on coming home

This will probably be the last post I write from this side of the border - 10 weeks can go by much faster than one expects. I think the closer I get to leaving, the more I really miss you all...but there will be much here that I will miss as well. And there will be some re-adjusting that I'm going to have to go through, especially as the summer winds down.
Here's what you might be able to expect:

1. While here, I've gotten used to listening to radio stations that only play Mexican pop...I'm gonna miss that when I come back, so if I pop in a CD that's only in Spanish (and of which the only artists you might have possibly heard of are Shakira and Mana) every once in a while and sing along, please just bear with me - and if you dare, ask me to translate it for you :)

2. I may begin using public transportation a lot more than I used to (which I know some people will be happy about). While here, I've gotten used to riding in large buses with people I don't know, and to be quite honest, I find it a lot more interesting (and relaxing) than driving myself around and getting stressed out about the bad driver in front of me. (Plus, I haven't driven in 2.5 months, so I'm kinda feeling like I'll have to get used to that again anyway).

3. I may wear sweaters when it's 80 degrees outside (trust me...110+ degree heat can really change the way you think about the definition of the word "hot").

4. If you speak Spanish (fluently or otherwise), I might often try and have a conversation with you to keep up my language skills. Conversely, if you don't speak Spanish, I may absent-mindedly speak Spanish in front of you with people who do...please do me the favor of interrupting me and reminding me not to be rude.

5. If you are a U.S. visa-holder, I may (if I feel comfortable) ask you questions about your visa, purely for curiosity's sake...I don't know what they all look like, and now that I am more familiar with how difficult it can be to get one, I am much more curious about your own story about what kind of visa you have and what you had to do to get yours. If you feel at all uncomfortable talking about it, please just tell me so.

6. I may find it difficult to get used to not having a place to buy real taquitos, carne asada, enchiladas or really good salsa on almost every block.

7. I will probably, at some point, begin planning a return trip to the southwest Texas/Mexico area, to visit Nuevo Laredo again, and to go further south to places like Monterrey, Veracruz, Mexico City, Guanajuato...maybe even further into Central America, etc. If you have any interest in joining me for even just a part of that, let me know - it's always better to travel with people.

8. Finally, I have gotten a little used to being "on my own", in a place of my own, and being able to make plans pretty much at the last minute, which has probably only served to increase my independent streak. I might have to go through a little adjusting in terms of planning things out a bit more, as well as getting used to actually having people at home when I get back from the "end" of my day again. It's not that I won't like having people at home (trust me, loneliness has been one of the biggest battles I've had to face while here)...it's really just more that I'll have to get used to it again. In fact, I've been craving having my family there when I walk through the door, and eating dinner together - going through lonely times has taught me a lot about what lonely people appreciate most!

So, there you go. These are just the things I can think of right now that I know will be changes - there will probably be more. I really do miss you all very, very much, and as much as I have truly enjoyed my time here, I am anxious to get home! Thank you to everyone who prayed for me, sent emails, letters, packages, phoned, read the blog, commented on the blog, thought of me when spotting a Mexican consulate in Pennsylvania (ha ha S.W.), etc. God really blessed me through hearing from each one of you!

Much love ~ Cat

"what a difference a bridge makes"

...is what my boss' dad said one time. It's really quite true. While Nuevo Laredo doesn't exactly seem to be "hurting" financially, especially in comparison to other Mexican cities (being on the border helps economically - lots of trading to be donw), there's a lot that changes once you cross that bridge. Think of it as something like "8 mile", but a bit more noticeable (and that`s saying something). Clean streets vs. dirty streets, quasi-accessible sidewalks vs. sidewalks certainly not meant for anyone who can´t walk, 1 or 2 farmacias in the downtown (pharmacies) vs. 1 or 2 farmacias on every block.
Actually, semi-funny story about pharmacies. My boss was telling me that Laredo, in some magazine a couple years ago, got voted as one of the top places to live. One of the factors in determining the best place to live was the percentage of anti-depressant drugs purchased anually within the city (because, of course, a city purchasing less anti-depressants must be happier, right?). What they didn´t take into account, however, is that everyone in Laredo can easily cross the border, stop in at the nearest farmacia, and purchase said anti-depressants over the counter, since Mexican law doesn´t hold them under the prescription-drug category. A nice bit o' money for the farmacia owners too.
I think the most noticeable difference when you cross over to the U.S. side, however, is how spread out things are. Whereas in Mexico (and most of the world I think) houses are really compacted together, with little yard space, you really get to see just how much space Americans use when you cross over. Large plots of land, huge backyards, shopping mall parking lots covering miles and miles of turf, distances that require the use of a car (unless you're savvy about the bus system). There are parts of Nuevo Laredo that are like that too, but they're not exactly part of the city, ya know?

Alrighty, time for a sign off...