Life in the mangos
A year ago I officially made the move to Popoyo and it hasn’t come without challenges… but what would life be without them.
Truth be told I’m not cooking as much as I’d like. As someone who identifies with expression through creativity I feel I’m lacking something in my life. Maybe I’m even a little lost, like there’s an itch that’s not being scratched.
It’s making me restless.
I’m not without inspiration thanks to amazing local produce a couple hundred meters away from me but sometimes it’s so hot I have no appetite and my personal stress plays into this also. Plus cooking for one is boring.
Regardless, this country is beautiful in every way even in dry season like right now. Some trees only bloom now and the horticulturalist in me thrives on this. Always learning pushes me…. I need more.
It’s also mango season and you will hear no one complains about this. You can literally walk down the road and pick them up, it’s amazing. My wake up call is not my phone or a rooster but the low throat calls of the howler monkeys that parade through said mango trees that surround where I live. With rainy season approaching they come earlier and earlier but it’s ok. Just makes for a two coffee morning sometimes.
But what keeps me grounded in low times is the ocean, my amazing friends here and a cold Clásica (local beer for those that don’t know). Also there is Pepita, she’s like a therapy dog for me that’s not actually my dog but we’re besties for sure. She comes and she goes, free, just always lives her best life. I’m always super happy when she is randomly at my door but the feeling is for sure mutual. Probably we can all learn something from from her sense of freedom.
But back to the ocean because it’s true what they say; it provides negative ions. Which might sound contradictory but in fact is the opposite. It provides us with energy and renewal. I’m sure this is what really brought me here. I needed a cleanse. Whenever I feel like shit I go and I always feel a million times better. Even if it’s just watching the sunset. The serenity of the waves and watching pelicans skim over them is so calming.
There is something to be said about the simple life we live here and what we each make of it. You can literally go down one road next to where I live and be reminded of this. I appreciate this so much and all the locals I can now call amigos. If we choose to come to a different country and not appreciate it or try to immerse ourselves in the culture can we even said we were there.
My girlfriends gifted me a wave ring on my birthday last year and it’s a daily reminder of them and also life. Like the tide, I will probably just keep coming in and out but I’m grateful they will remain constant.
I’m still not sure what’s in store for me but I know this place will always have my heart.
Siempre changing and adapting with the landscape through the seasons wherever I am.