I'm Back.

You probably thought I was swallowed by the earth, or that I went on a solo journey on foot around the world, but I have been right here. Right here, but just too busy or exhausted to be able to write coherently and catch up with you.

I know I last left you with a promise of insights of Mexico through my mexican eyes, and I have not forgotten about that. In fact I have slowly made progress on those posts, but they have been harder than I imagined to create. Not that I have nothing to say about Mexico, or that I do not know where to begin. My quandary has been that my life after my visit to Mexico is radically different that when I left. I landed and was expected to start running as soon as I touched the ground.

I was expected to touch ground and start running (Image from ysteb.tumblr.com via Pinterest) 

I came back home to a new job, a new life, a new rhythm. This has shifted my focus to new topics and issues I would love to tell you about. I love my new job, I am busy and tired, adjusting to a new pace. My body and mind have been taxed and exhausted. In some ways Mexico seems so long ago.

This little blog has been neglected not for the lack of topics, but because I made a promise to you that I have been trying hard to keep, while my mind has been taken to far different places and my time and the computer has been greatly diminished.

Torn between my promises and current affairs, I told myself today: You just have to go out there and say what's on your mind! After all, that is the whole point behind this blog.

So here we are, dear friends. I am back, ready to motor mouth about a whole different story.

I beg you to be patient and bear with me.

I have missed you greatly,

R

Touching in (roller coaster).

Photo from here.

Life is crazy.

Crazy good.

A couple of weeks ago I was looking for projects, trying to keep myself busy, looking for a good "story of my life" to relate to friends and family back home as I was about to visit.

Today things are very different. I wish someone could have warned me.

Roller coaster life. 

New job possibly maybe, most likely.

Tons of things to learn. New schedule to adjust to.

Looking for time to update you guys in between.

The wave is rolling high.

Thinking about you all the time.

I will keep up my promise of Mexico posts, lots of thoughts to relate about my visit there but have had no time to sit down yet.

Have been swept up my feet! 

Focusing on enjoying the ride (in between the panic attacks, that is). 

Hope you are well.

Lost of hugs,

R

Mexico City.

We are back, and our mexican time turned out to be fun, exciting and quite hectic. I found no time to post from there as I meant to, so please forgive my absence.

Have you ever been in Mexico City? For starters it is huge. So huge that landing in it is scary. On the plane you see houses, so you figure you are there. Then the houses keep going and going, and you wonder where you are headed. And the houses keep going underneath you and then the realization comes that you will be dropped right in the middle of all of those houses!

I grew up there and still today landing is overwhelming.

How do people deal with such a gigantic place? It turns out it functions as smaller cities within a monster city. I have not been to most of the different neighborhoods, nor do I think most Chilangos (the nickname for Mexico City dwellers, not always considered polite, but then again chilangos not always are) have.

You stick to your neighborhood, then you figure out what you like and find the area that provides it. I circle around mainly three or four different areas whenever I am there, and often run into people I know while meandering around. 

Our visit this time involved a friend's wedding, time with my parents and friends, revisiting of old routines and hangouts, another earthquake (seriously! you should keep me at bay at least for a couple of weeks just in case the trend continues). I will make a couple of posts with tips and suggestions about my home town, but please be patient, as it turns out the time I can spend at the computer has decreased some since my return (more about that later!).

Hope you are well,

R

Crossing borders.

Image from here

Huge news!

Later this week Mr. J and I will be heading down to Mexico to attend one of my best friend's wedding, visit family and friends and do some traveling.

We are so excited!

We will focus on Mexico City and Oaxaca this time around.

I would love to share the Mexico I know with you, so I plan to spend the next few post to give you some traveling tips and cultural insights from an insider's point of view. 

Is there anything in particular that you would want me to talk about?

Do tell me and I will be happy to oblige!

XOXO,

R

Everybody's Fault.

Picture and more info about the SAF here

Early this morning the San Andreas Fault woke me up with quite a rattle.

The bed was shaking and I could hear the room creaking.

Having grown up in Mexico City, I am quite familiar with earthquakes (most notably I experienced this one when I was just a girl). So, it was funny for my sleepy self to think that all that shaking was caused by an epic raccoon fight on the roof.

The quake was over very quickly, giving me no time to get up or react.

