¡Feliz Navidad!

I love this time of year, always have. I was raised in a vegetarian Hindu household so never really had any traditional celebrations. Just time off from school/work that allowed the family to come together and enjoy the holiday cheer. We didn't exchange gifts within the family but my mom always made sure to gift our teachers every year and she helped us gift friends. I continue the tradition of gifting those around me but it's never been a stressful, overtaxing endeavor. This year, Kenya helped me by wrapping gifts for the chicas that work here, my friends, and my sister. It's been fun!

I invited both of Ana's girls over for x-mas eve. I gave them their gifts (coloring books with crayon boxes), and they loved it. We had a blast laughing, playing, and goofing around. At one point, Diego started playing his drum and the girls went giddy. Here they are with black sapote on their hands.

Ana made us lovely & delish salads. Sarah and I made guacamole dressing (fresh guac thinned down with grapefruit juice)- so yummy. All in all, it was a super sweet day.

Wishing everyone holiday cheer!!

The good times keep rollin...

A week after Sofí left, Sarah came to stay with us. She is another young traveler that Sofí met at the local waterfalls. She speaks Spanish brilliantly and is helping me improve my speaking. She is also great fun to gab with and is v interested in Astrology. I have been giving her astro lessons, which is a pleasure. And in the evenings, we've begun watching Season 1 of Sex & the City. She has never seen it, and it's way entertaining to watch again.

Last Wed., I went to my first social event here in Coatepec. The neighbors organized an evening posada (gathering) for us to get to know each other. People brought snacks & refreshments, and I enjoyed the homemade warm fruit cider. It was sooo cute, I had no sooner sat down then all the young girls (ages 5-10) at the party gathered around, anxious to meet me. In their excitement, they all started shouting their names out at once. I laughed and asked them to go one at a time. Each was a sheer delight to meet. Sarah later remarked what a total magnet I was for the kids. I have always loved kids and it warms my heart that they love me too :))

The weather has been oh so wonderful. Bright, sunny days with highs in the mid-70's & lows in the mid-50's. I am amazed that the weather is sooo nice in Dec. I LOVE it!!

This Saturday, my sister & her best friend are coming to visit for a week. I CAN'T wait!! I miss my sister terribly and it will be a blast to spend the week with her.

The Navidad festivities are in full swing around here with lights, carolers, and warm fruit cider. Did I mention? I LOVE it here! :))

Livin la vida buena :)

It's been 3 months since I last posted, and time has just flown by! Let's see...in October, I celebrated my 36th birthday, and it was a really sweet day. I started the day early with a strong workout. It was a gorgeous sunny day, and I felt sooo good that I decided to commune with the divine cactus which added a joyful sparkle to my day. A fellow expat, Jay, stopped by just to say hi. He drives a comfy, red SUV and though I love our old VW Westie, I was eyeing his car for a joy ride. I mentioned it was my bday and how fun it would be to tour the area. Jay was game, and I got to take in the beautiful sites around town for the first time. Later in the afternoon, I got a massage from Andrés whose touch always leaves me feeling stronger and energized. We ended the day with friends gathered around me & my homemade fruity chocolate pie singing happy birthday in Spanish. It was a yummy good time!!

Then in mid-November, we had our first visitor. An old friend, Jen, sent me an email in Oct. saying that her baby sister (19 y/o) would be traveling solo thru Mexico and asked if she come visit us. Of course, your sister is my sister! Sofí stayed with us for 3 weeks, and we had a fab time!! She was very caring, and it was sooo nice having another female in the house to connect with. Here she is happily smiling by the local waterfall in Coatepec.

The last few months have also been about finding labor to assist me and help our household run smoothly. The right people have fallen into place, and each is a delight to have around. We started with Olga who helped us move in and continues to work here cleaning our house 3x/week. I LOVE the fresh feeling she gives the house. Then there's Ana who I consider to be our kitchen angel. She works 6 evenings a week to prep our raw foods. She makes fresh mandarin and grapefruit juice, cuts up ripe fruits such as papayas & pineapples, and creates scrummy, artistic salads.

