I'm Not the First?

Last night, my mother saw a friend who just returned from a vacation right here in lovely Zihuatanejo. This friend has been here several times and mentioned that she follows several blogs from ex-pats in this area.

Excuse me?

I thought I was the first person blogging from this area. I did not give permission to anyone else to share their thoughts on the world wide web. Shouldn't this have been run by me first?

(Actually, I've been meaning to google keywords to see if I pop up, but I keep getting sidetracked watching cruise ships, trying to decipher the megaphoned trucks passing by our house, distinguishing between firecrackers & gunshots - you know, normal stuff.)

Next you'll tell me I'm not the first person to write about their personal experiences living in another country. I realize there are very few original ideas out there (a topic I've recently dicussed with my fellow blogging cousin) but the trick is giving it a new twist. Putting a new spin on a tired idea, or something like that. Injecting your soul into every word so the story leaps off the page!

Pfft.

I may as well scrap this project and get started on the next one. I'm debating between a tongue-in-cheek story about an endearing British woman who can't find love OR lose weight, or this wizard idea that focuses on a geeky kid named Harry. I'm sure one of these is bound to be a hit.

A New Tradition

Not new for me, just in terms of my blog. I get migraines about once a month and this month is no different. What's made this one extra-special is it started on the way to the airport at 3am yesterday and is still going strong. Surprisingly the air pressure didn't make it worse and I was able to sleep a bit. A magical fairy even refilled my water while I slept. :)

I wasn't sure what to expect when I landed. Ibis & I had worked out three plans for my arrival: 1) he'd duck out of work long enough to pick me up, 2) he'd leave the car in the parking lot before work & I'd drive myself home, or 3) I'd take a cab.

Now, the cab option is not as cut & dried as it may seem. The cabbies that hang out at the arrivals gate charge 250 pesos (very expensive) but if you can catch one at the exit - one who dropped someone off & didn't stick around for a new fare - they'll charge under 100 pesos. If I didn't see Ibis or the car, I was supposed to drag my bags through the parking lot & try to barter for a cab there. Right... and did I mention I managed to fit all my books in my bags? That's 100 pounds I'm supposed to haul through the blazing sun WITH a migraine, no food & very little sleep? He did say I could take a more expensive cab and just not tell him what I spent, so that's sweet.

Lucky for him ('cause, man, would he have heard about it later) I saw Ibis waving as soon as I got through Customs. He brought me home, carried all my bags upstairs, then went back to work. I slept for six hours, had dinner, then slept another nine hours. Hopefully I'll feel better by tomorrow.

PS: For those of you who know how bright our condo is during the day & were wondering how I slept so long... you know those two-inch wide stretchy headbands you use to work out or wash your face at night? A black one works wonders as an eye mask!

Saying Goodbye

Today's the last day of my two-week visit home and while I'm more than ready to get back to Ibis, I'm sad to say goodbye to my family. We'll see my parents in a couple months, but I don't know when I'll see my sister & her family.

That goodbye turned much sadder when half an hour before I left, they decided it was time to put down their dog, Kita. She'd been a part of the family for 13 years and her youngest in particular was very upset to see her go. I'm glad I was able to pet her one last time - a luxury I didn't have with my own dog two years ago - but it was tough driving away from the house.

Since moving to another country, my goodbyes have taken on a stronger meaning than when I was only a few hours away. You never know what might happen tomorrow, next week, or next year, and I find myself searching for a conclusion of sorts in case I never see that person again. Some of that may come from my fear of flying, but I'm sure most of it is just growing older and watching loved ones pass on.

On a lighter note, I'll also have to say goodbye to half the books I want to take with me. 24 books is a bit excessive, plus I bought 17 movies, and I'd rather not check an extra bags just for my entertainment needs. One more thing for mom when she visits in February.

My flight is early tomorrow morning, so I may not post until Thursday. Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and ... goodbye.

