I have been experiencing many frustrations and internet problems while using Mailchimp, so I have decided that I will eliminate this frustration by using my blog to send my newsletter. I invite you to take a look at some of my other blogs as well. If you have any questions about my year or about my blog or comments (constructive and positive are the most well received) I welcome these as well, or if you would like to email me with a hello that is also welcomed.
I always start my newsletter with my favorite mountains. Popo and Itza. This is a view from a church in Cholula that my Dad and I went to his first day in Cholula.
These last few months have been an absolute blur. Since my last newsletter my father visited me, I celebrated my 23rd birthday, I took a trip with my friends and fellow CIPAAC volunteers to Queretaro, I fufilled my dream of seeing Oaxaca, and just recently visited a friend and fellow YAGMexico in Cuetzalan, Puebla. Next week the YAGMexico cohort will be going to Cuernavaca for our second to last retreat. Thats right you read that right, second to LAST. I cannot believe how fast time has gone and yet also look forward to the surprises that are bound to occur in the remaining two months.
Most of my family at our house for comida to celebrate my birthday. Left to right: Danny, Tía Ale, me, Papá Juan, Mamá Janeth.
Because of the pending retreat and looming departure date, I have been thinking a lot about where I see God, beauty, lessons, etc., however you choose to interpret the world. I interpret beauty, lessons, wonder etc. as synonomous with God.
First and foremost, I see love within my family. I am blessed to have a mama, papa, two brothers, an aunt (tia) that lives with us, two aunts that do not live with us, a grandma, and three uncles (all don't live with us). My host family is much larger than this in reality, but these are the people that I have seen the most and I have built a relationship with. These relationships will be with me forever and have made me feel loved throughout my time here. My host parents have been married for 18 years! And were together for six years before they were married. They love each other very much and you can feel it when you are around them. They are not the couple to show much public displays of affection, but they will hold hands with each other and give the occational kiss. Within my host brothers, they are starting to grow out of saying they love each other, but they show it by including each other in activities, and picking on each other. With me my host parents show me their love with their patience. They have a lot of it at times for my lack of communication in Spanish, or when I don't know a key cultural norm that I am bending or broke. My host brothers show their love for me the same way I show my own blood brother, picking on and the occasional punch.
These other goofy humans are another family I have here in Mexico, the Germans, they are part of my CIPAAC family.
I see and experience wonder in the new and old experiences in Mexico. I have the incredible pleasure to live in a place that I can see some of the most important mountains in Mexico. I know that there are other YAGMexico that have beautiful views, and mountains. I saw some last weekend when I went to Cuetzalan to visit one of my cohort. But I am in love with Popo and Itza. There is a legend associated with them. In the legend they were two young natives that were in love but Popocatepelt had to leave to go to war with the promise that when he retrurned he would marry Itzaccihuatl. But while the army was away another man was jealous of the love between Itza and Popo and told her that Popo had died on the battlefield. Izta died of a broken heart. When Popo returned he was angered by her death and carried her body to the top of a mountain and laid her there. Now he sits next to her still burning with anger. (If you would like to read the full story please follow this link: The Legend of Popocatepetl and Iztaccihuatl) It is for their story and for what they represent to me, home, that makes them so special to me. when I am away for any reason, I know I am close to being home again when I see those mountains. It's like the first sign pointing in the direction of Anoka when I would drive home from college.
Another amazing rock formation in Mexico. This was shown to me on a Bays tour in Huatulco, Oaxaca.
I wonder in the way every Mexican I know well, knows the lyrics to songs that are very very old. Mariachi songs, or rancho songs, as soon as they are put on they are singing along. Just the other day the family was sitting at the table for comida and a song that everyone knew came on and everyone at the table started to sing or hum along.
