"Relax? Are you kidding?"
"It's great that you can relax in Mexico," a friend writes. Relax? What's that? Another friend writes that while her husband dreams of retiring in another country, she isn't sure she would have enough to do.
It is very interesting to hear people's impressions of what they think life in Mexico is like. It seems many think we're living a Puerto Vallarta kind of life (hmm… That's probably a stereotype as well!), lying on the beach, drinking margaritas.
I'm too stimulated here to call my life "relaxed." My life isn't stressful, but I feel engaged, challenged and deeply alive.
So here are some details about my daily life. In about an hour (it's 5:00 a.m.) I'll wake Barry and we'll take Mora, the Bouvier de Flanders dog we are taking care of in our friend's absence, for a long morning walk. Then we'll head over to the hour-long meditation (an 8 minute walk) that we do most weekday mornings. Today I'll wear business attire, because after meditation I'll go to the mayor's office where I hope to meet the Mayor's Private Secretary, and give him my resume and business card. (I re-slanted my resume yesterday to include my consulting experience with many city and county governments in the States. Even though Mexico doesn't have counties, this still shows my experience). Using the Private Secretary as an aperture is the advice of a new colleague I met who works in another branch of the government: unlike their bosses, the Private Secretaries (so far, always male) can be counted on to be in the office--they "practically sleep in their offices." I was also advised to go early or late, not in the middle of the day. I made a friendly connection with the Private Secretary I met yesterday in the State Government, so hopefully today's effort will also be successful.
After that, back home for breakfast. Then I'll prepare for my Spanish class with E. I usually take some material of my own. Today I will start to translate a recent business column I wrote, on the personal growth that can happen at work (the column is called: "Workplace or Workshop?") and/or an article I wrote on fitness. E teaches yoga and is interested in fitness and health. I also have an article from "Contendidos," a Mexican magazine, about a middle-aged woman who is advising young Mexican men on how to approach women, which I'd like to go over with E. I have two classes with E today because I'm making up a missed class on Tuesday, when Barry and I went with our friend Diana to the nearby city of Leon where we bought a sofa and chair. (Exciting!)
Ater my noon class with E, I look forward to making a big, generous salad using the organic lettuce that a woman I met at Thanksgiving gave me. Rare! Not only because it's organic, but she grew it herself so I don't have to disinfect it.
I'll also work on other projects related to writing and clients in the U.S. Then there'll be things to do with the house. I go up to the roof two or three times a day to take a look and comment favorably to the workers. David, our architect, may well drop by; we've been discussing colors for the room on the roof.
Food shopping and basic daily tasks take more time than at home. There's always dusting and sweeping, not that I'm great at those. Now that we have a washing machine (last week's shopping adventure!), I'm looking forward to doing our first full load of laundry and hanging out the clothes on the roof. It's so dry and bright here, they'll probably dry in 20 minutes.
Plus, I'll do some regular things I'd do anywhere like catch up on email, read, cook, socialize, Pilates, etc.
Around 5:30 Barry and I have a drink on our terrace, watching the lights go on in the city. (That's when we would have a margarita, if we were going to have it; but he usually has a "paloma"--tequila and grapefruit juice--and I stick to plain old white wine).
My life feels especially full because I want to better my Spanish, and because I'm actively trying to get business. But other people seem equally occupied. One friend takes singing classes; others take drawing and painting. A number of people I know are involved in the local nonprofit group "Amigos de los Animales," whose mission is to reduce the number of street dogs in Guanajuato, and another woman I know is working with a domestic violence agency.
It's a great life: full without being frenetic. But not exactly lying on the beach.
It is very interesting to hear people's impressions of what they think life in Mexico is like. It seems many think we're living a Puerto Vallarta kind of life (hmm… That's probably a stereotype as well!), lying on the beach, drinking margaritas.
I'm too stimulated here to call my life "relaxed." My life isn't stressful, but I feel engaged, challenged and deeply alive.
So here are some details about my daily life. In about an hour (it's 5:00 a.m.) I'll wake Barry and we'll take Mora, the Bouvier de Flanders dog we are taking care of in our friend's absence, for a long morning walk. Then we'll head over to the hour-long meditation (an 8 minute walk) that we do most weekday mornings. Today I'll wear business attire, because after meditation I'll go to the mayor's office where I hope to meet the Mayor's Private Secretary, and give him my resume and business card. (I re-slanted my resume yesterday to include my consulting experience with many city and county governments in the States. Even though Mexico doesn't have counties, this still shows my experience). Using the Private Secretary as an aperture is the advice of a new colleague I met who works in another branch of the government: unlike their bosses, the Private Secretaries (so far, always male) can be counted on to be in the office--they "practically sleep in their offices." I was also advised to go early or late, not in the middle of the day. I made a friendly connection with the Private Secretary I met yesterday in the State Government, so hopefully today's effort will also be successful.
After that, back home for breakfast. Then I'll prepare for my Spanish class with E. I usually take some material of my own. Today I will start to translate a recent business column I wrote, on the personal growth that can happen at work (the column is called: "Workplace or Workshop?") and/or an article I wrote on fitness. E teaches yoga and is interested in fitness and health. I also have an article from "Contendidos," a Mexican magazine, about a middle-aged woman who is advising young Mexican men on how to approach women, which I'd like to go over with E. I have two classes with E today because I'm making up a missed class on Tuesday, when Barry and I went with our friend Diana to the nearby city of Leon where we bought a sofa and chair. (Exciting!)
Ater my noon class with E, I look forward to making a big, generous salad using the organic lettuce that a woman I met at Thanksgiving gave me. Rare! Not only because it's organic, but she grew it herself so I don't have to disinfect it.
I'll also work on other projects related to writing and clients in the U.S. Then there'll be things to do with the house. I go up to the roof two or three times a day to take a look and comment favorably to the workers. David, our architect, may well drop by; we've been discussing colors for the room on the roof.
Food shopping and basic daily tasks take more time than at home. There's always dusting and sweeping, not that I'm great at those. Now that we have a washing machine (last week's shopping adventure!), I'm looking forward to doing our first full load of laundry and hanging out the clothes on the roof. It's so dry and bright here, they'll probably dry in 20 minutes.
Plus, I'll do some regular things I'd do anywhere like catch up on email, read, cook, socialize, Pilates, etc.
Around 5:30 Barry and I have a drink on our terrace, watching the lights go on in the city. (That's when we would have a margarita, if we were going to have it; but he usually has a "paloma"--tequila and grapefruit juice--and I stick to plain old white wine).
My life feels especially full because I want to better my Spanish, and because I'm actively trying to get business. But other people seem equally occupied. One friend takes singing classes; others take drawing and painting. A number of people I know are involved in the local nonprofit group "Amigos de los Animales," whose mission is to reduce the number of street dogs in Guanajuato, and another woman I know is working with a domestic violence agency.
It's a great life: full without being frenetic. But not exactly lying on the beach.
posted by Louisa at 3:16 AM
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