Mascota, and surrounding territories

I'm writing this while sitting in my car in my parent's driveway listening to Christmas carols because my niece, Callie, fell asleep and now I don't want to wake her up. This wouldn't have been a problem but I left my sister's house later than intended because Grady stole and hid my keys (we found them in the bathroom trash). So yes, yesterday and today I've been baby-sitting but before that I went to Mexico and that is the purpose of this post.

From January 30th to February 9th I was in Mexico with my mom and family friend, Luz. This was my third trip to visit Luz in Mascota, Jalisco. It was my mom's first time. I love Mascota and when I am there I always think it would be a great place to live, or at least question why I didn't live there instead of Nicaragua for the past two years.

This trip was very different than the last two, partly because I was with my mom and partly because I'm personally in a different place in my life than I was the past two visits. Overall it was extremely relaxing and clarifying. For 11 days I had no internet, phone, watch, TV, newspaper, or radio. So basically I just read and talked to my mom and Luz and went to Bible studies and slept. I also decoupaged a chair and baked bread and made chili relleno.

I think I would be a much better person if I always lived that simple of a life. But that is not the life that God has given me, so I need to learn to apply the same disciplines in my life here. That is not easy for me to do, maybe I should take Luz up on her offer to move there permanently I'm sure that running away is the best way to solve problems. Or maybe not.

One funny story. On Sunday nights the whole town goes to the town square to hang out. Luz asked this girl Deisi to take me so that I could experience it (I had gone once but on my first trip). It is a pretty important event and I had to borrow a sweater since my grubby clothes weren't appropriate. So Deisi and I walked to the square and then for and hour and a half walked around it smiling and nodding at the boys walking around in the opposite direction. Quite the cultural experience and it was great getting to know Deisi better even though I didn't get a husband or anything. Luz thinks I would have had better luck if I went both Sundays not just the second one. Or maybe I would have had better luck if I wore heals instead of flip-flops (heals and cobblestone don't really mix in my mind)

That sums up about none of my trip but oh well. Tomorrow marks me living here for 2 months, I'm still scared of getting a job but it isn't quite March yet.

love, joy