She also brings one of her two precious daughters with her: Casandra, 3 y/o & Cynthia, 6 y/o. I love spending time with them, and we have a blast! I bought coloring books, crayons, a sketch pad, color pencils, and a bouncy ball for fun times at casa de shayla :) Ana also comes in the mornings 3x/week to help me take a shower and tend to any girly needs I have.

Last but certainly not least is Kenya, a 19 y/o who is shiny pretty and very industrious. She is a kind of jack-of-all-trades and helps us with different projects around the house 3x/week.

Recently, a new career has found me. I started studying astrology back in '97 and it has remained a passion of mine. In Sept, the opportunity came to write astro articles for a website. I took it and even amazed myself at how solid my astro skills are. I also had my first astro client and gave her a reading thru online chat, aah the internet...

I love it here, and I am the happiest I've been in a long time. Estoy muy contenta :)

It's hasn't been easy, but definitely worth it

...life in Mexico that is. It's been over a week since I posted. What's been going on? Let's start with diet, of course! We are in the midst of the Virgo lunation, from Aug. 30th to Sept. 29th, with a full moon this Monday (Sep. 15)!

Fruitarians in Mexico

The quality, availability, and price of fruit here is a definite step up from Austin, TX. But it's nowhere near what we would like and ultimately need to thrive. We are finding the same issue here, the fruit looks good but is not sweet. We are able to get decent papayas, mangos, and bananas fairly consistently along with pretty sweet citrus. This is what a day might look like:

11 am: we split a pitcher of fresh-squeezed citrus juice (orange, mandarins, grapefruit)

2pm: naner smoothie w/papaya or mango

6pm: more citrus juice followed by a large salad w/homemade citrus tahini dressing

Jack makes the mercado rounds nearly everyday and digs for the best he can find. We have learned that most of the fruit is brought in from other parts of Mexico and the local, rich fertile soil is used to grow coffee. Some bananas are grown here. Our goal is to raise awareness of the importance of locally grown food (especially fruit) and begin a permaculture. Jack has a green thumb, lots of experience, and looks forward to growing our own food. I have already picked out the seeds we're going to get.

We are definitely unique in our raw, fruitarian diet. Everyone eats a cooked food diet, and they don't know any different. It's wonderful how accepting the people are as they don't seem to find it a bit strange that we exist on a diet of primarily fruit. Not once since we entered Mexico have we heard the dreaded question "Where do you get your protein?" NICE!!

Physical Fitness Routine

I am sooo loving my stationary recumbent bike. It is kickin & workin my booty! The first time, all I could crank out was a 10 min ride. Within a week, I had worked my way up to a 40 min trek which left my lower gluts sore the next day:) I have since settled into a routine of 20 or 30 min rides per day using the various workout programs. All this to phat electronic house beats! Feels exhilarating!!

I continue to bounce on my trusty rebounder for 15-20 min at a time. Keeps the lymph system pumping and works the knots out of my back. I can do the whole session on my own now. Jack used to have to come and bounce me. Now, if my legs get tired, I do other movements like marching before resuming a steady bounce again.

At times, I follow the bike ride with upper body weight work. Bicep curls, triceps, shoulder presses, etc. I started with 2 lbs the first week, and am now up to 3 lbs. Building muscle and strength is empowering. BFBM! Burn Fat, Build Muscle!

One of the last things my physical therapist, Paul, mentioned as a key to getting fit is stretching. I have been incorporating yoga whenever I can in both seated & floor postures. We will soon begin looking for a local yoga instructor to give me private lessons en mi casa. I have been fortunate to find an excellent massage therapist, Andre, who came over to give me a therapeutic massage with lots of stretching. It was awesome, and I truly felt like walking when he was done.

Social Life

In many regards, we are still pretty isolated. Patience, we know that it takes time to meet people and create friendships. Our sweetest interactions have been with the ones we've hired to help us. There's Hector, the handyman, who worked with Jack to transform our house into a home. He's macho, funny, sensitive, and sweet- great fun to have around! Then, there's Olga who works at Posada San Jeronimo (our home in Coatepec for the first two weeks) and moonlights here in the afternoons 3x a week. She helped us with our move in and has been a delightful presence leaving our fruit cut and home sparkly clean. 