White Friday

Today is Black Friday - the day people go crazy & camp out in front of stores with the hope of getting a $10 digital camera or two free toasters with every purchase. I've never participated in the shopping madness, so I'll just have to trust those of you who do that it's the bees knees.

Instead, I plan to spend the morning looking out at the falling snow and playing games with my grandma. I get to drive in it later to see my best friend, then tonight I'll probably go out with my dad & brother. Very exciting. :)

Oh, and I finally started editing AND it's not as horrible as I originally thought. I still cringe a little at a few of the things I've written, but I've also laughed, so that's a good sign. I'll try to keep up the momentum.

I hope you're all having a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend!

Same Old, Same Old

So apparently* life isn't much different when I switch countries. This morning I went for a run, got chased by a dog, had my coffee, then hopped online. Granted, the dog belonged to someone and just wanted company - he wasn't nipping at my heels in the hopes a bit of flesh might come loose for breakfast - but he was blond and there aren't many blond dogs in Zihua. It was nice to have company on the run; I've gotten used to having Ibis by my side, and since he doesn't talk while we're out there anyway, there wasn't much difference.

My grandma is on her way here for a couple days, and tomorrow we'll gorge ourselves at my aunt & uncle's house. Friday my best friend will be here, then I'll spend the weekend with my sister & her family.

It occured to me someone (yes, you) might be interested to know which books I bought, so I'll share:

On Writing, Stephen King
The Elements of Style (4th Ed), Strunk & White
Telling True Stories, lots of contributors
Bird by Bird, Anne Lamott
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, Dave Eggers
Sudoku On-The-Go! Advanced 2
Wht I Wore Lipstick to My Mastectomy, Geralyn Lucas
Look Me In the Eye, John Elder Robinson

I forced myself to put Running With Scissors by Augusten Burroughs back on the shelf & added it to my wish list.

I've read reviews of all the writing books, which is why I bought them, but I'd love to hear if you've read any of these & what you thought!

Gramma just pulled up so I better run!

*my mother pointed out that I cannot spell the word apparently. A Parent was the tip she gave so I will never make this mistake again. Thanks mom. :)

I Feel So... Noble

I feel at peace. I just spent over four hours at the bookstore, walking up and down the aisles, relaxing in an overstuffed chair, eating the free brownie a lovely Starbucks employee handed out; it was heavenly. I bought four writing books, three memoirs and one Sudoku book (on discount) and managed to stay within my budget. Well, close enough.

My weekend in Chicago was a lot of fun. Busy, but fun. I ate a lot of food (including Mexican - sweet another Corona), played volleyball, danced at an Arab club and managed to go running a couple times. The rest of this week will be spent relaxing with the family. It's not as cold as it was my first couple days back, but they promise a drop in temps for Thanksgiving. Those meteorologists, so giving.

My mother finished reading the first/rough draft of my book and overall the reviews are positive. Now, I know what you're thinking, She's your mother, of course she likes it, but she has critted before and reads like crazy so I trust her judgement. I swear I'll start my own editing soon.

Just as soon as I polish off that pumpkin pie...

Who Turned Down the Heat?

Ok, I know it's Michigan, and I know it's November, but there are FLURRIES outside. I have been in 90+ temperatures for the past six months and my first day home it snows? I don't know about this...

My flights yesterday were the most uneventful yet. Perhaps I've figured out the trick: promise to write about exciting and disasterous events you're sure will take over the journey and no...thing...will...hap...pen. Not to worry, there's still the return trip (said as I look around the room, wondering if the gods have caught on to my whole 'tempting fate' idea).

My mother is halfway through my first draft and said she even laughed out loud a couple times; that makes up for my dread at her reading the parts to come. Everyone I've talked with agrees that it's more than a little embarrasing when your mother realizes the bizarre story before her came from the mind of her offspring. My dad read the beginning, too, but he already knows I'm weird.

I'll be in Chicago through Monday so I don't plan to post again till then. Happy weekend before Thanksgiving!