Mexico Trip Part 1

On a whim, My mom and I decided to go to Mexico to be guests at one of my favorite little cousins wedding. I was thrilled that I was able to get things covered at home and go. It had been 7 years since I last visited my moms home town. That seems like an eternity especially because growing up, we would go at least every two years. This was going to be a treat and I was so excited about it.

 

Since Amy works at the airport, she got to send us off. I liked seeing a familiar face in an unfamiliar place.

 

 As we were getting on the plane, we noticed a familiar face in first class. It was David Archuletta and my mom got so giddy. The whole plane ride she was plotting how she would approach him and ask to have her picture taken with him. It was great and made me smile. When we landed in MX, she was already looking for him and at first we thought he got away, but we quickly spotted him in the Customs line and my mom quietly asked if he was Elder Archuletta to which he replied that he use to be. She then asked for a picture with him and even though he was a bit hesitant to, he did and my mom was so happy about it. 

 

 After another 5 hours of waiting for busses and bus rides, we finally arrived in Tehuacan at around 8PM.

 We were welcomed at my aunts house by this group. My sister and niece had flown down a day earlier and it was nice that we all had arrived safe and sound.

 And the man of the hour, Juan Carlos.

The next morning I awoke in a familiar place that I have been looking forward to be in again. Abuelita Licha's house (grandma's house)

She has been gone for eight years and now this home belongs to my mom, but forever and always this will be grandmas Lichas house. This was the place where I learned to walk, where I played for countless hours on the patio with my cousins, where we would all gather to spend time with one another. Where we learned to love Mexico.

 

The views over looking the neighbors homes, her living room where I remember eating dinners and watching TV with everyone. My uncles bird cage where his parrot use to live. My grandmas kitchen. Oh her kitchen. My grandma was an amazing baker and this is the place where her works of art were created. He little tin table and humble wooden chairs. We would often sit there with her and watch her work. it was a beautiful thing to watch her create. This home will always be Mexico to me. 

My mom woke up early one morning to go out and wash her clothes. There is something that I simple love and appreciate about hand washing clothes and hanging them up to dry...but only in MX. 

 And this is the street, La Privada. 

It's on a dead end with a kindergarten school a few doors down so in the morning you see young uniformed students walking hand in hand with their parents on their way to school. There use to be a small snack shop on this street where we would run to grab a bottle of soda or some candy or chips when we were younger. It's no longer there but I sure remembered and loved that little shop.