Hector introduced us to his 26 yr old daughter, Miriam, who needed some healing energy for a persistent sore throat. She hung out with us for a day eating fruit and salad, treating with ozone, and enjoying my music. We had a good time, and I was able to practice my Spanish quite a bit. 

Acquisition of Stuff

We brought everything we could in a van load. I knew the difficulty of getting specific goods before coming here, but it's still been a challenge. Gone are the days of needing an item, ordering from Amazon, and having it delivered within days. Jack has made a few trips to Xalapa to get us some necessities, but the prices are high with limited selection. We American consumers have been spoiled. There may be a trip back to the States soon to get stuff ;) 

Considering we have been in Coatepec for 40 days now, we are doing remarkably well. We secured a nice house, sufficiently furnished it, hooked into good produce sources, and found reliable help. Time in grade is what we need in this town to begin progress. I can't forget that underneath it all is the REAL reason we came here: To set up a space where I can strengthen my body and HEAL. I know I have a greater purpose to serve, and I want to recover and get on with it. 

Striking Beauty

With the moon in Libra today, I thought to share my simple beauty routine:

Eating a fruitarian 811rv diet. Low fat, salt, and spices leave my skin clear and glowing, without the need for any makeup.
Regular nude sunbathing. Nothing like being sun-kissed all over :)
Wash my face daily with warm water then gently rub in 3% H2O2. Oxygen is a superb cleanser & encourages regeneration. This has helped smooth out the acne scars & soften blemishes from my cooked days.
Coconut butter- a luxurious oil that is a real treat. I swirl a tiny bit into my thick, wavy hair after washing. I use on my skin as needed or when I feel indulgent. It's the only oil that I let my dark Mexican male masseur use.
Liquid gold- my urine. It's full of urea, and the skin just LOVES it. And because my diet is clean & rich in vitamins/minerals, my urine is lovely. My skin just laps it up and gets a rich hue when I apply it. (Did you know that the female body makes mother's milk from urine?)

It's nice to receive a daily gift of beauty naturally with minimal effort and inexpensively :))

I'm a Libran (with 4 planets in Libra), and beauty has always played a vital role en mi vida.

Satyam, Shivaram, Sundaram

Truth is God, God is Beauty

Truth is Beauty

Settling in...

Our first Sunday at the new home has been delightful! We awoke refreshed after a good night's sleep. The morning sun hits our back patio, and I laid out under the energizing rays for a bit. Then I hit the rebounder for about 20 min. This was followed by an invigorating shower in my cute new bathroom. For breakfast, Jack made us fresh squeezed tangerine juice. Sooo good!

He left for the daily mercado run while I chatted up my mom and sis. I am like a little kid when he returns, all excited to see what goodies he got. This is the veg bounty he brought home:

Locally grown lettuce so fresh that the roots are still attached, plump baby cukes, carrots, avocados, ruby red bell, and ripe tomatoes. We are going to have a hoppin salad tonight!

I am now drinking a banana-date-mango smoothie. So rich & satisfying. Our fruitarian lifestyle most def got a much needed boost here. 

**HOME SWEET HOME**

With this image of the papaya tree (boasting its first fruit) planted by the previous awesome tenants, I say hello to our new home in Coatepec :)

Exhausted after a day of moving, I had an excellent night of sleep last night. It is so peaceful, so tranquilo out here. Welcome change from sleeping in a hotel room facing a busy street in town.

Jack made us fresh squeezed o.j. this morning with his super citrus juicer. It was the best we have had yet. Sweet, pulpy- fab meal! We split a cherimoya before heading into town to continue our hunt for furniture. We have our basics (beds and a couch set) but we still need more. 

Later in the afternoon, Jack, with a tuff yet lovely girl we hired to help with our transition, left for Xalapa. We have a long list of need now items: glasses, plates, bed sheets, etc. With him gone, I am kickin' it with my fave hip-hop (he's not a fan). We configured two sets of speakers to AirTunes and it sounds wicked in here! The acoustics are incredible thanks to the non carpet floors and spacious front area of the house. I promise pics once we have fully unpacked and settled in.

Aaah, dinner was just delivered. The restaurant called La Papa, next door to our hotel, made us scrummy salads. Now that we have moved, they deliver- $7 for two salads!! So far, not missin the U.S. ;)

Toured the town today!

