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
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