October 5, 2023 – Greetings from an internet cafe in aldea Montúfar, municipio San Juan Sacatepequez, Guatemala! This internet cafe is one of three businesses that operate on the ground floor of the home I am staying in with a family whose father and eldest brother live in the U.S. (and who I met working at Annunciation House).
I have had such a beautiful and special time traveling the past six weeks. I will do my best to briefly summarize all the travels… forgive me for not posting more frequent and detailed accounts! It is a little tricky given the lack of access to a computer and consistent internet, but even trickier given my stubborn unwillingness to type up posts on my cell phone…
My first stop six weeks ago was in San Antonio Calichar, Guanajuato, where I visited a woman (Viki) and her children and grandchildren. Those first days were very memorable for me because it was my first time in the interior of Mexico (I have visited a dozen border cities and of course Cabo San Lucas but never ventured farther south). We spent lots of quality time talking and eating and resting early, and we ventured over to Queretaro city where we wandered the beautiful historic streets (I felt like I was transported to Europe, for lack of a better comparison!) and visited a Franciscan monastery.
After a few days with this family, I made my way to San Miguel de Allende via bus and was even more surprised there! I found Lucina (long time friend of Catholic Worker community “Casa Tabor” in San Antonio, TX) and Angelica (ballet instructor and woman´s organizer from Celaya) who welcomed me into delicious meals and long chats on the patio over cups of tea and accompanied me to the botanical garden, the local pulque place, and in prayer at 7 in the morning. Angelica drove me to Celaya to run an errand and we stopped for some typical Celayan gorditas and a tour of her home. What joy to end up in the company of such brilliant and dedicated women!
Here is a little journal excerpt from that time which reflects how I was feeling during those days, written specifically on the bus ride to Mexico City:
There is so much beauty and substance in these encounters I am having, truly! I must confess that I feel a little emotional disconnect (this one is strong these days). I want to feel joy, love, connection, and delight. It is fascinating to have so many months of consecutive introspection and noticing – I love it and at the same time notice that I often feel blue, and while I am sure that some of that can be attributed to cyclical hormonal shifts, other days I don´t know why! And so I am tender with myself and try to be tender with those around me and I pray for a more stable and unwavering joy whenever – God willing – I can cultivate that!
Guanajuato is breathtaking. The green mountains, the beautiful view for miles and miles… I came at the right time. The clouds cover most of the sky but they are dynamic, fluffy, and rolling like the hills. There are fields and fields… one gets the sense just by looking out the window just how clear and fresh the air is. I can see Queretaro many many miles in the distance fading behind the mountains… I wish I knew my plants and my trees, I would name them all! Such a precious earth we have…
From San Miguel de Allende, I went to Mexico City to stay with close family friends of a couple who received me in my early days of the pilgrimage (Tim & Clare Broyles of Phoenix). What a different and faster paced experience! Each day I left the house just before 11 to get to the metro post-morning rush and would take it about an hour into the city center. I visited the Basilica of Guadalupe (the site where the Virgin of Guadalupe appeared to Juan Diego in 1531), the museum of Anthropology (so incredible!), the Zocalo (historic city center), the forest of Chapultepec, the Frida Kahlo museum. I even got to take the Cablebus, which was my most favorite experience of all!!! So so much joy there. Listening to the stories of the parents and their involvement in the sanctuary/liberation theology movement in the 80´s and 90´s was also so moving. So much more I could say about that…
Then from CDMX to Cholula, Puebla, to stay with the brother of the previously mentioned man from CDMX (also connected to the couple from Phoenix), and two of his sons. I was picked up from the bus stop by the younger son, Diego, in the middle of an aguacero (downpour) and walked into their house soaking wet as Arturo and a friend were roasting and packaging coffee in the living room. Oh how I loved Cholula! Not to mention the delicious vegetarian lasagna that greeted me on the first night!! I enjoyed quality wandering time in Puebla, a tour of the Universidad IBEROAmericana campus (and a peaceful journaling session accompanied by a student pianist playing classics like “Chiquitita” by Abba), a dentistry graduation for a cousin of the family, some delicious coffee and chats, and a tour of the Enlaces house in the campo. Also drinks and some dancing and long and lovely conversation at “La Enamorada” until 2:30 in the morning. I want to go back!
Then from Cholula I traveled for one night to Cuautla, Morelos (thank you modern, affordable, and pleasant bus system in Mexico!) to spend the afternoon with a former coworker and friend and his parents, and we enjoyed micheladas by the pool (!!) and delicious tamales! Every stop I made in Mexico was enchanting, to risk sounding cliche. I felt so comfortable there and was constantly delighted by the beautiful landscapes and the even more beautiful company. And this only after two weeks…
Please stayed tuned for part 2 for the second half of this update! <3