Today is Sunday and with Jack's encouragement, I got on my scooter and we enjoyed the town together. He has been walking around all week so he knew the places to take me.

We went to the central park of town, and it was filled with families enjoying the surroundings, playing, and eating.

We went to the fruit mercado where I tried a NEW fruit. It looked like a small, round golden cherry and had a distinct tropical fruity flavor. We didn't buy any today but will go back for some- more details in a future post. The new fruit experience didn't end there! We tried a soursop (guanábana).

It's a member of the cherimoya family and v delish! The ladies at our hotel prepared it the traditional way for us- deseeded and blended with water for a creamy, frothy drink!

We visited a lane of quaint shops with artwork and my favorite, clothes! Didn't buy anything today but a dress from the vanilla town of Papantla caught my eye :) We stopped for a bit and each drank 2 glasses of fresh squeezed o.j.

I LOVE it here! The transition hasn't been easy but we are making strides in the right direction. After a week of hunting, we found a lovely house with a salmon colored exterior to rent. Three bedrooms and 2 1/2 baths- perfect for our needs. We move in on the 21st, I am v excited!! 

We will be busy furniture shopping the next few days. There is a nice offering of rustic, colonial style furniture to choose from. Fun, fun!!

Acclimation to our new surroundings

We have been in Coatepec for a week now and with some ups & downs, are adjusting at a pretty good pace. These are the elements we are dealing with:

Weather

Coming from 100°+ temps in TX, the weather here has been absolute joy. The days have been sunny and breezy with highs in the 80's and 60's at night. We LOVE it!!! I especially like the no AC atmosphere. I have always had a strong aversion to the unnatural cold of the AC and kept my thermostat at 82°. If the temps in TX ever dipped below 90°, I would open all the windows and enjoy the flow of fresh air. Here, it's like that nearly all the time. The winters don't get too cold either with low temps in the 40's - 50's.

Higher Altitude (4100 ft)

The concentration of oxygen at sea level is about 21% and the barometric pressure averages 760 mmHg. As altitude increases, the concentration remains the same but the number of oxygen molecules per breath is reduced. This one has kicked our butts. Jack and I both felt winded, lightheaded, and had daily headaches for the past week. The reduced O2 intake also exacerbated my neuro symptoms especially the dizziness. Given time, the body can adapt to the decrease in oxygen molecules at a specific altitude. This process is known as acclimatization and generally takes 1-3 days. We are slowly acclimating and starting to feel better. 

Language 

I first learned Spanish when I was 12 and lived in Mexico. I studied Spanish in high school and

spent a month taking Spanish lessons in Guatemala during my post-college travels. I catch about 65% of what is said and need to practice my speaking. Jack also took Spanish in high school and spent years in Mexico in the late 90's. We get on fairly well and are going to make a concerted effort effort to improve our Spanish skills. 

Culture

Two words sum up the people here: Calor humano (human warmth). There is a genuine show of affection and thoughtfulness shared. I truly feel at home amongst the kind people. On the flipside, patience is key when dealing with them. Efficiency is not a strong suit here and though a job usually gets done, it often takes longer than we're used to.  Tranquilo....

Food

It took Jack a few days to connect with the local mercados and figure out who to buy from. But once he did, we have been eating so well. Papayas, mangos, pineapples, tangerines, and creamy baby naners have filled our days. We end the day with delicious red & gold bell peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, and avocado on a bed of lettuce.

Getting around

Coatepec is so beautiful, allow me to share some pics from the Flickr photostream of quetzalcalli.

Taxis are the best way to get around town, and the drivers have all been super helpful in walking me in and out of the cabs. As a a really nice expat said to me, "For disability standards, the Mexican buildings, streets, and sidewalks may not be up to code, but the people surpass the standards with their helpfulness." I couldn't agree more!

It's Sunday and the streets are quiet, not crowded with cars as they usually are. Jack thinks Sundays are likely to be the best day for me to explore the town on my little scooter. Should be fun!

Fruitarian Lifestyle Challenges

I LUV living the fruitarian lifestyle.

