Well the last couple of days have been really interesting and fun for me.

On Thursday I went to my friends house outside of the city. She lives in a beautiful area, with lots of trees and hills. We made good food, (portobello burgers and sweet potatoe chips) and also some other things. She has a cooking machine- which is freaking awesome. A few of my friends here have them… I never even heard of them before.

On Friday night I went to a party by myself in Roma Norte where I knew only a few people, that I had met the weekend previously. It was chill- had some mezcals, a few artesian beers, a handmade choco-tobacco-splif. There was some really interesting people there and although I never understand a lot of what was said- I enjoyed myself… I really wish I could have understood more of what was being said, especially about the ceremony and ritual stuff. It was cool though, my new friend asked me that maybe in the future I could be a translator type person on some guided tours to different indigeous villages around Mexico… I WOULD LOVE THAT! That would be amazing. I need to keep practicing my Spanish so I can understand everything they are saying though and then translate it. But that would be super “cheedo”. I also had a really good talk with the uber drivers on the way there and back. Actually, on the way back I used my friends Uber account as I was just paying with cash and didn’t want to chance that he never had change, so I don’t know his name- but we got into some SERIOUS spiritual talk and I think we were on the same page. This is like my third time, jumping int a vehicle with someone and starting to get into some real talks… the first time was when I was hitchhiking in the Jungle near Playa Del Carmen… I will need to continue talking to more people, but from my impression… outside of Yoga halls and spiritual festivals… is a land of very spiritual and open people here in Mexico. And it’s becoming more and more so I believe… for sure the large indigenous population have been spiritual forever- but now more and more people who perhaps were once religious- are realizing they can be religious and spiritual. They can pray to Virgen Guadalupe and Madre Teresa … and also, practice Reiki in their houses. The lady who helps my friend in the house- has began her Reiki training, my chofer had been practicing Reiki y… more and more.  I am speaking about Reiki right now, as I understand it- because it’s what has came to me as my first opportunity to connect with energy that isn’t my own in a way- that I feel comfortable to pass it on to those who I love.

Saturday morning I woke up and took another uber ride to where I thought a park was, where I was going to go plant some trees after being invited by someone who I had just met (indertiggy). We had just chatted for a few minutes when I was presented with being able to come and plant some trees… I never knew the details- but sounded like fun.
The coversaion was like this
“Hey what are you doing this weekend?”
“Something a bit different, going to be going out partying and on saturday some reforestation.”
“Is that planting trees?” (This conversation was in Spanish and I wasn’t sure haha)
“Yes, want to come?”
“YES! That would be cool, when and where?”
“And the details followed.”
Pretty much that’s how it went and the end.

I showed up late after going to the wrong place, instead of going to the Los Remedios Park- I went to Los Remedios Street.  After having the uber driver help me out by talking to my friend who helped me figure out where to go… we figured out it was probably another park in the area… when we went there, there was no park- but then asked a lady walking- and she gave us the final directions.  The driver was really nice, but was paying me to many compliments and in the end was trying to arrange for us to meet again and called me so I had his number… he had asked if I would ever be interested in someone like him… I said I was more interested in Hippy type guys… but yeah, also, I guess I am 31 now- but I really just want to date people around me age. I don’t know what his age was- but he seemed like he was in his early 40’s… I have been hanging out with a lot of 20 year olds in the past month and prefer to think of myself as a young 31… haha but who knows! The last two guys that I met have both lied about their ages previously saying that they were older than they are!!! LOL This is just hilarious… I would like to do the opposite… perhaps say that I am 27… But what’s the point? I am 31… I will be 32 in 6 months and I have the stories to prove it. I digress…
When I showed up the the park everyone was gathered and someone was giving a speech… I just waited until it was done and then presented myself to one of the presenters ” HI my name is Becky and I am here to plant trees!” and they welcomed me and I got a shirt and  followed the crew of people into the forest and just started doing my thing and eventually I started talking a bit- by bit to different people. Some people got their picture taken with me and at the end their was a picnic and one dad gave me an apple… really cool. And the guy I met on intertiggy was cool and he gave me a ride home- it would have been great to spend more time talking with him as he seemed really intelligent and just like a nice person, but I never went rock climbing for A LONG TIME and wanted to go with my friends. SO when I got home, I just washed my feet really quickly and then hopped into a car to go indoor rock climbing. That was fun, I would love to get into that- but after an hour my hands were beginning to blister. We went out for lunch together and I had some really good fish empanada and tacos and enjoyed some micheladas with clamato juice. Between three of us, we had 3 micheladas, beer, ceviche, tostatos, empanada, fish and chips and a few other things for $74.92. We were all happily stuffed and took some food home.
In the evening we all went to the movie Spider Man- which was a good movie. We sat in VIP. Which means you sit in really comfy recliners, there are blankets and they bring you your snacks. It was a nice gesture of my friends family to invite me with them and I really appreciate it- they are a really cool family. All a lot of fun.
Then my friend dropped me off at a bar near their part of town and I was to meet another person from intertiggy- this time at the Hookah lounge- well, the security was good there, they check your purse before you go up an elevator to the floor where the bar is- the security took my eye drops and contacts… he just kept them for me until I left… incase I had something I wanted to drug someone with I guess. I was early, so I ordered a mezcal and lemonade … my date called and said the place in front would have better music. So I finished my drink, he came up and we went to the other place. I was happy because the hookah lounge was cool- but the music was bad there (electronic) and it was expensive too. It was 100 pesos for the cheapest mezcal and I think for just the mezcal, lemonade and 15 % top it cost me $11.49.  Across the street was a bar named Barr Morrison, and it had a live band that played rock and hard core. For 3 shots of mezcal and 3 chelas/beers- it cost $32.11 dollars. I was called a White Witch from my date and it was an enjoyable night- I ran into a girl I new there and we started partying with her and her friends too… we even got into some serious head banging… “do what I told you” … After the band finished we went back upstairs for more dancing and they ended up joining us as well. All of a sudden it was 4:30- I was sweaty from dancing so much and my date gave me a ride home. First time I had someone ask me out on a date since Feb.14th. That’s very, very close to 5 months… It was really needed to go out and have some fun, go dancing, have someone pay me a compliment in person – who wasn’t my taxi driver. I really like being in Mexico haha.

Well today, I didn’t do much, talked with my family a bit- made some good food and bought my ticket to Oaxaca. The flight cost 1,812 peso ($129.30) and the hostel roomed book for the first 2 nights is 380.00- then just going with it. There was some hostels a bit cheaper- some for around 160 pesos a night for shared accommodation mixed sex… maybe some even cheaper- but I chose an all woman room and also had cancellation insurance on it- just incase I change my mind of staying in town for a few nights.

I can’t believe that I have been in Mexico for 13 weeks already! It has been such a nice vacation. First time I have taken a real “Vacation”. I have done really very little. It’s surprising to myself… but I needed to do some computer cleaning, some body cleaning, some recharging.
It’s good that tomorrow I am going traveling as two weeks is kind of the maximum amount of time that is really/borderline acceptable to crash somebodies pad. But it was so easy for me to be here. I really enjoy the people that my friend and her partner are- they are easy to be around and it’s fun to do things with them. We have a lot of similar interests as well- even though, mostly I have been doing “my own thing.” These past days.  These past two weeks have gotten me back in the mood to trust people, to have independence, I have eaten a lot of good food- and now need to be more mindful about the quantities that I take in. I have restarted my Ayurvedic routine.