Final Leg of the Journey

   It's been about thirteen months since I made the big decision to move to Mexico. I knew there would be hard days and days when I would say........."Why did I do this?" but I also knew if I didn't do it I would forever regret it. I'm past the time of my life when I can sit and ponder a big decision. I admit I'm compulsive and always have been. Looking back, I don't regret anything I've jumped into. I haven't lived here that long, just about three months. I've never asked myself why and I really haven't had any bad days but I do have lonely days. I'm a people person, which is something new I found out about myself. I have a lot of friends here but the language barrier is a big one for socializing. I'm learning though and the electronic connection with my friends back in the States is a good.

   We broke ground my first trip down here the end of last March and work was started immediately. A friend drew up the plans and another friend, that knows me well, designed quite a bit of it.

 

My street. The lot is a little behind tha first car, on the right side of the street.

 

Lot that I chose, walking distance to the Plaza yet very quiet.

 

                                                       Constructin started.

 

 

Building supplies dumped in the street, brought up to the site in wheel barrows and carried by hand

 

Ready to build!

 

   I came back the end of June. Not seeing hardly any pictures of the place, I didn't know what to expect. I knew I wanted a place smaller that where I was in the States. We arrived in town late at night, very dark country skies, I stepped out of the car and LOOMING was my house. It was too dark to see anything, it would have to wait till morning. The next day things looked a little different. From the outside it looks enormous but inside it's a perfect size. The outside was up and rooms formed inside but it was hard for me to imagine what it would look like.

 

 

 

La Casa

 

Curved stairs

Upstairs, looking into the two bedrooms

 

Working on my fireplace. Notice it looks like a tree rising up.

 

 

 This trip we picked out tiles, bathroom fixtures, and talked about colors, and some furniture. When I come down each time I'm staying at a friends rental right next door so I can watch my house come together from the porch.

 

So many tiles.

All hand painted.

 

Dining table

 

My bed

 

Loading it up.

 

 

    Next trip was a biggy, flying three of my animals down. But that was previous story. The plan was that I would move in now but there were things that still needed to be done. My kitchen wasn't set up yet, I needed closets. Everything was being hand made and with sawdust all over I decided to still stay next door in my friends house again. I still needed to go back to get the other animals and drive my truck down but I wanted the animals to get used to where they were before I left again. Things seemed to moving slowly now and didn't look like I was going to move in any time soon. In several weeks I went back to The States to complete the move. I only had about 10 days to get my stuff separated into what was going down with me now, what would come later and obtaining all I needed for the other two animals to make the trip. I had a big decision to make. My little schnauzer, Luger,who was twelve years old, had a heart problem and when he got over excited, which for a schnauzer is most of the time, he would faint. I wasn't sure he could make the trip down but my vet, that I adore, a wonderful caring man, cleared him for take off!!!! We had a good trip down, which is in a previous blog.

 

Unfinished kitchem waiting for cabinets to be made.

 

Butterflies have special meaning for me -- Freedom!

 

Looking into master bedroom on the main floor.

 

Looking upstairs. Landing still needs a railing.

 

Parking area in front

 

My wonderful orange house. I love it.

 

Happy face.

 

 

   I planned on staying the winter, then returning to the States in the spring to put my house on the market. I needed to move into my house several weeks before I left to go back so the animals would be comfortable there. It was a good time for me and my animal family. Generally, Luger was kept just in the yard where there was still plenty to see and smell. Once in a while I would walk him on our street. Walks were very stimulating for him and he loved them. They always ended in a fainting spell which looked sad, but did no harm. If it were me, my choice would be to enjoy what life I have, so that was my choice for him. I took him for a short walk on our street several days before I left. Boy he had a good time. So many smells. Other dogs, horses and who knows what else roams at night. He peed on everything he could lift his leg on, then proceeded to kick the dirt up with all his might, finally he fainted then we went home. I'm sure it was worth it for him and me too. I loved seeing him so "into it". They all needed to get accustomed to so many new sights and sounds. It was fun to watch. I planned to go back in March so needed to move in February which I did. There was still work being done but the kitchen was finished. I flew back early in March. Several weeks later I was notified that Luger had died. He was a special dog of my heart and I'm still so sad. He is buried in my yard. I'm so glad that I chose to bring him down with us. He so enjoyed all the new things. It added so much enrichment to his life. My little Luger...........................