Fruit is colorful, vibrant, delicious, and the cleanest burning fuel available for human consumption. Eating a diet of primarily fruit does have its difficulties. One of the burning reasons we left the States is that it became increasingly tough to find a consistent supply of sweet fruit. Except for bananas which we pretty much lived off of, but even they are shipped in from thousands of miles away.

Finding fruit definitely got easier when we entered Mexico. Now that we are settling in, the game is on. This morning, Jack bought us mangos, a large papaya, and plump baby naners. All had a delectable flavor but needed a few more days to ripen to peak sweetness. And, baby, peak sweetness is where it's at! The key is to buy enough fruits in advance to have it ripe and sweet at every meal. This is easier once you get to know your local markets, get a sense of what to buy, and when to begin the storing & ripening process. Very intuitive. Sounds like a lot of work cuz it is :) 

We are still learning about the fruits in town and how long we need to ripen. We are dealing with cooler temps here than TX so it's a longer time curve than we're used to. The streets are lined with taquerias and sandwich shops. It would be so easy to go in one and be fed, no worrying about ripeness or sweetness. But honestly we don't want to. So we have eaten a bit skimpily the last day or so. Jack just got back from talking to the owner of the fruit market down the street and we may be in better shape in a day or so.

No doubt, eating this way often presents challenges. But the benefits are SOOO worth it! 

¡Viva la fruta!

We're here!!!

Five long, arduous days of travel and we have finally made it to Coatepec!! Posada San Jeronimo will be our temporary home. It is a charming and beautiful place with a warm and friendly staff. Here is a pic of the view outside our room.

 V  lovely. Well, I am knackered. Gotta get some rest.

Getting closer to our destination...

After leaving Cd. Victoria around noon, we drove into Tampico in the late afternoon. It was our shortest drive yet but we were both exhausted and happy to be greeted by the city.

We looked for a place to stay and after finding the ridiculously high prices offered by The Hampton Inn, we found a pleasant hotel down the street with a salmon pink decor and a more authentic local feel. They offered internet via ethernet LAN in the room and the first thing I did was setup a wireless network with our Airport Express- can take the girl out of Apple but can't take Apple out of the girl ;)

I vid chatted with my sis which was great. Jack and I then reviewed our travels for tomorrow using Yahoo! Driving Directions- Google Maps does not trace routes in Mexico :( 

We ate so well today that I must share :)

Breakfast: fresh squeezed, super-sweet o.j.

Lunch: papaya & mango chunks- great combo

Afternoon snack: orange/papaya juice- sooo good!

Dinner: large veggie salad prepared by the hotel restaurant chef specially for us - muchas gracias!

¡Hola from Ciudad Victoria!

After a hot, grueling day of travel thru Texas and an overnite stay in McAllen, we crossed the border this morning. We had been warned by many that Mexican immigration can be a bear to get through, and we had braced ourselves for a 2-3 hour ordeal. To our pleasant surprise, we were given an immediate green light to cross, and Jack obtained our six-month tourist visas within minutes. We were utterly delighted at the ease of our crossing and breathed a deep sigh of relief as we began the journey to our first stop: Ciudad Victoria

As we left the bordertown of Reynosa, I saw an older couple selling cut fruit from the back of

their pickup truck. I pointed them out to Jack who pulled right over. He had them cut a few papayas and fill our large container. Talk about fast food to go! In the U.S., you can find fast food joints on almost every corner selling unhealthy, toxic, processed junk. But you would be hard-pressed to find fresh, sweet fruit cut right in front of you. As we enjoyed our delicious papaya for lunch a couple of hours later, I thought, "Aaah, yes, we are finally here!"

The 200 mile trip to Cd. Victoria was lovely. The roads were lined with pretty, green vegetation, and delightful butterflies crossed our path for miles. The locals were kind and helpful at every stop we made. As we approached the city, the view of the mountains were spectacular.

After settling into our room at the Paradise Inn, we hung out on the big comfy couches in the lobby to access wi-fi and surf the net with our Apple laptops - MacBook for me and MacBook Pro for him :) Then we had a delish dinner at their restaurant: large veggie salads, guacamole, fresh salsa roja, nopales salad, and pints of fresh squeezed o.j.- YUM!!

