Wrapping Up My Service

In the words of the immortal John Lennon, “now I am older, the more that I see the less that I know for sure.”  Here’s what I know to be true: I took a risk to be a volunteer for two years and – as promised by Peace Corps – it was the hardest job I’ll ever love.  It was awesome and awful, beautiful and difficult, life-changing and life-affirming, the best two years of my life and the hardest two years of my life.   When you’re leaving a place, it’s easier to focus on all the things you won’t miss, and all the things you will gain with your move (hello walking barefoot inside!).  However, Mexico has been good to me; so although I am stoked to start the next phase of life, I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I was going to hugely miss Mexico.  

I will definitely miss the beauty of the landscape during the rainy season. 

When your'e shopping for a whole chicken and can buy so much more. 

These streets create the loveliest sounds when horses ride by.

Things I won’t miss so much:

• Cockroaches
• Speakers on top of cars making very loud announcements
• Church cannons
• 5-hour bus rides with only one bathroom stop
• Scorpions

Things I will miss: EVERYTHING ELSE.

Specifically:

• My coworkers
• My fellow-volunteers
• My local friends
• My host families
• Street tacos - ALL the street tacos
• Sunsets – from the mountains and the beach
• Ice cream from Michoacán
• Fresh, cheap avocados and mangos
• 1-3 hour lunch breaks
• Mexican Cheetos and Doritos 
• Free cucumbers and tomatoes in the office 
• People playing music in the plaza
• Kids dancing and skating in the plaza
• Running into people I know on the street every day
• Community events almost every week 
• The sound of horse hooves on rock streets
• Grilled corn for sale on the corner
• Kids playing in the street
• Mariachi music
• Opportunities to attend a party every month
• Random conversations at the cheese shop
• Random conversations at the Mercado
• Random conversations while waiting for the bus
• Random conversations with everyone you meet everywhere you go
• Access to Puerto Vallarta for only $16 roundtrip
• A 2-bedroom apartment for ~$100/month
• Sunny, warm weather pretty much all year round
• Endless transportation options without a car
• Food. ALL THE FOOD.

This doesn't look as delicious as it tastes: churros with juice in a bag for breakfast! 

As you can see, the loss of Mexican food is going to hit me hard.  I will also miss all the funny stories and adventures that come with living in another country.  I will miss telling you about how almost all of the stores in town were closed one Saturday simply because it was raining, how I found myself writing things like "it started raining on my toilet again," or how I frequently had to navigate horse traffic in the streets.  I won't actually miss having a ceiling that leaks, but it's been a fun adventure getting to rough it occasionally in the Posh Corps.  If you haven't had a chance to visit Mexico, I strongly encourage you to book a trip and I happily offer my planning services to assist you (especially regarding what food you need to eat)!  I made it to 10 states in my two years here and I'd still like to hit up Chiapas, San Luis Potosi, Campeche, Baja and Veracruz so maybe I'll even come with you ;) 

States I visited during my time in Mexico.