 

 

 

I love the look in his eyes.

 

I like this picture of him looking out the door in the States.

 

One of the last pictures of Luger.

 

 

 

                                                     

                                                        

                                                     

A Little About Myself and How I Got Here............

I was born in a small coal mining town in West Virginia. From the beginning I was an animal person. I was an only child for quite a few years and the animals were my playmates. When I was about 5 years old the family moved to Chicago, which is where I spent most of my life.

 

 

 

  My first career was animal oriented. I opened a dog grooming shop,started showing a toy poodle in obedience then added a dog training school for home and dog show competition. Over the years I showed several different breeds of dogs and eventually turned to judging.

 

 

 

 

 

  During an casual conversation with a friend, we were speaking about the zoo in Chicago, and I mentioned how I would love to work in the nursery there. She said...."Why don't you apply?" And I did just that! It took me several years and several applications before I got chosen for an interview. I nailed it. Best interview I've ever given and I got to work in the nursery.

 

 

 

  Over the years I worked with most species of animals. As a whole, the big cats and reptiles were my favorites but each animal that I worked with was my favorite. I felt I was truly blessed to work with such special animals. All of them! I retired from the zoo several years ago and then my life took a huge turn. 

 

 

 

 

  I went from my father's house to my husband's house, never on my own. Both were overbearing and controlling. My husband died and suddenly I was free. I can't even explain how happy I was to finally have MY life. I get to make decisions about my own life. Right or wrong they are mine. It's euphoric. I broke free from negative,

demeaning people and decided I was gonna LIVE my life.

   I have been drawn to Mexico even as a small child. I've always liked anything Mexican. During my years at the zoo I met and made friend with many Mexican people. I loved to hear their stories over coffee, before work. I was drawn more and more into my attraction of Mexico, One day on the way to work, ( I had a long drive, as lived about 55 miles away from work, so had a lot of time to think ), I would think about where I would like to live if I ever got the chance to make that decision. All of a sudden it was like a jolt ,an epiphany..........MEXICO! Eventually my life changed. I was retired, alone now, time for action. About this time my good friend invited me to go to Mexico. That trip changed my life forever.  

  As soon as my feet hit the ground at the airport I felt as if I belonged here. I decided after only a few days that I wanted to live here and proceeded to pick a piece land and a friend drew up the house plans.. My other friend went back to Chicago and I stayed here another week by myself. I had met many nice people during the first week but language was a big barrier so I was pretty much on my own. Each day made me more sure that I was right about my decision to move here. I needed to act, no time to sit and ponder about it and waste away days of my new life. I'm on the threshold of my dream.

  
                                                      Beautiful Mexico

Next Big Trip Down

  I flew back to the States early in December, had about ten days to prepare for the big driving trip down. This time taking things I need for myself, the dogs and the cats. I'm also going to be selling my house here eventually, so I need to make piles of things I'm selling, giving, taking, donating ,trashing. I thought once I got done flying the animals down I wouldn't be stressed any more. Not the case. How to decide what's absolutely necessary. Now that's stress. Well I got it done.
  We left early in the morning. Two trucks, two people in each truck.The truck was packed and loaded with the two dogs in the back seat. Ready to roll!

  First leg of the trip was all the way to Laredo, Texas. With two drivers it wasn't too hard, only stopped for gas. We arrived in Laredo around 4:30 AM. The trucks were being legalized for Mexico so all we needed to do was pick up some paper work and then go across the border for more paper work, Sounds easy. There were MANY vehicles ahead of us even at 4:30 in the morning. So we slept in the truck till the sun came up then found out that our papers may not be there for several days! Good thing I brought extra dog food. We got a motel room across the street and waited. And waited. And waited.

 

 

  Finally after three nights, four days, we are on our way to the border. Even at 4:30 in the morning there was a long line of cars headed there. We went through the border check easily and quickly. They never even inspected the dogs or their health certificates. And no vehicle inspection either, my worse nightmare. They unpack and check, then YOU have to put it back together.

