1. Walking everywhere.
Eh. I walk a bit more now that I’m back in school and on campus, but I’d say at least 50% of the time I’m lazy and pay to park at the meters right down the street from my building. I wish I lived near campus, as this would be much easier. For now, this is about all I can do.
2. Enjoying and taking advantage of warm weather and opportunities to spend time outdoors.
Eh, again. I’m constantly on the go. Between school, work, internship, home, and boyfriend’s home… it feels like I spend time outside, but really it’s just in my car.
3. Being surrounded by friendly people.
I’m starting to make a few friends and feel like less of an outsider at school. Yes!
4. Relative lack of pressure, stress, and deadlines.
Ha! These days, I am constantly stressed! I’ve been clenching my jaw a lot, and it hurts like hell. My body hates all the stress I’ve been putting it under. I’m always tired or anxious or antsy or all of the above. Some pressure, stress, and deadlines come along with being a student. But I’m pretty sure I make things worse than they need to be.
5. Casual lifestyle. (I miss my flip flops!)
Still somewhat maintaining this. I have to dress up more for my internship, but I’m trying to find more “office casual” attire. Other than those two days a week, I’m always in jeans and flip flops. Feels good.
6. Embracing Catholicism and the beautiful churches.
My dad told me earlier today that I should really try going to church again. I do need to. I think it would help with the rest of these goals… giving me a time to reflect, worship, and lay down my stressors.
7. Allowing myself to make friends, go out, and have a great time.
There isn’t much time for this these days. But I’m trying hard to break out of my shell and talk to people in classes, which has been somewhat successful! AND, I think I’m going to our school’s bar crawl this Friday, which falls into this category.
8. Balancing work and play.
Nope. Work has taken over almost every opportunity for play. Even play becomes stressful because I know I should be doing work.
9. Good food!
Somewhat. I’m on a pretty tight budget these days, but my parents and boyfriend have been helping me out. In return, I’m trying to help with cooking, and have made a few simple (but delicious) meals and snacks. Yesterday I made myself sweet potato chips… excellent!
10. All-things Spanish!
Nope. I started up a Spanish conversational group at school, but my availability didn’t allow me to actually participate in the group. And I honestly can’t focus on this one right now… but I should be integrating some awesome rock en espanol back into my music rotation… that always makes me happy.
People doing this are also doing these things:
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I’m back home. It’s “summer.” Meaning I’m no longer working full time and I’m just waiting for school to start in the fall. Exciting stuff!
I’m still a bit stressed… not a feeling I associate with mi vida mexicana (although there really was a lot of stress when I lived in Mexico… it was just different…). I need to finish unpacking and make myself organized – that’s key.
My new job will allow me to dress however I want (jeans and flip flops, here I come!), and since it’s only part time, it’ll be great for balancing work and play. I’ve already spent time relaxing with my boyfriend and family, taking advantage of nice weather and eating great food. I’ve used the kitchen more in the past four days than I did in the past year on my own, meaning enjoying food doesn’t necessarily equal spending loads of dinero. I’ve got plans in the future with old friends, and I’m hoping to at least make acquaintances with my new coworkers.
Once my summer is a little bit more set up, I plan on setting aside regular time for studying both Spanish and social work. I also want to invest in a new iPod (though my current one will suffice for now), and it will be loaded with plenty of tunes en Espanol.
The only thing I’m worried about is the walking – difficult to do when living in a suburb. I’ll have to find the time and places to do that, as that’s vital to my Mexican lifestyle.
Enough rambling, though… time to go live life :-)
If life goes as planned (ha), this will be much easier to accomplish over the summer :-) Life will be setting me up to re-adapt this lifestyle, and I’ll embrace it with every part of my being. It’ll be more difficult to hold onto as the fall comes around and school/internship consume my life, but if summer goes well, I won’t WANT to let go.
1. Walking everywhere.
I’m often tempted to take the bus instead of walking. Today, that temptation did not exist. I embraced every moment of my travel on foot.
2. Enjoying and taking advantage of warm weather and opportunities to spend time outdoors.
The window’s open in our steamy office, I’ve been walking outside, and took a while to sit outside and have a conversation. Work is preventing me from doing much more outside, but I’m definitely enjoying the weather.
3. Being surrounded by friendly people.
People are a lot nicer and happier when it’s nearly 70* outside. Especially in March.
4. Relative lack of pressure, stress, and deadlines.
I’ve worked today, but I haven’t stressed about anything since I set foot in the office. It’s been a leisurely work day.
5. Casual lifestyle. (I miss my flip flops!)
Jeans, a ¾ sleeve t-shirt, and my Cabela’s slides… comfy for a casual Friday!
6. Embracing Catholicism and the beautiful churches.
It’s Lent, so I’m observing the no meat thing. Also paying respects when passing by the Catholic church down the street from me.
7. Allowing myself to make friends, go out, and have a great time.
Um, my boyfriend’s visiting tonight. We’ll hopefully have a good time. Does that count?
8. Balancing work and play.
I will be out the door at 5pm today, in order to enjoy the rest of my evening.
9. Good food!
Yum, salmon sandwich!
10. All-things Spanish!
Bits and pieces heard as I sit in my office.
Today has touched on everything except the embracing of Catholicism. Feeling good, and it hasn’t taken an extraordinary amount of effort to make today a Mexico day. Of course, the awesome weather definitely helps. Hoping to be able to keep up these little changes as the weather cools off again, and then as spring finally approaches!
enjoying the ability to walk outdoors, shop at specialty shops, indulge in a bit of good food while enjoying the dining experience… yeah, a great Mexico day.
I’m hoping to embrace warmer-weather days and I’m anxious for longer days of sunlight so I can continue this trend. I hope to continue it when I move back to Michigan, as Ann Arbor is a great walking town with lots of great restaurants and shopping opportunities :-)
Today was beautiful. Unseasonably warm and just NICE weather. I was going to drive to Taco Bell to get lunch this afternoon, but I decided it was too nice out to pass up the opportunity to walk around. I actually went for two walks today – once to get lunch (which I ate outside of Jimmy Johns) and once later on to make a phone call/get Starbucks. It felt so good to spend time outdoors and be walking around. Definitely a day reminiscent of Mexico.
Oh, and I got a Facebook message from my host brother – so there was another touch of Mexico in my life :-)
Today was a Mexico day! I spent 6 hours wandering around town in my flip flops, jeans, and a t-shirt. I let the wind propel me down the street. Music flowed into my head through my iPod and the radio (with random songs en Espanol popping up). It was sort of a Mexico/Chicago day. I’m learning that it’s the qualities of the places that add to the euphoria I feel. Anyway, I couldn’t put my finger on it, but something also smelled like Mexico, too. A good, comforting smell. Fleeting, but good.
I loved today so much that I didn’t want to go back home. I was afraid the inside would take it all away. It was better out on the streets, but inside was OK. I finished the book I’d read intermittently throughout my day’s journey, so that felt good.
Taking a look at my list below, I think I fulfilled 1, 2, 4, 5, kind of 6, and 8. I’d call this a successful day.
Ahh, mi querida Mexico…
It’s a Mexico day. We opened up the windows in our office because it was hotter than hell in here, and it’s amazing. The breeze is coming in (and I should now probably invest in a paperweight that is not a stapler), it smells like Mexico outside (perhaps a clean, dusty breeze? I can’t peg it down… it’s just “Mexico”), and every once in awhile it sounds like Mexico. It’s making me crave water instead of my coffee (thank goodness… I’m sure I’m super dehydrated), and just making me happy with being alive.
Despite my complete exhaustion, I think I’ll be going for a walk after work. Then a nap with the window opened :-)
