major update: i went to mexico, and it was spectacular (#68).
i haven't updated this blog in nearly two months, which one would think warrants a nice, long post about all the progress i've made. and i have made progress. mexico definitely deserves its own entry. but i've gotten some other smaller goals accomplished as well. while i in mexico we got up extra early to watch the sun rise over the coast (#80). upon my return i gave up beer for a month (#82). i joined two book clubs (really, they're more like weekly gatherings of amazing women who are reading about how to be even more amazing) that employ regular meditation and focused breathing as guiding principles (#83). and i sent valentine's day cards to my best out-of-town friends (#98, from saipan to honolulu to chicago to texas) and surprised my dorm-dwelling sister with a valentine's themed care package (#99).
all that said, i really just want to get this damn thing posted so i can get maddox off my back and get some sleep. so, here are some quick observations and stories about mexico. it should be noted that there will not be proper accents and tildes in this post because i can't seem to figure that out right now and am feeling very motivated to just get this done.
fun fact about mexico: the plumbing is so old that you can't flush toilet paper. like, no matter what your personal circumstances... so in every public bathroom stall there are signs telling you to please not do this. no one mentions this you before you go -- it's like this big secret people like to spring on the visitors to gauge their reactions and relative go-with-the-flow-ness (so to speak). i'll admit that at first i was kinda grossed out, but by the time i was back in the states i was so used to it that i tossed the t.p. into the trash can at the dallas airport without thinking twice.
example one
two
and my personal favorite, three
we took a day trip out to chichen itza. this was a good idea. our tour guide referred to it as "chicken pizza" on the bus ride out there, and i was the only one on board who laughed. and i did it really loudly. so, wow, that place is incredible. magical. my facebook profile is rife with photos and videos, so i won't re-post here for now. but this was hands down my favorite day in mexico.
when it comes to speaking spanish, if i'm talking with a local (and i've had a few beers) i start to sound like puss n' boots. which is to say that i sound like the nasonex bee. which is to say that i sound like antonio banderas.
perhaps my proudest moment there was haggling (in spanish) with a vendor outside of chichen itza to get a better price on a couple of gifts i was purchasing.
while drinking on the beach with our server raul (he joined us under an umbrella for a long while one rainy afternoon when all the other beachgoers wussed out), we got into a conversation about what it is that lida and i do back home. i was having a hell of a time explaining my policy gig to raul, so he dragged me inside the nearest hotel to a computer where we used google translate to continue our conversation. i typed in "reproductive healthcare research," which drew some sheepish looks from raul and his buddy who had now joined us. raul leaned in and asked, "con la esperma?" "NO NO NO!" i said through hysterical laughter, "como derechos de las mujeres!" we eventually got it all sorted out, but that was probably my favorite language-barrier-inspired moment.
the stars that shine in the yucatan jungle are the brightest i've ever seen.
so in brief summation (man, this post is really poorly written...) it's safe to say that i've been bitten by the language immersion bug, and i absolutely cannot wait for my next adventure. thank you to diane, samuel, esteban, raul, and juan for the unmatched hospitality, free shots of "mexican moonshine," snorkel recommendations, unforgettable conversation, and history lessons.
