One door closed, getting ready to open another!

I am really proud of myself for what I did today, it wasn't easy and it has been needing to be done and I finally did it. I cut all "ties" with my ex Jorge. He owes me a substantial amount of money, which I feel he is using to keep me somewhat in his life. He has had 2 chances to pay me back and neglected to on both occasions. So today I made the decision to forgive him, forget about the money and move on. I wrote him a letter, I let everything I felt gush out, I let him know that I forgave him and that I hope he gets help. I let him know that what he did hurt me and that I know he is a good person deep down, just a good person in need of some help. I never intended to send him the letter but I did end up emailing it to him. Now I wrote the letter in English my first language, as I felt things would be better expressed, I also sent the letter to him in English to which he doesn't speak or read very well. Hopefully he will take some time to translate it. I am sure he will be happy that he doesn't have to pay me back the money, but I hope he takes to heart what I said about getting help. Good bye my friend, we had a good journey, I learned a lot, but it is time for me to move onward.

You all know what they say, when one door closes, another one opens! I can finally say I am ready for that door to open! I am really looking forward to what life has in store for me. I have put it out to the universe that I would really like to meet some new gal pals, as good women companions are not easy to find, especially here in Vallarta. I have been fortunate enough to meet two really neat women in the last few weeks, and I look forward to getting to know them better!

I went to the mall today, something I seldom do here. It was about 4pm and I hadn't had lunch yet, so trying to stay on course I got a Subway and sat down to eat before meeting my client. As I was sitting eating, a young Mexican boy and his dad sat down beside me. They had just gone to McDonalds and gotten ice cream, it was clearly a treat for the little boy who spoke with the cutest lisp in Spanish. I could hear him saying to his dad "Thank you so much for the ice cream daddy, I really love vanilla" Then he sang a bit of a song that he learned at school, all while vanilla ice cream dripped off his chin. His dad got up to get a napkin and told the little boy to sit tight and not move. I had become a fly on the wall observing their afternoon outing and as the dad was gone the little boy locked eyes with me and gave me a huge smile and a wave. Children amaze me, that happy little boys wave made my heart smile, I proceeded to wave back with a mouth full of sandwich, he then carried on eating his ice cream, legs swining, and mouth singing his song. Just a little reminder to take a break from the crazy merry-go-round that is our lives and enjoy the smiplicity of a smile from a stranger, whatever age they may be.

Good bye "for now" to a friend!

I have to say as I write tonight I feel like things are starting to come to an end. My friend Isahari is leaving at 4:45 am on a plane to Guadalajara, to have a failing kidney removed and half of a cancerous liver. She is the ripe old age of 30 and is no stranger to surgeries. I met her a few months back by chance while ordering a drink at a party I had been invited to. I didn't know many party goers but I now know that I was meant to go there to meet her. There are people in your life that you meet along the way that make very deep and lasting impressions on you, she is one of those people in my life. I had a coffee with her the other nigh to say goodbye and catch up on her life.

Now, on a good day most healthy people complain about this that and the other, her well.........she is on dialasis every 3rd day, running her business, playing with her band nightly at the Shearaton, how she finds the energy to do all this I have yet to know. We talked about her plans, plans for the new websites, plans for traveling, visiting family, future plans. I find it so amazing that someone who has been living with terminal cancer for 10 years is so excited about the future. She once told me that when she was diagnosed at 19, her doctor told her she had little time to live. She turned to her doctor and said "I'll let you know when I am done living." Please friends send her your prayers, light and love as she journeys once again in to another surgery and more up hill battles!!!

Change needed!

Last week was nutty, nutty good that is! I finally sold a house!! YIPEE, it's been a long time and tough market. Lovely clients from Canada, they will really enjoy their new home here in Puerto Vallarta. I also put in 2 offers on other homes here, the bottom has not fallen out of the market here like in the states so when people start throwing low ball offers, the sellers tend to get a little pissed as is what happened last week. All is well that ends well, guess it just was not ment to be! Some sadness as well, my friend Stephanie lost her father, my friend Trish lost her sister and my workmate Teresa lost her father. Seems it usually comes in threes. I do have to say this is one of the weirdest times I have lived in my life, so much uncertinty in the world and uncertinity in my life as well. I also had the chance to have dinner with Ronnie and Kathy, a really neat couple that has just moved here! We had a blast, we drank wine unitl almost 1 am sharing stories! Kathys birthday is tomorrow and she has invited me to celebrate with them at her friend Marcelas house, looking forward to it!
I got a call friday night from a good friend who I hadn't seen in a long time, Celina. We have been saying for months that we were going to get together and that we did on Friday night. I met her and Karen at La Dolce Vita on Friday night at 11 pm. We had a few glasses of wine and talked about life, kids, men, being a woman, and then off we went to De Santos! Cut a rug we did! We danced till the sun came up! I saw a lot of other people at De Santos I had not seen in a long while, I tend to get wrapped up in my own little world here and forget how many great people I actually know and love here! We were like 12 years olds at a slumber party listening to the raido when a good song came on to dance to, we all cheered! I guess its the simple things in life like a galss of wine and dancing the night away with girlfriends that make it worth living!
I had a great day today, well besides listening to the jack hammer wripping out the stiars above my house, I spent most of the day working on a blog for my parents business Manntiques.

http://manntiques.blogspot.com

They are open again for the season and we all wish them the best! Also if you are on Facebook look for their group page, Manntiques and Upholstery!

