I live between two worlds. 
Stark contrasts of each other.

Two wallets contain a glimpse of each life.

One guards my pesos as well as a few scattered American quarters that piss me off when frantically searching for change.  It houses a permanent resident visa, a flimsy drivers license that looks like it was made for a high schooler hoping to buy some booze, and some old bus receipts that are patiently waiting to be put in the trash. ​

This world is now home.  
The noises.  The smells.  The unpleasantries.  
​The misunderstood.

And, with the greatest of fortune...
I unbury my second wallet from its hiding place.
American dollars, immigration forms, a passport.
My beloved SLC library card as well as a Smiths grocery card, give a glimpse into my other life.  

The light switch is flipped.
I am back home.  In the familiar.
The luckiest girl alive.
Feeling like a superhero who gets to seamlessly transition between the two. 
Able to find her place.
​In both homes.

November in México signifies the return of seasonal friends, the prospect of cooler weather, and the arrival of my favorite holiday!

​ Día de los Muertos

Our celebration of this Mexican tradition has grown over the years, as we better understand its significance, the local culture and unfortunately have had more loved ones pass on. We are often away from home on major holidays and cherish the rare opportunity to establish a tradition in our home, as a family.

As I disassemble this year's altar, I pray it doesn't change in the upcoming year.  I continue to think about and relish the time spent with our loved ones; their stories resurrected,  fresh in my mind.  I remember to tell the living how special they are to me and why.  I lighten up and try to take life less seriously.  After all, one of the underlying themes of Día de los Muertos is to remember to live life to the fullest...regardless of what you have or who you are.  Because in the END, we are all left with nothing... so why fret about it now?!

Shortly before I abandoned my beloved blog, I mentioned a "Fuck-it, Why Not" action plan.  Well, that action plan is now my reality.  The transition out of the classroom has been made.  My days are spent in tranquility, I rarely put shoes on my feet, I lay on the ground to snuggle Sanchito throughout the day and I can pee whenever I please (something that was dictated by a school bell for the past sixteen years). Although I am still pretty stuck in the lunch room type-o-job schedule, I have snuck out for a mid-day sail and massage.  Shit- now that I think of it, maybe I have fallen from this routine completely...after going m.i.a from work when Margi and Jen came to visit last week! 

Another year in Mexico has passed and we have a couple of more stories to tell.  As I watch the videos from previous years, the music reflects our mood and the photos are the treasured memories that have been etched into our hearts-- of our time with friends & family as well as each other in our adopted home of Mexico.  Heres to five and a half years of living in Mexico!...

Years past:
2014
2015
2016

And for now, as I learn to balance life behind a computer....instagram might be the best place to follow our stories.  We will back online, storytelling and sharing our antics very pronto. xoxo

  I am convinced the magical town of Tequila was put on Earth for several reasons:

• For parents to reap revenge on their children for the numerous birthday parties, school talent shows, and theme parks they must painfully endure.   
• To save gringos from the embarrassing morning-after too many tequila shots......it is here in Tequila, you master the art of sipping, not slamming.
• For D.I.N.K.S {dual income, no kids}, like ourselves, to waste our money and relax, without a care in the world.

The name Cofradía represents a brotherhood who participates in the common good.  You can feel this as you peacefully wander through the property.  Mango trees loom overhead, far up towards the sky.  Their long trunks stretch down into the tasting room. Time is lost deep underground, where the walls of the tavern are lined with blue agave fiber and the cantarito cocktails are as big as swimming pools.  

"La alegría que no es provocada por el tequila...es falsa"
Happiness not provoked by tequila...is false
- Francisco Javier Sauza

May is a season of transition. May is dusty. Tourists & seasonal folks leave.  A few people like us, linger behind with the locals, recovering from the high season.  May is the month of diarrhea...if you are going to get sick, it is going to be May.  The humidity & heat creep back.  Food borne bacteria lurk...yearning for an unsuspecting intestinal tract to call home.  Fortunately (knock on wood), this was somebody else's May, not mine.  May is the month of 'puentes', three day weekends- throughout the entire month!

The high season hustle brings negligence of basic house chores.   Changing out sink faucets and painting the outside of the house is a musical chairs rotation of projects.  This May, we finally had a driveway paved....taking away any white-trash status, of parking on the grass {turned to dirt} within our community. 

