a week in review (aka week one in the states)

1. a customs agent asked if i brought any number of items with me: fruits, veggies, seeds, insects...YES insects! haha, my reply? "oh you have got to be kidding me, i hope not!"

2. wow the changing colors of the leaves, who knew it was fall?!

3. 5+ hour flight without a movie? jeez, in the buses in Mexico i would have at least 2 movies and a couple of episodes of 3 1/2 Men in that amount of time!!

4. walking through the local Fred Meyer's i thought, do we really need so many choices of _____ (fill in the blank with the myriad of items that fill up such stores)?

5. in response to the person who said, "welcome back to civilization"...

well i am not sure how to respond to this as "thank you" would imply that i agree with the "civilization" assessment. i can guess what is meant by the comment, the western world = civilization. forgive my impudence but why is the western world held as the model of civilization? i ask because i wonder, is not knowing your neighbor a sign of civilization? is suing a teacher for disciplining a child in the classroom civilized? are we more civilized because we own cars, computers and cell phones all the while being one of the loneliest societies in the world? are we more civilized because cashiers can rely on a computer to tell them how much change to give me after paying $20 for an item that cost $3.58?

i know how much we have in our country and generally in the western world. i understand that stability and systems/infrastructure set us apart from many countries in the world. i know how lucky we are and how much we have, still i wonder about the view that we are models that others should aspire to. i understand that "civilization" is used to imply a particular sense of advancement, but in my opinion, it was used invidiously and the discriminatory 'we are better or more advanced than them' attitude was not well hidden below the surface.

surely i am more sensitive to this after my travels. admittedly my first week back in the states has been a difficult one. it seems the 'reverse culture shock' is far worse than the 'culture shock' i experienced throughout my trip. thus, statements like the one above have provoked silence rather than dialog; images, experiences, observations and opinions are piling up in my brain but i fear the release of one will cause all to come tumbling out in a torrent of confusion that will not help me to explain or others to understand.

still, this comment (or sentiment perhaps) needed addressing. i only wish the statement had stopped at "welcome back." this is such a lovely phrase, especially after traveling to so many places where i never knew anyone and never saw a familiar face. in the few instances where i saw friends it felt so good to be met at a bus station or hostel and hear the words "welcome!" clearly three simple words have evoked much emotion and thought, leaving me to conclude that i will hold on to the "welcome back" i have received during my travels and upon my return home because these are the important interactions i want to remember and hold onto. the other comments, well those i will let go.

it figures

in almost 5 months i crossed in, out and through 7 countries. during that time i took all manner of transportation all the while with a small day pack and a good-size backpacker pack. it got to a point where they just became a part of me and thus separation from them was kept at a minimum. i was sure at some point my pack would fall off the top of a bus, get taken from under my eye or topple into the water as it sat precariously on the edge of a lancha. never happened. my pack and i were never separated for very long...until i got on an airplane to go home. you have to laugh at the ridiculousness of it all. OF COURSE the most systemized, mechanized and structured of all the modes of transportation i have taken in the past 5 months would lose track of my bag. OF COURSE!!

as it happens it was only lost for a day and we were reunited this morning. welcome to the good 'ol US of A.

final days

Cancun. basically two days left and i will spend them in Cancun. i came a day early because some friends i met a few weeks or was it a month ago are here and it seemed like a good idea to come so we could hang out. i am sure it will be great fun and i am so glad to get some extra time with them. still, we are in Cancun. i think if there is any place on my trip that is going to make me want to get on a plane for the states, this is it.

my lonely planet guidebooks are no longer necessary. the bus rides are over. i am in my last hostel. soon enough i will be stepping on a plane, and then another, and still one more, in order to return home.

one more thing...

an addition to the list below...

i am looking forward to: being in a place where i am not being bitten by unknown insects that seem to know exactly where and when i applied the chemical filled repellant that generally works for about 20 minutes. at one point during the trip i was going to keep a list of all the bugs and types of bites but since i never met a bug-ologist (aka entomologist) i never got to know the names of any of them. so they remain...

the miniscule bug that leaves a welt on you 20 minutes later that doesn´t hurt or itch

the spider that bites at night and leaves little red marks on your skin

the misquito that makes your skin itch just by touching it

the misquito that leaves bites that last for over a month

the spidery-thing that bites you, leave a quarter-size welt that turns to a red dot that leaves you itching for days

the ankle biter- the unknown bug that bites only your ankles and legs

stupid scabies

bastard bed bugs

oh and these are just a few of the ones that are on land...there are more, and there are many more in the water! yep, fairly positive i will not miss any of them. one more reason to be grateful for living in a pollution-filled, over-sanitized, industrialized nation!

by the way, can people build a resistance to bug spray? also, i think companies would make a fortune if they could create an all in one bug repellant-sunblock-skin creme...undoubtedly it would be harmful and lead to some deformity or terminal illness but for the moment it would be worth it! of course i wouldn´t use it because i am against sunblock but it might actually be the way to get me to wear sunblock! haha. actually i am considering wearing sunblock the next few days while at the beach, the staff here at the hostel have started to call me, ´la morena´

things i am looking forward to...

we all do it, at some point the backpacker or traveler or whatever you call yourself (with the exception of `tourist`because that is never ever uttered by our group) begins the list of "oh it will be nice to ____ when i return home." i started doing it about 5 days ago. initially i stopped myself from this line of thinking as i felt i was getting ahead of myself and wanted to be certain i did not miss a moment of the trip. a few days later though it happened again, then again, and since that time it hasn´t really stopped. to be clear, the list is not long. i will share a few items below, along with a bit of an explanation. oh and before i start, there is no order to this list and i have not put on the list "it will be nice to see, talk to and spend time with friends and family" because i think that goes without saying :-)

1. have the ability to drink water from tap, any tap. having clean water that is accessable in your home is a luxury and while there have been stops along the way where i could indeed drink the water, these stops were few and far between.

