Day 37 - Unexpected End

Day 37
20 November 2011
Unexpected End

Well folks, I am returning home a bit earlier than I planned. I was given a notice yesterday that I owe rent again. When I moved in I had written down all of my questions, in particular "How much do I owe for the whole 7 weeks I'm staying in your home" since I wont be here for a whole 2 months. The woman said "2800 pesos". I asked "2800 y no mas?" She said "Yes, 2800 total, nothing else". So I thought, "PERFECT!". Except now its been 5 weeks and I owe rent again.  I do not have 2800 pesos, nor do I have enough money to afford to pay for all my groceries that spoiled in the fridge or to afford my other things that is all due by Tuesday. Yes I'll have more money come midweek from family - BUT still, I don't want to keep borrowing everything from them.  So I sat down and wrote out the costs of being here, plus my bills when I get home... and then made a pro and con list. I really like lists. They make me happy :D

I've come to the conclusion that it would be the most financially mature and stable thing to do to return home. I can borrow money, sure. I can ask my family to lend me money to support me for 3 more weeks, AND I can even ask for money when I get back to the states to go visit family in Texas, and drive to Las Cruces to pay for my apartment, and find a job... until I get my school money. Or I can call it a day and return home now, start working a bit to save up and then am able to afford on my own, with out borrowing money, to go to Texas, to pay my bills, to drive go Cruces and pay my apartment BEFORE I get my school money. I am a bit sad. I really enjoy Mexico. A lot. I love the people, the place, the environment, the life... but I think that the one thing it has done while I'm here is help me grow up a bit. And I think part of that growing up - seeing different cultures and lifestyles has helped me appreciate how good I have it and that as I'm going to be 25 I've got things I need to get done.

I've discovered on this journey a different sense of self, a different part of me I didn't know I had. And I really like this part of me. I would like to nurture and help it grow. And I think to do that I should learn my priorities. And those priorities are finishing my B.A., paying off my debt, and growing into a person I'll be able to like and love.  I read an article about a girl who used 5 years to pay off over 100,000.00 of school debt. I don't have half of that - so I'm going to try the same thing. After my B.A. I'll apply towards my M.A and then I'll spend the next 5 years striving to be debt free then I'll travel. Then I'll enjoy life and learn the kinds of things I learned on this trip to Mexico while I'm debt free and can afford them with out having to borrow from my family.

I apologize I never got those photos of Teotihucan, that is my biggest regret of when I go home. I really really wanted to see that place.  But now it gives me something to strive for in 5 years. I'll finish up today, and then probably post up a bit on my experience with flying home tomorrow but after that my blog will be coming to a conclusion.  Thank you for reading and I hoped that I inspired some of you to travel and see the world. To be open to new experiences and cultures and to learn that there is a whole world out there just waiting for you to explore... if you plan finances better than I do (haha).

<3

Day 36 - Round and Round We Go

Day 36
19 November 2011
Round and Round We Go

Initial Impressions: Hmmm.... odd... my lights aren't working....

My "odd the lights aren't working" turned into almost 10 hours of no power or internet. Fortunately the only project I have is due tomorrow.  Unfortunately, my cell phones were nearly dead, my kindle and laptop were both dead so I have to finish that project...  The fridge was out of power, leaving everyone's food to spoil and we spend a ton of time looking like hobos sitting in the dark in the kitchen.  After hours and hours of napping and talking, and complaining we finally decided as a group to go to the little festival/carnival in our neighborhood's plaza.  Anthony, Luis, and Jean Jacques and myself all headed down there. Of course the first thing they do is grab giant beers. I tried whatever it was with salt (I wanted to try it with chile but they only got salt and I didn't want a whole one). After they beers a veered over to lady selling fruit and marshmellows on sticks that she then covered in chocolate and a topping. I asked for strawberries then asked her to choose the topping. She picked coconut. It was fantastic!!

After they had their beers and I had my strawberries I was begging the guys to ride the rides with me, especially the crazy ones. No one wanted to. So I did the chicken dance. Repeatedly. Till they caved.  Jean Jacques, Anthony and I rode the first, and easiest one - just forwards and backwards really fast in a circle. The second one, which went forwards and backwards in a circle and upside down (the dragon type ones?) Anthony and I rode. Finally I managed to get Luis on the last one... which ended up being the undoing of me. It went in a circle, forwards and backwards. Up then down, THEN it tilted sidways, while moving circular then up and down. Luis laughed the entire ride... I was okay until we stopped moving, but the minute we came to a complete stop I hurled. It was terrible. Fortunately it wasn't toooo bad as I didn't get it on anyone or anywhere except over the edge on the ground. I felt really really bad for the guy operating the ride, and I've learned my lesson. Do not ride 3 different types of movements on carnival rides one right after the other. After my disgracing myself (ugh, what a weenie! Only 3 rides?!?!) they guys walked me to where we had Luis' party. The man who lives there let me go upstairs and clean up. After I came down ALL of them, the owner included did the chicken dance right back at me. It was hilarious.

We relaxed for a bit, ate some food, joked and talked... then we discovered the eggs. I don't know about you all, but my family has a tradition, on Easter, to hollow out eggs and fill them with confetti and glitter. Then we chase each other and smash them on each others heads. Weeeeellllllll they guys had no idea what I was talking about... I demonstrated. Then we proceeded to chase each other around the colonia smashing eggs on each other. The owner of the shop and his family even got involved. There was negotiating, lying, being traitorous, sneaky and all around manipulative. It was fantastic. I had enough flour and confetti (as they filled them with flour) to make a pretty colored tortilla in the damn shower. I had to wash my hair twice to get it all out and now it's crazy frizzy. I'll have to wash and deep condition it tomorrow or it's going to be all over the place.  After the confetti eggs and the uneasy truce we developed we decided to have (they mostly) another beer and I grabbed a bite to eat. While were were relaxing we ran into the Korean girl who lives here walking home. I don't know her name unfortunately BUT we did get photos of us all together. :)

So I got photos early than expected and even though I disgraced myself by barfing the night ended good and  we've successfully managed to make the chicken dance universal on a Saturday night.  Good times. :)