The fiesta patronales come to La Cruz in May.   Nine days of 5 a.m wake up calls for mass, evenings filled with rickety carnival rides & cultural events in the plaza.  May brought vegan ice-cream to La Cruz.  Some hip chicas have transformed their grandparents 'heladerias michoacanas' recipes to coconut based versions of the famous culinary art.  I am holding myself personally responsible for ensuring their business makes it through until the next high season.

And, here comes June.   One month deep into hurricane season, along the Pacific Coast of Mexico.  We pray for rain.  Although the first rainstorm is a bitch.  Bat poop from the millions of freeloading tenants in our roof tiles, runs down the front of our white house.  The streets flood & trash clogs the few existing drains. Our clothing attire transforms to only bikinis, while at home and the skimpiest of clothing for slithering around in the heat outside.  Most of the clothing I wear in June is stained from sweat.  Sexy, eh?   Beinvenidos June.

I adopted the term "The Fuck-It List" from something witty my mom said, a while back.  Sam and I have lived a rather adventurous life, going after what we want in our personal lives...leaving little room for a useless piece of paper with shit I say that I will do, someday.  A nagging theme; however, has continued to remerge in our conversations.  Our admiration of snowy mountains and an obsession with the salty sea. There was just one little hurdle....our location dependent jobby-jobs.

If English grammar is not your forte...did you catch that verb tense above.  "Was".  

That's right... We've started a "Fuck-it, Why Not" action plan.  

Many months ago, I declined to resign my contract.  My days as a classroom teacher are dwindling.  I've got some tricks up my sleeve, but for now I am keeping my cards tight.  Here is what I will share: I've already started one piece of work as a remote-based independent contractor.  As in years past, I am doing some private tutoring with a family and have picked up a new client. There have been multiple days in the past four months that I've worked all three jobs, in one day.  Knowing the work load is temporary, enjoying what it is I am doing & relishing the journey of what is unfolding has kept me sane.  That and the incredible swell which has been lingering in the bay, making all the surfers giddy!

Slow your roll....we are not leaving Mexico anytime soon.  Nor will we.  It is the Mountains & the Mar (ocean) which we seek.  Mexico & the United States.  Sam will be back at the school next year.   The big step has been taken, the rest are baby steps towards wrapping up the plan (and no assholes: the baby analogy has nothing to do with us expecting nor planning on babies).

Stay Tuned...because "Fuck-It, It's Happening".

Our community of friends, in Salt Lake City are by far one of our most prized possessions.  They are the Wild Ones whom inspire us, love us & keep us coming back for more! 

Saturday evenings, aprés surf & tacos, we gather for live music in the main plaza.  We dance & socialize amongst the eclectic group of attendees; salty sailors, seasonal expats, national tourists & local La Cruzers, while kids run freely, weaving between the dancers and the lookie loos.  Saturday nights here easily fulfill the simplicity & authentic Mexican cultural experiences we are seeking.

The La Cruz Sunday Market is: 
Organic produce.
Eclectic mix of food stands.
Unique arts & crafts.
Yoga classes.
Workshops for kids.  
Live Music.
A gathering space to meet friends.
Scenic.

The La Cruz Sunday Market is a short beach walk away from our home.  Local vendors sprawl the sidewalks along the marina, the fishermen haul their heavy catch through the gaggles of tourists & I slither my way around; bypassing the chaos, to purchase my weekly goods.  The ocean backdrop, smiles from my favorite vendors & the likelihood of bumping into friends easily motivates me to go.  ​

During the low season the market fades & forces us to find most of our organic produce at Costco.  The upside of this travesty is the free air conditioning & brief reprieve from the sweltering humidity of summer!

Located: In the Mercado del Mar (Fish Market) in La Cruz de Huanacaxtle's marina.

Arrive by Bus: Shortly after the big Pemex gas station the bus will drive in the lateral (side road) along the main highway.  Exit at the first intersection and walk down this road towards the ocean.  Another option is to exit at the only stop light in town and walk down the main road to the the marina.

Parking: In the marina with a short walk or at the fish market.

Season: November - April

Sharing stories with words allows the luxury of endless moments in time to conjure up the perfect words; alongside the freedom to utilize the delete button when my thoughts veraciously rip onto the page, both helpful tools for reeling myself in.  Recently, I stepped way out of my comfort zone  for the opportunity to be part of a new podcast series about expat living.  I poured myself a glass of tequila and 'sat down' with the producer; via an online recording app one Sunday afternoon, to share my experiences, mishaps & adventures in Mexico.  Along with our life in Mexico, the interview gives a little history of Team Fuber over the past decade and a half.