I am very excited that I have stuck with my workouts and healthy eating for over a month, as of today I am still down 11 pounds!! Yipee, I am very proud of myself. Looking back I am now realizing how I covered my unhappyness with Jorge up with food. I used food to fill the void, well not anymore, I am working on me now! I am mediatating more and finally feel like I am coming out of the fog and feeling like I am in control of my life again. Good things are coming my way because I am going to make them!! Actually in the whole scheme of things I have it pretty good, a loving, healty family, an amazing network of friends and a future full of possibilities! Lovin life! I will leave you tonight with this photo I took outside my office yesterday. Obviously there were not parking spots on the street, so this guy just used the sidewalk!! xoxo

Facing deportation is never fun!

Hello, hello, hello! Wow where to start with tonight's blog.....I would have written sooner but I was very busy being detained by Mexican Immigration authorities. Yes, on Tuesday, my old boss decided that he has a personal vendetta against me and my co-workers. He lovingly sent the immigration authorities to our office to detain and investigate us for allegedly being involved in illicit acts in Mexico. After 6 hours of being detained and lots of paperwork, we walked out of the immigration office with some good new friends and our FM3 work visas on the fast track to being done. I am upset with him to say the least, throughout this whole company split up ordeal I have kept neutral and taken the high road. Careful not to say anything about him and now he turns around and stabs us all in the back, well I am not going to be quiet anymore, I am going to let everyone know what a spineless coward he is. I love how he covers it with the holyier than thou shit, God blessing everyone! HA, yeah right! I have truly come to the conclusion that he is mentally ill, he tried to have us deported on false accusations for God sakes, the man is sick and I hope he gets some help!

Well the Peso came back a bit today, guess the small rise of the stock market had an effect. I am sure that it will dive again next week as Chicken Little continues to run around yelling "the sky is falling, the sky is falling". I am once again trying to stay positive but its hard.

I taked to my brother Gavin on the phone for over an hour tonight and we talked about a lot of different topics but most of all how hard it is to find a job right now. He expressed that he felt a bit like he has "failure to launch" (which by the way might be the name of his new blog coming soon!! Can't wait to read it Gav) becasue he has graduated and has moved back in with our folks. I just told him be really thankful that we have such wonderful parents that allow us to move back in when we need it, I guess that is what family is all about. I am not a bit worried about him, he is a super smart individual and is studing and preparing for the boarder patrol exam. He is excited about the prospect of becoming a boarder patrol agent. I know how he feels and I reminded him tonight that after I graduated college I moved back in with the folks too, to prepare for my move to Mexico. Think it made him feel a little bit better! Love ya Gav, hang in there, you have lots of success in your future, I have no doubt! How ironic, I live in a country that has so lovingly accepted me to work and live here and he is preparing to guard the US boarder against peopole trying to leave this country and get in the US for a better future!

I have been busy battling a cold and working with clients this week. Have some good prospects but never get too excited in this market, one day a buyer the next day they fall off the face of the earth! Brian, I have to apologize that I wasn't home when you called this week, we keep missing eachother, maybe next week, I hope you had a rockin time skiing!
Thats all for the evening, going to take some good cold meds and as my grandfather always said "hit the hay" I hope you all have wonderful weekends and enjoy yourselves, after all no matter what don't stop living and enjoying your life!
xoxo

I know those guys in the sushi place, where do I know them from??

Wow what a day! A good day that is, maybe an odd, interesting day as well. I had lots of clients drop by to see me today, I am trying to find my enthusiasm with them but in this market it is hard. As Johnny says "I am sick of being a bloody tour guide" Oh well hopefully things get better sooner than later. Almost took a pointless trip out to Bucerias, but only got to the Marina before I aborted the mission. Found out later the client never even showed for the other agent either!

Went for a pretty good workout tonight, thanks Trish for that little extra "encouragement" before we left work. I think it went something like this "you get your butt to those stairs, I mean it" hey I did, worked out for 2 hours. So if I don't show up at work tomorrow, please come and help me get out of bed becuase this body is feeling it!! Tackled those stairs 3 times tonight, most I have done in one stretch! I will take a photo of "The Stairs" so everyone knows what I am talking about. They are down on Los Muertos and they are known around Vallarta. All you have to stay is "The Stairs" and everyone knows!! If you have lived here long enough you have probably heard of them or had the pleasure of tackling them in person!

