U.S. Trip

I had a great 8 day trip to the U.S., but it went by too fast. My mother spent most days with me and I got to visit a lot of my family. It was nice to be in Healdsburg, and especially in my house again. It shocked me how homey and safe it felt. I really relaxed there spending time with my family, the cats, and even my fish.

I arrived two days before my mother's birthday. It was perfect timing, especially because her birthday fell on a Friday so my dad was also home. We decided to get her baby chicks for her birthday and my dad found week old chicks. She now has six gold-laced Wyendotts, her favorite type of chicken. I spent hours holding them in the bathroom while they were living temporarily in the bathtub filled with wood shavings. They are going to be the tamest chickens around.

My mother and grandmother took me shopping and bought me everything I could need or want. I got a suitcase full of food (suitcase included), shoes, clothes, and books. It felt and looked like Christmas when I got back to Mexico and covered the living room in all the treats I brought back. I tried to bring a few bags of dog treats for Cholula, but Mexican customs confiscated them for "destruction" because they contained meat. I brought Jose burritos from Healdsburg's best taqueria, and got them through by lying and saying they only had rice and beans (but really there was pastor).

I finally met my cousins' cat, finished knitting a scarf I started before I left, spent significant time with just my mother for the first time in about six years, and visited family everyday.

My dad took me to our family ranch. It was more beautiful than I remembered and just gorgeous. It was a sunny day and everything is bright green from the new spring grass. Jose and I have hoped to live there someday for a few years now, and going up there just made me realize even more how much I would love for that to happen. It is one of the most relaxing, beautiful, and natural places I have ever been and living there would be better than anywhere else I can think of.

I went to Gratitude Cafe in Healdsburg with my aunts for raw, vegan, gluten-free food. I was skeptical at first, but it was such amazing food. I have even been bragging about it in Mexico. Such. Good. Food. It was so different than the food I eat in Mexico and it tasted so real and fresh. The food was almost as good as spending time with my aunts, and that it saying a whole lot. If you can find a Gratitude Cafe I highly recommend getting over the skepticism I'm assuming you have (because, let's be honest, it sounds weird) and try it. I can honestly say I learned something on the trip- do not judge raw, vegan, gluten-free food before tasting it. Even chocolate hazelnut pie made with seaweed can be delicious.

It was especially nice to see Jose's family. We haven't stayed in contact with his family as well as we have with mine so there was a lot to catch up on. I talked to Jose's mother about Mexico City because she lived here as a teenager. There was a lot to catch up on from both sides, and it was great to spend a few long evenings talking with them. We even started the passport application for Jose's sister so she can spend some time with us here.

The trip was really great- relaxing and busy at the same time. It was amazing to be home again and see Healdsburg. It is definitely as beautiful as I remember it. The first few days back in Mexico were hard, though. I had a feeling before I left Healdsburg that I might be hard to adjust to my life in Mexico again and I was right. I was suddenly in my apartment, which is nice by doesn't mean nearly as much to me as my childhood home, without all my family and my hometown. I am now back to normal here in Coyoacan. I'm enjoying living here and appreciating the time I had with my family, instead of just missing them like I was before. Overall, things are even better and I'm definitely happy.

-Emma