I’m 2 months and 2 days in. I can’t believe it. I’m coming
to the end of 2019, and reflecting on my resolutions from last year. I had
several goals I wanted to accomplish…leaving PWC being one of them…but really
had no idea that I would be here. I still have panicked thoughts every other
day or so about what on earth I’m doing and if this is right for me, but there
are SSOOOO many things in my life that make those thoughts disappear. So here I’ll
stay, at least until the next wedding (in April) and use that as an opportunity
to re-evaluate (at least that’s the plan).
The last month has been interesting for me. I left off last
having given my talk at the university, and so much has happened since then! I’ve
made some friends and made Cuernavaca home. I’ve done some travelling, and have
also focused on work a lot, building my caseload and learning how to approach clients
on this type of platform. I really enjoy it actually…I can create my own
schedule and communicate with clients throughout the week. I still need to
build up my caseload a bit, but I actually like this way of providing therapy. 
Now on to the fun stuff! In November, I went on a trip with
the university students to Taxco. I’d been there before in April and LOVED it,
and was excited for the chance to go again. I had a great time, and made a
friend from Chicago that is staying here for a while! It was great to have a
friend to travel around with!! Taxco is such a beautiful city, and it was wonderful
to spend time there again. We went to visit the caves nearby, and then walked
all the way up to the statue of Jesus (who had his hands replaced!!) to look at
the views and definitely get some exercise. Then walked back down to the town
center, ate lunch on a terrace, and went to take a lift to the top of the
adjacent hill and looked down at all the lights of the city. It was really beautiful
(and not at all scary😉). It was great to be there again and
remember how much I loved it the first time, and how glad I am that I’m here. 
The gratitude kept coming for Thanksgiving. The weekend
before, I asked for help in organizing Thanksgiving dinner for my “family” here
and they graciously obliged! With some help, I made chicken, mashed potatoes
and gravy, sweet potatoes, green beans, and pumpkin pie! One of my favorite
things is sharing food with others, and I’m so grateful that my family here
allowed me to do that. We all went around and said what we were grateful for,
and I could not have been happier!!!! I am so truly grateful for the family
that I’m staying with. They have been so incredibly kind, and are such beautiful
people. I really feel so welcomed, and am amazed at how gracious they are
welcoming people into their home. And I frequently think about how lucky I am
that I was placed here back in April. I don’t think my experience would have
been the same without them, and I’m grateful every day!
For actual Thanksgiving, I planned a trip to Puebla for the
weekend. I was SO excited to head out on my first trip alone, overnight, to
visit a new city. I was very prepared, with my reservation at a hostel and a
few recommendations and not very many other plans besides that!! Sadly, my
story takes a turn, and the weekend did not go as planned. I wanted to be
adventurous, and so when the waiter brought me crickets on a tortilla chip at
the restaurant on Thursday, I was excited to try it! Then came the mole
sampler, which was delicious. But one of these things did not agree with me,
and I was uncomfortable the rest of the weekend, spending most of Saturday in
bed. Another trip to Puebla is in order, as I didn’t get to do everything that
I wanted. But I will say this about Puebla…it was so beautiful. The area I was
in near the center and the cathedral seemed so lively and fun, and artistry of
the city, using a lot of Talavera, was absolutely gorgeous. I bought myself a
few Christmas presents from here! I would love to go back and explore more, and
experience the energy that I witnessed. I plan on creating an opportunity for
myself to do this trip again!
Coming back from Puebla, I’ll be honest, I wasn’t feeling
great. I was questioning a lot about why I was here, and if I had the energy
and gumption to keep going. Y’all, when you’re in a tight spot, talk to
someone!! There was a part of me that wanted to figure things out for myself, but
I reached out to a few people who I trusted to talk me through things, and I’m
so glad I did!! With as much journaling and processing that I’m doing, there’s
still something about talking through things with a friend that just changes
everything. And I think that sometimes, we need to STOP thinking and just enjoy
the present! (Side note: I’ve been leaning into the meditation thing, and I
love it and I’m so not good at it…YET). So that’s what I did!! The
weekend was restorative for me in many ways, and I got myself back on track.
Following Puebla, I took a few day trips with my friend from
Chicago! We went to Tepoztlán, where I had been before and so was just able to
relax and enjoy myself. And then to Xochicalco to walk through some pyramid
ruins. The indigenous history is celebrated in this country in such a beautiful
way that I’ve never experienced in the US. I know it’s not always like that,
and there’s plenty of conflict and prejudice, but even to be able to walk
through the remnants of a civilization that existed right here in this continent
1300 years ago was incredible. We learned a little about Native American
history in school growing up, but to place such an emphasis on it and learn so much
about how the groups interacted with each other, etc, is incredible. There are
so many different archeological sites in Mexico, and I’m really interested in
visiting more.
So now I’m getting ready to head back to Wisconsin for two
weeks for the holidays, and I think I’m in the perfect position. I’m so excited
to go back, see my family, and snuggle the pups by the fire. And I’m also so excited
to come back, plan more trips, hopefully host some family and friends, and continue
my adventure! Hopefully there will be a lot more to share in the coming months!
(PS…sometimes I feel like I’m not doing enough, and that I’m not taking
advantage of my time here. But whoa, have I done a lot in the last 6 weeks…still
working on the mindfulness/meditation thing!)
