Siempre Cambiando

It's been a long few years and lots of crazy stuff has happened. We cannot begin to express the amount of gratitude we have to be able to travel again and return to some of the places we love. This bustling small city continues to grow and change before our very eyes. I say that each time we come here because it is true. This time it has been 4 long years since we have been here. Many of our favorite and familiar places are gone, replaced by new places that will probably be gone the next time we return. The juice man is gone, the corner market where we used to buy eggs, avocado and fruit is no longer there. Our favorite antojitos restaurant is no longer run by the same family. The tourist zone is creeping closer. It goes on and on and is filled with restaurants, bars, countless shops and hordes of tourists. It is almost possible to ignore it simply by walking different streets.

Countless apartment buildings are being built where homes for locals once sat. The new buildings are pushing the locals farther and farther from the central area. We no longer hear the colectivo man shouting as they have moved to a new location. We still find a few local cart or cargo king vendors with their bell or horn announcing they are on your street. Once in a while a car goes by with a megaphone announcing something. There is more traffic and more noise but here on the top floor patio or in the garden we can almost forget.

During the day the sun blazes hot overhead. If I sleep too late I miss my chance to have my morning coffee in the shade. In the small houses nestled behind our building dogs bark. We visit with other guests and talk about Mexico City or other places to feed our travel dreams. I go to Yin class at a yoga school twice a week. I zoom my regular yoga class once a week. Afternoons are spent at la playa. It is more crowded than we remember but we find a little spot, open our beach chairs and contemplate the waves.

In the evening, the sun lowers in the horizon and the night breeze is simply perfect. It is one of my favorite times of the day and I am always thankful. It’s the time of day the birds fly over head to roost in the trees nearby just before sunset. The evening breeze kicks in and the clouds move past. We have our evening comida on la terazza or at one of our nearby favorite restaurants. We steal time to chat with our friends that own the hotel where we stay and visit in the garden. We walk to the park when there is music and a market. We watch children playing and family time enjoyed by locals and visitors.

We will miss the beautiful water, the fresh sea air breezes, our friends and the ever changing neighborhood but we know we will return. We feel at home here and it has stolen a part of our hearts for too long. Hasta la proxima vex.

Somewhere Between Living and Dreaming

La Playa Caribbean, acrylic on canvas 18" x 24" - B.Steichen

Somewhere between living and dreaming, there is Mexico and it has been way too long since I have been here. I are not traveling around this time, just staying at our home away from home. I am dredged in a familiarity of simple routines, a walk, a shared meal on the patio, many memories from the past and the beautiful beautiful playa. I do as little or as much as I want here. It is a contemplative reset.  

La Playa is forever shimmering in countless shades of turquoise. The sun is warm upon our shoulders and the air is humid and sweet. Unending waves merging one into the next. Turquoise is my favorite color, the color of the Caribbean Sea. It is the color I see when I close my eyes. It is my conjured memory for meditation. It is pure magic.

On the patio outside our room, everyone is happy to have escaped from wherever they came from. They are happy, full of stories and laughter. The days perfectly blend one into the other. I revel in all that is my life, the work I have done to be able to be in this moment. I have so much gratitude for every second of it. I try not to count the time that turns weeks into days before I return home to get ready for the next adventure.

Every day is a journey and the journey itself is home. - Matsuo Basho

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