We average about 50 mph in our trusty VW Westfalia. It's a total non-luxury van with no AC and pretty hard, upright seats that don't recline. Jack has pimped out the ride a bit though. The sound system is excellent with the iPod hooked into it and the speakers are killah. My seat was fitted with a lumbar support pad and a thick cushion. I can still only bear being on the road for a max of 6 hrs so we have decided to cover about 200 miles a day. Our next stop is is the seaside town of Tampico. 

Luego!

¡El Día Final!

Today is our last day in Austin, TX. While I am thankful for all this city and this country has given me, I am truly happy to be moving beyond it's borders. The last year and a half has taken me on a difficult and heart-wrenching journey. Hard work with the love & support of Jack - he'll be 'Diego' en Mexico :) - has strengthened and prepared my body for our travels. 

Physically, I have progressed quite a bit from the girl who couldn't even move around in bed or sit up on her own a year ago. It's my brain, namely the cerebellum, that still needs major healing, and my central nervous system needs regeneration. It's like my logic board needs repair ;) As a former Apple employee, I am used to troubleshooting and resolving technical issues. If only the human brain could simply be rebooted :))

The silver lining of my personal tragedy is that it has paved the way for us to do what we have always wanted- move south to a land where we are surrounded by lush nature, loving people, and fresh, sweet fruits. The pain and suffering I have endured has also brought me closer to becoming a more gentle, selfless, loving, and spiritually attuned woman.

I am hopeful and determined to make a full recovery. I believe this new environment we are moving to will provide the elements I need to heal. I am excited to begin this new chapter in my life.

Stay tuned! I plan on sharing my travel stories once we get settled and have internet.

¡Adiós para ahora!

16 days & counting!!

Wow! 16 days 'till we leave for Mexico and today is the 16th- pretty neat.  Jack has been hard at work getting us ready for our departure- with some help where I can provide it.  We have gotten rid of stuff through eBay, Craig's list, and donating. There were moments of difficulty in letting go of things that we have had for years, but overall it has been a cathartic experience. This George Carlin bit help put it into humorous perspective :-))

Out with the old, in with the new! We did buy a new stationary recumbent bike for my fitness needs. It's a NordicTrack AudioRider™ 400  and is V cool!! We test rode one at Sears, and it is a sweet ride. Plus, it's great for a techie geek like me. I can connect my iPod to it, and the music plays through the built-in speakers. There are 20 built-in workouts, and it also has a slot for the iFit Personal Training Workout Cards. I am currently watching eBay to score some iFit cards. We are also taking our rebounders, yoga mats, and hand weights down with us. When we get there, we plan on finding a local swimming pool to round out our fitness regimen.

With each passing day, the thrill of anticipation increases. Jack and I have always known we would not spend the remainder of our days here in the U.S. He was born here but spent many years living abroad including Mexico. I was born in India, grew up here, lived in Mexico for a couple of years in my childhood, and traveled through Guatemala & Mexico after graduating from college. I have often said: Mi sangre es de India pero mi corazón es Latina. (My blood is of India but my heart is Latina.)

Home Physical Fitness

I have worked, challenged, and strengthened my body over the past six months with the following activities:

Rebounder

I spend about 20-30 minutes on my rebounder. The first 15 min are spent health bouncing. I can do 5 min on my own, then I need Jack to bounce me by placing his foot between my feet on the rebounder and pumping while I hold onto the bar. I spend the remainder of the time marching in place, stretching, and doing leg exercises such as squats, side kicks, calf raises, etc.

Stationary Recumbent Bike

I tune into my iPod shuffle and spin away. On the bike I currently use at our apartment gym, I do 15 min of the Fat Burning cycle followed by 15 min of the Strength cycle at Level 3. According to the console, I travel over 11 miles and burn approx 120 calories.

Swimming Pool

With the advent of warmer weather, I began getting in the water at the apartment swimming pool. At first, I gripped the edge of the pool as I walked. Then after some coaching from Jack, I walked across the pool on my own. I now walk multiple laps and perform various water exercises such as kickbacks, marching, squats, toe raises--the possibilities are endless. I LOVE the freedom being in the water gives me. I can stand, walk, and move on my own. And nothing beats a hot TX day like a dip in the pool. It's wonderful!

