An Explosion Of LIFE
Those of you who know me know that I was pretty much a recluse. Weary of the world, I went to few events or parties, although I value my friends above all else. I lived a very quiet life in the San Juan Islands, yet when I worked I gave my all. When I first moved here to Mexico, oh God was I homesick, longing for the days when I could just hop into Lopez Village and visit my friends like Debbie at Archipelago or or Phyllis at IsleHaven Books or Diane at Village Apparel. On Lopez I would go into the village to buy some milk and wind up not coming back home for three hours. Some interesting conversation was happening somewhere, all the time, sometimes I'd join in, sometimes I'd just say hi, but my people were there. Ten years I lived in those lovely islands where noise ordinances are strict, a siren caught everyone's attention, and if someone was airlifted off the island for a medical emergency we all knew who it was. At night I slept in my trailer under a canopy of stars, the only night sounds were tree frogs and the occasional cow lowing and the shuffling and snuffling of my horses. Bliss. Quiet. Slumber on all levels. And in a way, an inertia set in; I was comfortable and things were pretty predictable.
Now I am in Ensenada, living on a street where the noise never stops, in a country where people never sleep, where parties are the norm, cars go by with the big bass sounds booming, squealing tires signal accident avoidance or a stray dog in the wrong place at the wrong time. Sirens in tandem fly down the street several times a day and the social hall right next door very often plays music (good or bad) at a volume that makes my little office windows shake. The other night we heard gun shots. That doesn't happen often! But no sirens followed so they may have been firecrackers. As I write this, an advertising car is driving by with a loudspeaker mounted on top, rattling off something I can't understand. When I first heard one I thought a tsunami was coming and we were supposed to evacuate or something. The noise never quits. I thought I'd never sleep again.
But now this is my street, and I know everybody on it. Still, for over a year I languished in loneliness, longing for the camaraderie of my friends, longing for the time also that I lived in England, longing for ANYTHING Anglo!
Three weeks ago all of that changed. In addition to my lovely Mexican family, I now have the La Vendimia crowd. I haven't gotten to bed any earlier than 3:00 a.m. for the past week, I've danced and drank a bit and laughed and been silly but also into serious conversations. New projects are now beginning to take hold, such as a Mexican jousting team! Can you imagine?
Where before I loved being alone with my beloved cat Merlin (who sadly passed away last December at age 14), I have now joined this teeming life in this lovely town.
As always, it is the people that make a place special. Zoila and her children have made Ensenada special for me, and Mamita and Connie and her family (scroll down for that story and photos).
Zoila (with whom I live) is an awesome singer with a voice that is rich and full; she brings the house down at the karaoke bar and we want to write some music for her to record her own stuff. As far as we (the Baja Sisterhood) are concerned, a voice like this should have its own music and lyrics. So there is another project.
Suddenly I have a support network of extraordinary women and men with whom I just fell into step as if we've known each other forever. As the little boy in the movie Power Of One said, one by one the loneliness birds flew away, taking with them their eggs of stone from my heart.
An extraordinary deliverance is happening for me, and though I have thrown myself into adventures more than once in my life, this one (lock, stock and barrel moving to Mexico with my horses) was my greatest challenge. I endured a loneliness that I honestly thought would kill off my spirit, but I decided to stick it out, since life takes very interesting turns and I wanted to see what would happen next.
So above are photos reflecting some pieces of my new life, which I am enjoying immensely. I am experiencing things for the first time, such as partying!!!!!! Partying for no reason other than to celebrate life and play together. No "intentional" anything, no thoughts of anything other than the joy of the moment. Don't get me wrong, my new crowd is heavily invested in improving the lives of others, but being the philanthropic sorts that we all are (as much as we can be), sometimes you just gotta bust loose and be completely silly!!!!! And this is the best place to do it!
Now I am in Ensenada, living on a street where the noise never stops, in a country where people never sleep, where parties are the norm, cars go by with the big bass sounds booming, squealing tires signal accident avoidance or a stray dog in the wrong place at the wrong time. Sirens in tandem fly down the street several times a day and the social hall right next door very often plays music (good or bad) at a volume that makes my little office windows shake. The other night we heard gun shots. That doesn't happen often! But no sirens followed so they may have been firecrackers. As I write this, an advertising car is driving by with a loudspeaker mounted on top, rattling off something I can't understand. When I first heard one I thought a tsunami was coming and we were supposed to evacuate or something. The noise never quits. I thought I'd never sleep again.
But now this is my street, and I know everybody on it. Still, for over a year I languished in loneliness, longing for the camaraderie of my friends, longing for the time also that I lived in England, longing for ANYTHING Anglo!
Three weeks ago all of that changed. In addition to my lovely Mexican family, I now have the La Vendimia crowd. I haven't gotten to bed any earlier than 3:00 a.m. for the past week, I've danced and drank a bit and laughed and been silly but also into serious conversations. New projects are now beginning to take hold, such as a Mexican jousting team! Can you imagine?
Where before I loved being alone with my beloved cat Merlin (who sadly passed away last December at age 14), I have now joined this teeming life in this lovely town.
As always, it is the people that make a place special. Zoila and her children have made Ensenada special for me, and Mamita and Connie and her family (scroll down for that story and photos).
Zoila (with whom I live) is an awesome singer with a voice that is rich and full; she brings the house down at the karaoke bar and we want to write some music for her to record her own stuff. As far as we (the Baja Sisterhood) are concerned, a voice like this should have its own music and lyrics. So there is another project.
Suddenly I have a support network of extraordinary women and men with whom I just fell into step as if we've known each other forever. As the little boy in the movie Power Of One said, one by one the loneliness birds flew away, taking with them their eggs of stone from my heart.
An extraordinary deliverance is happening for me, and though I have thrown myself into adventures more than once in my life, this one (lock, stock and barrel moving to Mexico with my horses) was my greatest challenge. I endured a loneliness that I honestly thought would kill off my spirit, but I decided to stick it out, since life takes very interesting turns and I wanted to see what would happen next.
So above are photos reflecting some pieces of my new life, which I am enjoying immensely. I am experiencing things for the first time, such as partying!!!!!! Partying for no reason other than to celebrate life and play together. No "intentional" anything, no thoughts of anything other than the joy of the moment. Don't get me wrong, my new crowd is heavily invested in improving the lives of others, but being the philanthropic sorts that we all are (as much as we can be), sometimes you just gotta bust loose and be completely silly!!!!! And this is the best place to do it!
posted by Triana Elan @ 12:32 PM
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