gypsy life

This first week of work has been quite busy - perfect for me since I don't like to be bored, and I like thinking and doing productive things. All this work has got me thinking of the last few weeks of freedom I had.

I've been traveling quite a few places the last few weekends in a row - The foothills of Orange County, the city of Milwaukee, and the Mayan coast of Mexico. This is my first weekend in a few where I don't have to leave the city. I am taking a trip to an orchid house to take photos and trade off some souvenirs from Mexico with my family. I have many tales to tell of dancing on the shores under moonlight, bartering and almost getting stranded on the island de las mujeres, swimming with dolphins and sharks, flying in a swing attached to a spinnacker, and my first time on a jetskii. There's plenty of video and photo documentation of this as well. What's funny is that I'm not tired of traveling. If I could get on a plane or train, I'd be up for a week of camping, or trekking through forests, or yet again swimming in the ocean. My braids from the plaza are just about wearing out but I'm not giving them up yet, because they're whats left of my vacation other than my summer-like tan. I'm glad to have finished with the mosquito bites and rash from sun exposure - at least that's what I believe caused the rash on my collarbone and neck area, which thankfully was limited to that region as well. The sun seems to have warmed up this far north since I left - the days appear longer as well with the sun rising so early. I can't wait for spring! I got daffodils at the grocery yesterday just to make up for the lack of color here. I miss being away.

But for now I sit in my own bed, munching on freshly baked bread that my roommates kindly made, and contemplating winding down for the evening. We watched most of "Long Way Down" a fabulous series about Ewen McGregor and his friend Scott and a team of guys traveling from the tip-top of Scotland to the bottommost portion of Africa, Cape Town. It's a well made documentary.

late night ramblings

I'm Back from a day trip to Milwaukee where I salsa danced with a young Edwardo, chatted up his father Gerardo or "jerry", who served as the bartender for the evening, and learned what a modified paloma is. The mom served the peking duck and danced and laughed with me much of the evening. I apparently look nice, have a nice voice, and a nice smile. Guess I'm all over nice. Sometimes we nice girls get sick of being called "nice". The dj called me a tiger when I was learning to salsa from the 10 year-old Edwardo, the only person in the room that was available to dance with other than the priest. I joined in on the garter toss with the guys since most of the attendees were elderly or uninterested in participating. It was a quirky wedding for a perfect for each-other couple, and my friend didn't mind. We were surrounded by lanterns and wearing clothes from China-town and celebrating my friend's renewal of wedding vows. My friend's have been married for a week. Can't say the day hasn't been interesting, though it felt like being tossed into a melting pot of cultures and I was part of the show.

Renewal of vows- This kind of celebration is usually held around 25 or 50 years of marriage, isn't it? And then I thought, wow. I've only been alive for that long, pretty much, and I can't imagine re-living my life again. That's a lot of living and things to keep track of.

I'm leaving for Mexico, warm and sunny, where I plan to imbibe alcohol everyday and do nothing much except enjoy the sand and ocean. I've secretly always wanted to have a cabana boy bring me drinks while i do nothing. Doing nothing is really hard for me. I may be persuaded to swim with dolphins, or be flung through the jungle on a zipline, maybe snorkel. Being environmentally and socially conscious I'm a bit wary of making dolphins drag me around a pool or disturb the jungle as I fly by at whatever speed you zipline in the treetops. But there's a part of me that really just wants to hug the wet-rubber like surface and squeel with joy when for a moment I'll feel a fraction like a mermaid catching a ride on the back of her dolphin friend.