I was back asleep in no time at all.

The way I see it, it is best to have periodic smallish quakes often rather than not to have them in a while, as the energy of the earth's plaques is released with fury when that happens.

This one, however, is the strongest I have felt in quite some time (4.0). After all I was, quite literally, sleeping right on top of the fault!

Have you ever been in an earthquake?

What was your first thought about what was going on?

I would love to hear your stories,

R

PS. For an interactive  map of the San Andreas Fault click here, and for a comprehensive explanation about how the Fault shapes the San Francisco Bay Area visit here.

Leap day!

Yet another leap of faith collage print by the fabulous Living Feral

Let's make this a day to take chances
and make changes.
Let's leap with our eyes wide open!

Go take an Obsessive Compulsive Hike!

My mind was completely blown away when I first saw Simon Beck's "drawings" on snow. To make his patterns, Simon walks on snowshoes for up to 9 hours a day, sometimes to find the morning after that his progress has been erased by overnight weather. 

The OCD part of my can totally understand this! It has to be hypnotic to walk on and on for hours, paying close attention to the pattern your footsteps make on the soft snow. 

Simon Beck in his snow shoes with one of his patterns behind him.

Doesn't this remind you of labyrinths and meditation mazes?

New Harmony Labyrinth (Image and more info here)

Image from here

Images of Simon Beck's art from here and here, but most likely taken by Simon himself.

Monterey's Aquarium

A couple of weeks ago J attended EcoFarm, a prominent forum for organic farmers to meet and discuss the latest research, methods and advances in eco-friendly farming techniques.

While he attended lectures on pond management, natural pest control, fruit tree pruning, beekeeping, and seed swaps, I visited one of my favorite places in the whole wide world: the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Their displays are incredible, with fresh ocean water pumped into their tanks several times a day. The Aquarium's building used to be a cannery, so if you go pay attention to the huge canning ovens as you enter.

I was lucky to visit on a slow day, as it can be a bit crazy in there with tons of kids, strollers and groups. If you can ignore them all, the Aquarium is like a dream come true. Go early, as you won't want to leave. Also, eat at the restaurant (past the café), it is a bit pricey but super chill, with delicious food, wine, ocean views and your own pair of binoculars at each table.
Oh, and remember to charge your camera's battery the night before you visit, as it is super easy to run out of power with all the spectacular displays!

For more info and to see the creatures in the pictures in action, plus live feed from their research submarines, make sure to visit the  Aquarium's site.

Androgynous beauty: satin dress.

Isn't this photo of Iggy Pop just wonderful?

Given the number of posts about androgyny I have created, I bet you can see a pattern. 

I just love the idea of blurred boundaries; of unclear, dissolving lines. 

I found this photo via Pinterest and sadly I have no idea who the photographer is. I also wonder if the text was part of the original idea or of it was added after the fact. I hate not to give proper credit, so if you have the answers please let me know.

Found love: The girl with 7 horses.

Browsing around, I found Ulrika Kestere's gorgeous blog Ulicam.

She just finished a photo project called The girl with 7 horses.

Aren't these images whimsical and beautiful?

Image by Ulrika Kestere.

Image by Ulrika Kestere.

Image by Ulrika Kestere.

All photos by Ulrika Kestere. To see all 7 horses and to lean more about them and the girl visit here.

Celebrate!

Image from  here

Last week was this little blog's first anniversary.
I can't believe I have been able to keep it up!
Ironically, I have been celebrating it by trying to be away from the computer, getting crafty.
I have been gardening, knitting and chopping my long mane off one inch at a time.
There are no inches left to cut off anymore!

While you sleep...

...your books come out to play!

December redux.

I can confidently tell you that December is, by far, my least favorite month of the year.

If I could dig a hole deep enough, I would spend the month in there, waiting for January to come.

Then, while reviewing my latest photos, I realized that this December brought some serious fun.
Besides parties with good friends and lots of yummy food:

There were magnolia buds,

Cows,

And a parade of lighted tractors.

We discovered a persimmon tree on our back yard,

Played with fire,

Had a beach all to ourselves (and lots of birds),

Saw Elk,

And ate the freshest of crabs.

I suppose I should be reconsidering that "least favorite" label.

Hope you are having fun!

R