2. wear other clothing. i have been wearing the same clothing (more or less) for 5 months and while it makes picking out my outfit for the day fairly easy, the state of my clothing and my enthusiasm to wear said clothing diminishes day by day.
*there are 3 exceptions to this however. i will continue to wear my newly purchased flip flips, my pink turtleneck sweater i purchased in Guanajuato because i was "cold" in the 79 degree evening weather, and the skinny jeans with crazy zippers and other such decorative nonsense i purchased for $4 in Guadalajara.
**i know the admission that i own and prefer to wear the last two items will result in streams of mockery and general teasing...go ahead, i would do it to you.

3. go for a run. as a "runner" (not sure why this is in quotes, for some reason i was compelled) 5 months of not running has not only rejuvenated my running spirit but also left me looking forward to the many runs i will be doing in the Oregon rain!

4. not have to constantly consider, "where can i put, hide, store, lock or pack my passport-camera-money-memory cards?"

5. along this same vein, being able to put something down in one room and leave it there knowing it will be there when i get back. unfortunately this may result in my leaving things everywhere just because i can.

6. listening to my music whenever and wherever i want. i once had an IPOD and then i gave it away. the reason is not important because while i listened to it often, i was not able to listen to it as much as i wanted as it was one of those items that just calls out "look at me! i am a foreigner with a shiny object that costs obscene amounts of money in your country, if it is even available in your country!" yeah i just didn´t want to put myself or the would be thief in that position.

7. use my laptop. ok so this is one of those things that i go back and forth about...i am looking forward to my own laptop, with my own programs and music and photos, and to a quick internet connection. on the otherhand i am not looking forward to being unundated with what the online culture deems as "news" as soon as i open my internet browser. yes i know i can change the settings, and indeed i will. but i also know that my love of unlimited information about almost anything that can be accessed within 60 seconds of being online is going to collide with my desire to defend myself from information overload and unwanted distraction.

8. eat sushi, thai, indian, italian and whatever other types of food my little heart desires. this is not to say that i do not enjoy Mexican or Nicaraguan or Honduran or Salvadoran or the food of every other country i have visited. on the contrary, i have enjoyed almost all of the food i have eaten and with the exception of the few days i was "over" rice, i will happily continue eating and probably missing the foods from these countries. it is only that i am looking forward to other types of food. we in the western world have access to a wide variety of foods (be it in markets, restaurants or our own homes) and i am looking forward to tasting them all again.

9. cooking, in a kitchen with spices and dishes and pots and pans and recipe books. granted, many hostels have shared kitchens with pots and pans but they are not always in the best condition or there are only a few. i am looking forward to cooking AND baking AND making some of my favorite things AND attempting to replicate some of my new favorite things!

10. not packing and repacking and repacking and repacking. granted i will not be returning to my own place. but i will be staying in one place for a while, and it will be someone´s home. so, not only can i unpack, i can also hang things up!

that´s all for now folks.

162

hours left in Mexico and left in my trip. yes, it has indeed come down to counting, appreciating and savoring every hour.

Merida, Merida, Merida

oh how i love this city and it´s people. especially those involved in Project Yucatan...i have had a wonderful time spending time with the youth (now young adults) who i met many years ago. it is so good to hear how they are doing, their thoughts for the future and their ideas from day to day. i have missed them and being able to spend hours with them has been one of the best parts of my trip! tomorrow i will go to the village to see more of the young adults and see the changes in the village as well.

it does feel as though my trip is winding down and i find my days are slower and my mindset has altered as well. it is a strange feeling and certainly is odd to be one of the travelers who is speaking of going home. i envy those who are just starting out on their journeys, just as those who are continuing envy my transition home. i do think it is good my final days are in familiar places and with friends, i think it affords me the ability to relax and embrace the time i have left.

ah, because my time is limited, and because the computers in the hostel are slow as molasses, i will not be putting up any other photos until i return home.
hasta luego!

almost last stop

arrived in Merida this afternoon and while it has been a few years since i was last here it feels quite familiar. turns out i am staying at the same hostel i stayed at 4+ years ago...glad to say they have made some changes (all for the better) and that there are many more travelers than there were in the hostel in Campeche (2 including me).

when i find a computer that does not remind me of computers cerca-USA 1990 i will post more and make an attempt to add photos as well. for now i will just say that i am so very happy to be in Merida...not just because i love the city and the outlying areas but because i will get to see the young adults i worked with through Project Yucatan!! to say i am excited and happy is an understatement :-)

want to know more about Project Yucatan...check it out: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=18094534106

saying goodbye...again

many months ago i posted about my trouble saying goodbye to Oaxaca and today i find myself experiencing this feeling all over again. i do truly love this city and am certain that it is because of the people i have met and spent time with while here. there are those of course, whom i will continue to talk with and hopefully see again as they have been a wonderful addition to my already fantastic circle of friends!

tonight i start on what i hope will be my final EPIC bus ride of this trip...there will be other bus rides, that i am sure, but i am hoping this will be the last of the 20+ hour adventures. that being said, i feel rather sure that i would take a 12+ hour bus ride in a first class bus in Mexico over a 1+ hour plane ride to-from anywhere in the USA. sorry but i am just being honest. airport security that takes away my tweezers and water bottle plus the barbie-size seating on the airplane are not easily forgotten or forgiven in my book.

ok then...off to have lunch with my Oaxacan family, followed by nieves with my fellow travelers, and a final walk through the city!

oh for the love of...

i have 17 days left!

oh dios mio.