Well we've been in Playa del Carmen for nine weeks today ... 63 sleeps to be exact. I am not counting the days and weeks in a negative way ... don't get me wrong. I am keeping track to see a) how far we've come; b) how much time we have left and c) what we still want/need to accomplish before we head home.
Laying in bed last night I silently recapped what I expected prior to living here, what we have experienced thus far, how I have felt and what I want our family to do prior to leaving in May. I laid awake for over an hour before I forced myself to fall asleep. We have gone through so much, we have done so much yet we hope to do so much more.
We left friends, family, a school, a community and a business on November 3 to reside in an area we had vacationed several times over the last five years. We knew the city, the state and knew enough people to start our new "temporary" life. But, I'll tell you, I wasn't anticipating the array of emotions I have felt over the last nine weeks! But, looking back, I'm guess that was naive of me ... my family left what we knew to experience something completely different. Of course we'd all go through a thousand emotions ~ sometimes at the same time, sometimes several different at the same time and sometimes more than one all in two minutes!
Nervous - Yip, the night of November 2 after everything was packed in the trailer, the house was quiet and we'd said our goodbyes. "Holy sh*t are we REALLY doing this?!". Pulling up to the school parking lot on November 8, watching Hunter go into his new classroom and then into an assembly. I could've puked to be honest.
Embarrassed - The kids and I went to the public beach for our weekly "family Sunday beach day" ... Jay was in Regina and the beach was packed full of families, workers taking their lunch breaks and tourists catching some rays. It was wavey but nothing we hadn't experienced before. I went in for a cool down while the kids built a sandcastle. As I stood in knee to hip high water a huge wave got me, knocked me down and whipped my bikini bottoms off. Yup, right in front of 5 guys also cooling down.
Confident - When I was admitted into Hospiten with a bowel infection I'm not sure if I was to the point of desperation or just confident that I would be taken good care of. Someone asked me if I was scared by the Mexican health care and I can honestly say I wasn't worried one bit.
Sad - Carrying Hunter into the car the second day of school hearing him scream "I hate it here, I want to go home, I hate my new house, I hate my new school, I miss my friends...".
Lonely - With so much family time, friends or family visiting and the amount of contact I have via email, facebook, phone or texting I really haven't felt alot of loneliness. However, after talking on the phone for two separate hours to my girlfriend Heather one day I started writing a blog about how we met and how our friendship has flourished. I really missed her. I still do but I talk to or text her daily and will see her in January and February.
Scared - Jay was home in Regina and the three of us were all asleep. It was about 2am and I was woken by a loud repeating bang - sounded like it was either in my bedroom or on the deck outside our sliding doors. I had just spoken to a neighbour that morning about how she was broken into the first week her family was in Mexico (not in this area but still .... gets the mind thinking!). The banging continued for what seemed to be forever. I bit the bullet and walked throughout the house - if someone was breaking in surely they wouldn't allow that loudness go on for that long. I couldn't find the cause so I went to bed and put up with it til morning. That night and the next day was extremely windy - ahhh, the cause of a skinny sickly 2 inch round palm tree to sway and knock into our clay roof - right outside our bedroom window.
Proud - Day 20 of living here, 2 1/2 weeks of kids being in school, Emersyn's class (along with 3 or 4 others) put on a production for the anniversary of the Mexican revolution. She learned a dance all explained in Spanish, she followed the other children and performed in front of about 50 parents. Although I could see was nervous and scared out of her mind she did it and made me so very proud. Every Tuesday and Wednesday I can over hear Hunter and his Spanish teacher during his tutoring hour. The amount he is picking up makes me more than proud. Christmas Day one of Emersyn's coordinators was at the same dinner party ... I though she asked if Santa came to her house but when Emy answered what he brought her I knew she understood what she has said to her in Spanish. When both kids strutted around in their winter festival costumes and danced the dances and sung the songs like they were raised here ... all very proud moments.
Excited - Counting down the days til the Krzysiks arrived and waiting for them at the airport. Going home next week for the first time in 10 weeks. Watching our kids perform on stage for their festivals. Hearing my kids speak words in Spanish or helping me talk to someone in Spanish. Finding out that the cool Desigual button up shirt I fell in love with was 40% off. Finding a great English speaking French hair stylist.
Happy - Hearing my kids refer to here as "home", answering phone calls from back home, seeing my kids meet new friends, seeing Jay near pain free, hearing people speak English, taking pictures of new things, blogging, finding a good new restaurant, finding a good deal on cool clothes or shoes or jewelry, booking flights for family to visit, seeing people's photos on facebook ...this list could go on and on.
Bored - Hmmm can't really say I have been bored yet. Between being a full time untipped taxi driver, online translator, vacation planner, school event/activity attender, bed and breakfast operator and Mayan Riviera temporary resident there is no time or need for boredom!
Relaxed - Sitting by the pool, under the palapa, near the water fall. Laying on the beach, listening to the waves, watching the kids run and play. Having a full body massage by our fantastic masseuse Yamily.
Frustrated - There have been many feelings of frustration but I will sum them up into two words ... language barrier! Whether its trying to tell the cashier that my credit card in NOT being declined I just need to enter a "NIP" or telling the new security guard at our gate that we live right there I am just driving a rental car or our van that still needs one more sticker or trying to find out where our power bill is (apparently they are delivered to houses and either put in a mailbox, on a car, on the step by your front door or on the sidewalk! Are you kidding me!?). To call the power company you have to speak Spanish and have an account number. The bills come every 2 months and we've been here since November 3 so I am awaiting a power cut off any day!!
Annoyed - See above. When in the middle of a phone conversation the lines go down (sometimes for days), the lack of a postal system, when my kids argue, pick at each other or fight, when I have to repeat myself two three or five times, when I see clothes laying in the middle of the floor (might be bedroom, kitchen, bathroom ... ARGH!), when I have to repeatedly log into the internet in the middle of one email and when I have to repeat myself two, three or five times!
Grateful - Every day when I awake in the morning, see my kids and husband, hear from friends and family or visit with new friends here. I am grateful to have been given the opportunity to experience what we are experiencing.
Surprised - When I found out that Paris' bath, brush and nails were only 260 pesos, Emy and Reese's pedicures and manicures were 340 pesos ... total for both, a huge bunch of basil was less than 6 Canadian cents, a huge bouquet of lilies, gladiolas, daisies, carnations, babies breath and about 4 different types of greenery was 110 pesos and power for 2 months if you run your AC full time is close to $1400 Canadian dollars!
Generous - When our family gave Anna, our cleaning lady, 3 shirts for Christmas. She was so appreciative and proud when she opened her gift. To us it wasn't a lot but I could tell it was more than that to her.
I am pretty sure there will be many more stories to add to the above emotions over then next 4 months ... but that's all part and parcel for continuing on our adventure.
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