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“Mexico”

A few times, we've stopped at this local little taco shop to buy really yummy (and rolled!) tacos. It's totally a home kitchen sort of style, but the tacos are amazing and so cheap. For 8 good sized tacos, we paid 120 pesos, which is considerably less than what we paid for 4 ice creams! All the little shops and vendors really make the neighborhoods something special. There's so much more interaction between people and it's really cool! I wish there were more small shops in my neighborhood in Washington. I'm not talking boutiques, I'm talking mom and pop shops. Anyways, some photos! 

To celebrate the end of 2 weeks of learning Spanish, we picked up some ice cream on the way home from a shop that Greta wanted to go to. We bought overpriced (200 pesos for 4!), but delicious ice cream and enjoyed our sunny walk home. Holly looked so colorful with her piñata, green ice cream, purple sunglasses and blue dress, I had to take a picture! Ice cream immediately before lunch or dinner... when you're in Mexico, yes!

On Friday, we completed our two weeks of Spanish lessons. I go back and forth between feeling great because I've made progress and feeling completely deflated because how on earth am I going to master this language full of so many words?! I love Spanish and I want to speak it well! With time and work, I'll get there. Conor and I really enjoyed being in the same class and I adored our teacher Eliel. We had so many laughs with him. He was great! 

The girls loved their classes as well. Each week they had a third student in their classes, both were 8 year old girls. I'm not sure how much new Spanish they learned, however they love Spanish! The last day of school, Holly and Greta decorated piñatas their teacher had made. The piñatas turned out so cute! I absolutely adore them! 

Oaxaca is full of opposites. It's rough and crumbling and breathtakingly beautiful. Here are a couple pretty views! I really like seeing so many colors and plants every day. 

Conor and I have talked extensively trying to put to words what it is that we loved so much about living in Ecuador and what we love about living here. I'm still not entirely sure of what all the reasons are, but I do know a few. The people are so kind. In Ecuador and Mexico, I've fallen in love with humankind. There are so many good people in this world and my life has been blessed immensely. The people that we've met here in Mexico are so generous, sincere, and friendly. I love walking and saying whichever version of "hello" is appropriate for the time of day to those I pass by - buenos dias, buenas tardes or buenas noches, or sometimes, simply, "hola," (because the culture here is less formal than Ecuador). Because we live in a regular neighborhood and are outside of the tourist sector, we are very memorable. There's something about these daily interactions, of saying hello to someone and looking in their face, that allows me to feel connected to something larger than myself. It is so rewarding. Because of the daily interactions we have with those we know and those we pass by on the street, I feel a connection and I don't feel isolated and maybe I do at home in Washington. Still processing what it is about this, so don't judge me to harshly, however, quite often where I've lived in the US and Canada, people will pass each other by and they are so busy and self involved that there is no connection. Instead there is loneliness. I too am guilty. I think walking more really adds to our experience! 

I also really enjoy being on the receiving end of people's generosity. We feel incredibly grateful for the families we met in Ecuador and we feel similar about the families we've met here in Mexico. While, we are at Spanish school, a woman named Claudia watches Maeve. Claudia picks up Maeve and drops her off. And Maeve likes her home so much that the past couple of days, Maeve has said, "no," when Claudia says it's time to go home to Mama. Maeve is so loved by this family! Claudia's husband works from home half the time and he adores Maeve in the same way. My heart is so full knowing that my daughter is so well cared for and so well loved. Maeve continues to be our ticket in Latin America!

On Saturday, we went to Claudia's house to swim in their pool. My girls love the water. I would say that Holly's favorite things are snow and water. Greta was very happy to be in the water too! We got to know Claudia and Sergio's children. We visited. We had a great time. Claudia and Sergio are originally from Guatemala and have lived in Oaxaca for a year. Claudia made us a traditional Guatemalan meal that was so yummy! 

I now remember that when I was in Ecuador, I really wanted my time there to change me. I hope that change did happen and I hope that I continue to change here in Mexico. Poco a poco. 

I love being here. I love feeling cared for and like people have time for me. We aren't passing each other by in our busy lives, and even with a language barrier I am finding true connection. It's beautiful! 

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