted. The pebble has settled. I’ve sort of fallen for this place and, in return, this place has been showering me with optimism.
Of course, some days I feel sad, insecure, defeated, and alone. It’s not always easy living in a foreign country. But but but, nearly every day, at some point, I’ll experience this flood of gratitude. This peaceful contentment to be here in this beautiful country, in this beautiful city, among these fun, generous, patient people. I often question some of my irregular life decisions, but moments like this make me feel like I’m doing something right.
Oh! And the insanely fresh seafood, mouthwatering tacos, creamy beans, and local produce certainly help.
I don’t know how long I’ll be in Mazatlan, but I do know that right now this place makes me feel happy and safe. And honestly what else can we ask for in 2021?
