Located in the Mexican state of Jalisco, San Juan Cosalá is surrounded by greater things. Steep mountains keep the town from stretching northward, while vast Lake Chapala laps at the town's toes, and Jocotepec and Ajijic, more noteworthy towns, encroach from west and east. This is my new home: a town with a view of better things.
I moved here in September. I don't consider myself an expatriate. Rather, I think of myself as temporarily stuck here until I can figure my way out. In the meantime, I try to find a way to live here, both practically (where can I buy spinach?) and emotionally (if I spend one more night watching telanovelas with my mother-in-law I'll have lost my soul).
So this is my blog. I'm not a blogger. But hopefully this will serve as some manner of outlet for creative soul-searching that will help me to also stay in touch with the people far away I miss. Or I'll just vent a lot.
That's the trouble of being stuck someplace with a view of better things: It's hard to appreciate what you've got. So, today I make the effort to praise San Juan Cosalá and my life here. Here goes.
We do not pay rent.
To buy milk, tortillas, or beer, I need only walk across the road to one of two small tiendas or the modelorama.
Avocados.
Mangoes.
Salsa.
People still ride horses.
The lake is really beautiful.
Everyone knows their neighbors (and most of the town).
No one is homeless.
The elderly live with their families.
I get to sleep as much as I need to.
I do not commute to work.
Everyone has time.
And that, my friends, has left me exhausted. I'm off to commandeer my mother-in-law's kitchen so I can make pot stickers. Salty fried delightfulness = happiness.
So I decided to go the beginning because I kept coming up with questions that I thought you may have answered in previous blogs. Im glad you started your blog, its so great to meet "others" who moved here. I also don't consider myself and expatiate although I am living her for good now. There is no figuring a way out for us. I consider myself as kicked out. lol
ReplyDeleteI really like this post-thanks to Amanda for "getting me" to your blog---the variety of perspectives of "used to living in the US" peeps "now living in Mexico" continues to interest me....being back "home" in the US, (for now) continues to give me even more perspective....from my own year "dress rehearsal" of living in Sonora----focus on the wins, not the losses, and continue venting....someone will "click" with your vent, whether they let u know or not, ......and I get it that your point is to express, the "connections" are just a bonus----kinda like me going to Soriana for veggies, and the bonus being they HAD mushrooms, FRESH, and they WERE not yet rotten! One thing I have always believed is this: one cannot be blamed for the circumstances they have been born into, raised in, and accustomed to; does not make the new circumstances better, nor worse, just different-it´s all about perspective-I am sick of perceiving "guilt trips" from peeps that give me the "look" when I mention something like my clothes dryer--IN MEXICO???
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