We are close to the full moon but as I was climbing the stairs to my house finishing up my work out (seems to be a theme for me, up hill battles) I saw the moon appearing from behind the mountains and it was spectacular. I ran home to grab the camera but when I went back to take the photo it was too far up! So for your viewing pleasure I am putting up a photo of the last full moon in February that I took at 4 am from my living room window! Speaking of tomorrow I think it is time for my bed!

Filthy Oar?

Another weekend done and gone. What did I do with my weekend, not a whole lot! I have to apologize to my friend Kathy I didn't make it to her birthday party due to feeling a bit under the weather on Saturday. Took it pretty easy this weekend and I am surely feeling better and ready to attack this week. It looking like it certainly could shape up to be epic. I have to make good on a promise to have dinner with my friend Isahari! She is headed to Guadalajara next week to have her liver operated on once again since the cancer came back! She is up for he fight I just want to see her before€ she goes! 30 with terminal cancer, musician, living in Mexico, running a wildly successful consulting business, makes it hard for me to feel sorry for myself, she may not think so but she is an inspiration to me! This week will be full of wavering Real Estate clients, confused rental clients, dinners and pot lucks with friends and a night at the Twisted Rose for Salsa. Should be an interesting one. You know since living and working in a tourist town, it amazes me how dumb people can be and how they manage to make it through life. Seriously, when I worked in the hotel, I don't know how many lost purses, cameras, passports, and suitcases I tracked down. Just thought I would share!

I spoke to my good friend Luke tonight, he has another brilliant idea, he is leaving this week for Reno to pick up his next pet project.

Yes ladies and gentlemen that is it in all it's glory! Please if you have a name for the new floating palace, share it!! So far I hear it will have a stripper pole, Keg 'a' rator and room for "lots of fun"! Can't wait to see how this one runs it's course. Hopefully Luke can tow the thing home from Reno with no causalities! More stories coming soon, about the, shall we call it, "Filthy Oar"!? That will be it's name for the time being and the one I am voting for!!! Oh by the way, I have been promised that if I do move back to the US I can become the first mate, but I have to wear the first mates hat?? Ok whatever it takes to get out on the lake!!

I got a really nice email from a good friend tonight that I had not heard from in a long while. It always makes me feel loved to hear from this person, we have such a strong connection that neither time nor distance changes much. Thanks "B" for your kind words! Guess that's about all for tonight! Go off in to the week with hope and love in your hearts, I know it's a difficult time right now but just know that things will begin to get easier and when they are hard like the are now, take out of it what you can and learn!
xoxo

~NOTHING LIKE AN EARTHQUAKE TO SHAKE YOUR LIFE UP~

I have been here for almost 6 years..............6 wonderful, amazing, life changing years here in Mexico. Thursday. March 6 at 12:34 am I was settling in to my bed and my furniture and bed started to shake as did my house, making this awful noise. Yes it was my first and hopefully last earthquake. I didn't sleep most of that night, I think the earthquake also shook loose a lot of feelings I have been having about my life. Nothing like a real live earthquake to make you wake up your inner voice! What am I doing here? What do I want for my future? Am I content in my current job? Am I happy with "me"? So many things have changed in my life in the last 6 months but I am afraid I have failed to change along with them. "Doing the same thing over and over expecting different results" the definition of insanity. Sometimes I feel trapped here in Puerto Vallarta, I know that is hard for so many to believe, but when you get here it's really hard to leave. It's almost like a Vallarta is a vortex hard to escape from! The break up from my last boyfriend Jorge and the failing world economy has most likely pushed me in to this appending change. Sometimes the universe has a crazy way of forcing us to change, I guess that's just natures way of gently nudging us to our next challenge. So I have begun the process of wrapping things up to move on to the next adventure. First I sold my engagement ring yesterday, YES!!! Finally that's gone! I also discovered that my ex is now with one of the women he was cheating on me with. But you know what, that's OK with me, I have forgiven him and now feel truly like I am moving on. I deleted him from my Facebook page, I don't really need to spy on his life and see what he is up too and it just gives it more closure. I spoke to him and wished him the best. I think we were both secretly hanging on to one another just in case, but I finally put that to rest. I wished him well with his new love and asked him not to cheat on her and break her heart like he did mine. Remember, Karma can be a bitch and what goes around comes around! Yes, Jorge, even for you CABRON!!!!! Cheating and being robbed seems to be common for me, but I have learned from it. Cheated on twice, house robbed twice, don't want to see what number three would bring in either situation, moving on and moving up! I deserve better and have taken on the Sugarland song "Settlin" as my theme song! If you have not heard it listen to it!!!

I guess nothing is really an ending just the beginning of something new. I am getting more and more comfortable day by day with the impending changes. Sure I will miss Vallarta if I do in fact end up leaving, I will miss my friends here but I am very excited to see what my future will bring. Will it be easy? No of course not, I have never been though a change that has necessarily been easy but it has all made me grow and become who I am today. I have realeased it to the universe and if there is an impending change I hope I see the signs quick enough to jump on them! That's all for now, I am totally new to blogging so a lot of the time this will probably be me rambling on about life and silly thing but hopefully some of you get a kick out of it!
xoxo