mi abuela... Grandmommy!

Happy Birthday Grandmommy! I hope your day is wonderful! This picture is from Christmas 2006 when Melissa and I were given tea cups from my great-grandmother's collection. A dear present... Grandmommy, thank you for being a wonderful grandmother and for really instilling in us the importance of family. I love you!
I have one more night to sleep in my bed here in Guanajuato. The time has gone so fast and yet incredibly slow at times. Some days you find yourself wishing time to pass quicker, and on the other hand their are days you just want to bask in the moment. I have been making a list of things I love, and things I don't as much love here in Mexico... here is a glimpse:

The great and glorious things of Mexico:

• that most of the homes have terraces or balcony like places... I love reading on my roof/balcony/terrace. I wish we all had patios on our roofs.
• Cobblestone streets. All the streets and sidewalks are cobblestone... It'll take you back.
  
• Public guitar players. When they approach me, I can't help but giggle. I like them a lot though... I don't think we have near as many in the U.S... at least not in College Station or Wichita Falls. Someone should get on that...
• Panadarias or bakeries... they are very consistent around town and have the cheapest baked goods. It is also fun to grab your little silver tray and tongs and walk around choosing what baked goods you want.
  
• Parks and that people go to them. In the States, people go to parks once every few weeks. Here, they go all the time. Every single day there are tons of people just sitting and chatting and eating random food. I think it helps that they eat dinner late because prime-park time is 5-7 pm. That is dinner in the U.S. We should think of changing that.
  
• Photo-ops. Granted I am in a picturesque city in Mexico... but the colors and different buildings allow for some beautiful photo opportunities.
  
• That when you finish at a restaurant, they don't assume you are done and bring the check. In America, you take that last bite and they're pushing you out the door. You feel awkward staying for another 30 minutes after the food is gone. Here, I always have to ask for the check... and sitting around chatting is assumed.
  

Things that require adjusting. They aren't bad, just different:

• Spanish. It's just hard to live in a place where the whole basis of communication is one you aren't great at... I realized a few days ago I have been in a Spanish-speaking world for over 5 weeks and won't leave it for another 10... I wake up in the middle of the night thinking in Spanish. It can get exhausting.
• Not flushing toilet paper. You can't flush toilet paper here and I have the hardest time remembering to throw it in the trash can. (I feel like I may have written this already).
• Not having a car... granted I don't miss my Honda too much yet. Mainly because these streets are crazy, but just the solitude that a car brings... that requires adjustment on my part.
  
• Traveling Radio Ads... basically, there are cars with big speakers strapped to the top that drive around town advertising upcoming events and what not. They are loud and crazy...
  
• Caged Animals for show. This isn't just for Mexico... There is a zoo here right now and I don't mind if animals are rescued and then given a better life in a zoo or what not, but when an animal (say for instance a monkey) is put in a cage (a small cage) on the back of a truck that sits on the side of the street with people gawking at it... I just think, surely that monkey is not living a better life. Surely. I just do not like it.
  
• Not being able to call or communicate with friends and family at the drop of a hat. It is hard learning to communicate primarily through typed words and digital photos. I miss people and things... though I've realized, it makes you appreciate friends and family and simple things so much more.
  

Simplicity is sometimes hard to come by in America. After work to just sit for hours and talk with people. Or to walk slow and breathe deep (though I may not breathe as deeply in Lima). When I think about returning home, I dream of sitting for hours sipping coffee with friends and family. Then I realize, that isn't reality there. I have to "get away" to have time to rest and be still. You have to "plan" times of sitting and chatting. Differences are what they are, I challenge us all to learn to slow down a bit and love the time and people in our lives. Granted, I have a few months to do that... There's no rush. :)