The World Around Me

Today was mostly a work day, making food from home, and spending time in my room or in the courtyard on my laptop, trying to begin making money from a remote location, freelancing. This is a process I have considered pursuing before, but have not taken the time to really look into it. At this time however, I think it makes a lot of sense to really try putting forth effort into making money through freelance work, creating income for myself that I am personally in charge of. Anyway, after making some headway with this, I set out a couple hours before the sun was setting, to appreciate some time outside and to walk. I am not sure if it is because I have spent lots of time recently inside recovering from sickness, but as I walked around the city, my nose felt reborn.

I felt like I could pick up on more scents than ever before, both good and bad, and I really love how much more active my nose feels in Mexico. Okay it probably is not in Mexico, and moreso just in cities, but there just seems to just be so much going on, and it is revitalizing to pick up on all of the different things happening at one time in one place. Walking down toward the ocean, a clean water truck drives by, since the water is not drinkable here and people have to deliver water to each place. The fumes of the exhaust overload my nose. It continues on, and the scent is replaced by that from a small stand selling pineapples which smelled so sweet, and you could tell just how ripe they were. Then I am passing an helote stand which is corn on the cob but with added goodies on it, and other small food carts as well; making burgers, tacos, chicken, etc. Each stand brings its own unique scent.

I am walking around the streets and notice that I am one of the few Caucasians on the streets, and I get to watch a bunch of locals walk around, talking with each other and getting food, shopping and socializing. I love watching all of the proceeds, as I walk in and take everything in, recognizing that I am an outsider here, and I am okay with that. The sky at this time is starting to change colors, with the sun creeping toward the horizon, the clouds filling in the gaps. It is very easy to appreciate this moment, and I bask in it, as I walk through the streets. I stop to grab some tacos which are always a reliable meal here in Mexico, and then set out to sit somewhere peaceful and watch the sunset. It feels so good, being outside when the air is still warm, yet the sun does not beat down up you, and I continue to take it all in, trying to store this moment in my brain for as long as I am able.

Returning home, I sit back in the courtyard, and I listen to the conversations between the other international folks, visiting Puerto. It is fascinating to note that English is becoming the universal language. While these people speak different languages like Spanish, Italian, or German, everyone speaks at least some English, to bridge that gap between their language barriers. Practically everyone I have met from each country, even though we are in Mexico, speaks more English than Spanish, despite their first language being another. Granted, many of the travelers which I have met are from Europe, so this may not be true elsewhere, but it does seem to be pretty consistently true. I enjoy listening to these conversations, as well as chiming in, discussing the differences in topics like our grammar and language, and then also discussing differences in our governments, hearing some of the different customs, and rules amongst different countries. We were discussing how here in Mexico, walking down the streets with our shirts off, we get lots of looks, and it doesn’t seem to be very common here even in a beach town. One of the Germans explained that it is very common in Germany to walk around the city shirtless, and I agreed that it is not an issue in the states, in my experience. The Italians noted that this was not necessarily the case for them, and in public it is understood that people wear their shirts at all times. We all couldn’t help but laugh when we were told than that in Germany, your car is your own space, and it is fine to be naked in your vehicle. I don’t know how common this really is, but apparently this is no issue and something that is sometimes practiced in their country. I’m not sure if that’s illegal in the states, but I sure do know it isn’t common.

Well to wrap this up, I watch a small insect scurry along the table of the courtyard, as I am finishing my thoughts, and when I look closer, I realize I am looking at a baby cockroach. Not my favorite sight, but it’s better than seeing a fully grown one run across the table. Thank you all for reading, and I encourage you to take in some of your surroundings, and find what you are thankful for. :)