 

  All we have to do now is to continue the process for the trucks and get the paper work, so off we go. We pull up to a very large area with hundreds of cars already in line. Thank goodness they were having a cold spell down there 'cause we were in line for HOURS! I don't know what I would have done to keep the dogs cool. We were in line until about midday, got our sticker, then were told we needed more papers. Ay yi yi! Off we go to a much smaller lot, which, of course, is full of cars waiting for their paper work. They tell us our papers won't be in till about 10:00 that night. At least we did manage to find a spot in the lot for the two trucks and there was a bathroom. We did get our papers at 10:00 PM, too late to get a room so we slept in the trucks. Pulled out the next morning at 4AM along with everyone else. Finally we are on-the-road. UHHH, well, not quite. There's another check point down the road in Monterrey. They pull us over and want to inspect our truck, Oh No!  How am I ever going to get that stuff packed up again?  The inspectors were talking to my friend, who speaks Spanish, asking her what was in there and they were satisfied with her answers so they let us go through, Woo Hoo! Are we really on the road now? Yep! Stopped for a real breakfast at a nice highway oasis type complex.

 

 

   The rest of the drive went well. The highways were good, tolls though, and the scenery was beautiful.

 

 

 

My friend now had to drive all the way herself, I couldn't drive down there yet, I don't 

know why. I felt so bad for her, she drove for 18 hours ( we took wrong turns once in a while after we decided to take regular roads to avoid all the tolls) It must have been again about 1:00 in the morning. And I had several hours of work ahead of me yet. The animals that were here were so excited to see me so that took a little time for them to calm down, had to feed everyone then unload what I needed from the truck. I was so tired I just fell on top of the bed and for the second night slept with my clothes on. Home at last.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Destination Jalisco, Mexico

    On board and seat belt fastened, ready for take off. I am keenly aware of every sound and hoping the animals are OK. Their ears must pop like ours do, I should have given them some chewing gum. :-)   The flight was uneventful, about 4 hours in the air. Landing was noisy. Bumps, grinds, bangs. I felt so sorry for the animals. We de-plane and go into customs, which was crowded. Apparently other foreign flights had landed too. Next step was baggage. I was hoping they would load them on the conveyor belt first, but no we had to wait. It was jammed with people, I've never seen it so crowded. We waited about 20 minutes for our luggage. No animals yet. People are now collecting their baggage and heading over to x-ray and inspection, except for us. Finally after about another 20 minutes here they come.  They looked great, I was so happy to see they did well.
  All righty, we have the animals, all the luggage, now we can go to inspection. The line is serpentine with people, so my friend says it would be easier for me to stay where I am and he will stand in line. After 30 minutes he's about 10 people behind the front of the line, so I join him.  We were in line, maybe another 10 minutes when a airport person says -- " You have animals? You need to go over there" Except he said it in Spanish. I am not proficient in the language yet so I'll depend on my friend from here on out, who speaks fluent Spanish. Off we go to the equivalent to the USDA for a vet inspection of the animals. Very nice man, really did a thorough job checking the animals. They also throw away all bedding and disinfect the crates. That probably took us 45 minutes. My friend's brother is waiting to drive us to our homes. We can see him from the vets office but can't get his attention to tell him we're almost done.
  Well, we are finally ready for the last step. Inspection. They x-ray everything then you go to a station that has a red light and a green light. Oh please, oh please, no red light tonight. Red light means they go through all your luggage. Green means your free to leave. Safe, neither of us got a red light. Free at last.
  The ride home takes about 2 hours. I walk the dog and tell the cats I'm sorry.  It's a beautiful cool night. Pitch black sky with stars so bright. We arrive in town around 1:30 AM, I'm dropped off first. I have to set up a litter box and feed & water everyone. We are all wasted. All four of us just fall into bed. Me and the three animals. A good ending to a very busy day.

 

 

   Next day is explore day for the cats. I'm staying at a friends empty house till the other one is ready. The cats LOVE the second floor. They've never had one before, so I made that their area. Food, litter. They can come and go but I have it blocked off from the dog.
  Well a BIG hurdle done, all went very well but there are two more critters left to get to Mexico, But that's another story.