Today is my first full day of living in Mexico. While making breakfast (cereal, so maybe I should say “gathering” breakfast), a guy rode a lawnmower down the street. Then, he came back again. He eventually did four or five swipes down the street.
Is he mowing the street? I wonder.
It’s a storm of activity around here and it won’t be calm until we are in Mexico. I think that’s normal. What isn’t normal is how poorly this move is going. Due to a malicious set of circumstances, everything major that needs to be done for our move is happening during the last two weeks of living in the USA.
Everything.
My cry of despair echoed through the empty freeways of Columbus, Ohio as we approached the airport and discovered neither of us had packed the freshly charged child entertainment devices. It was too far from home to return for them. Our fate was settled. We were going on the most strenuous trip of our lives and going without tablets for our young kids: house hunting in Mexico.
A few years ago, we procured tickets to go to Kings Island. We’d visited the year prior. It didn’t go that well. We couldn’t find the kid rides, spent most of our time there sitting in traffic, and then buying (and eating) vastly overpriced food. Would this year be different? Are there many Kings Island rides for kids? Are the Planet Snoopy rides awesome for toddlers and young kids?
I read several travel blogs. Some I read regularly and others, I’ll only a few posts. One thing I’ve noticed is how glossy it seems when people say they’ve sold all their stuff to either travel the world or move to a new country. It sounds so easy! I’m here to tell you that moving sucks, whether it’s across town or across the world. Even when you have help via your place of employment. In our case, it has also been really confusing.
I’m finishing up spending 5 days in Queretaro, Mexico (and surrounding areas). I don’t speak any Spanish yet, except about 10 words. Also, I forgot my Spanish language “I’m a celiac and I can’t have gluten” card. How easy or difficult is it to find gluten free food in Mexico with celiac disease?
I’m struggling today. I dropped my senior cat off at his foster home yesterday and said (a temporary) goodbye. He is stressed, of course. I’m sad. And I carry the burden of guilt. I wasn’t feeling the guilt before I left him there, but it turned on full force today.
Oh my god oh my god oh my god kept running through my mind when I heard the news. What have I done? Is it really real now? Are we really moving?
Oh yes, it’s real! It is happening!