  Mat Work

I use my yoga mat on the living room floor for numerous activities. I stretch and do yoga postures such as bridge, fish pose, cobra, spinal twist, etc. I also do core exercises to strengthen the vital center of my body as it supports everything else. Jack gives me a chiro adjustment once a week or so which helps tremendously.

Upper Body Strength Training 

I do a combination of free weights and machine weights to build the muscles in my upper body. I use the Lat Pulldown and the Pects/Delts machines at the apartment gym. I do bicep curls, tricep extensions, shoulder presses, reverse bicep curls, and tricep kickbacks with free weights and have worked up to 3 sets of 10 reps with a 4 lb weight. The 5 lb dumbells are close by and I am nearly there ;) 

I have also started doing dips on our stairs, pull ups from a seated position using the bars on a machine in the gym, and yoga pushups on my knees--V TOUGH! 

                                                     

Dreams of dancing

It's my TOM (time of month) which has never been a particularly easy time for me. The combination of yoga and the fruit based diet had alleviated my discomfort and pain significantly a few years ago. However, in my current condition, I am unable to move as freely as before and my diet hasn't been as clean as I would like. Therefore, I am experiencing the worst TOM I have in a long time-- severe cramps, lower back pain, exhaustion, emotionally frayed. This on top of the daily neuro symptoms I must endure: intense vertigo & dizziness, shaky vision, tremulous hands, brain fog. It DOES NOT make for a pleasant experience.

Thank goodness for the silver lining. There is an ancient, non-pharmaceutical medicinal herb that I have access to. I put on Shiva Rea's Shakti Rhythms, wrapped my abdomen and lower back in heating pads, took a spoonful of raw wildflower honey to protect my throat, and vaporized the herb. It's positive effects were immediate.

First, my funky emotional state began to mellow as a warm & fuzzy feeling settled in. From my comfy seated position, with my eyes closed, I started to move to the gentle rhythm of the music. My cramps diminished slowly, and I actually felt a subtle burst of energy. I stood up and using my walker for support, I did a number of hip circles. It felt soooo good. 

Living with my current disability is a daily struggle. I miss the freedom of being able to just get up and move, go where I want, and do what I want at any given moment, with no help from anyone. As I closed my eyes and let the music take me, I felt the overwhelming desire to dance and perform standing yoga postures. I miss those two activities so much it hurts. But I remind myself that I am regaining my mobility every day, and I will NOT stop working to regain what I have lost. 

Another benefit of the herb is that it helps reconnect me with my higher, wiser self. The one who is able to soothe and unconditionally love me. The one who has unlimited strength and unshakeable faith in the Divine.

I also experienced a wonderful, true hunger. I often lose my appetite when I don't feel well or I want to turn to comfort junk food. But the herb induced a hunger that was only satisfied with sweet, delicious fruit. For lunch, I ate four large EARTH bananas and savored each bite. I even tasted a hint of pineapple and found that EARTH University also grows pineapples! Mmmm pineapple.... V cool!

40 Days till we leave for Mexico!!

Spanish phrase for the day

No comemos el alimento cocinado. Comemos frutas enteras, maduras durante el día y ensalada de verduras por la tarde.

We do not eat cooked food. We eat whole, ripe fruits during the day and vegetable salad in the evening.

Happy Summer Solstice!

As summer begins, I thought I would check back in after a long hiatus and share some exciting news.

On August 1st, Jack and I plan to travel to Coatepec, Mexico near Xalapa in the state of Veracruz. Our lease at our current home ends on July 31st, and we decided not to renew. It was time for us to plan our next move which, after much consideration, led us to Mexico. 

Coatepec, Veracruz

First, the cost of living is squeezing us out of the US. Jack can’t work for someone else because he is dedicated to me virtually full time, so we’re dependent entirely upon my disability income, which is small. Every month has us in the red, and that is unsustainable. Mexico offers more “bang for the buck,” so we think this may arrest the financial hemorrhage.

Because of my frail condition, Jack is reluctant to take me too far from the US. In an emergency, I’m a day and a half drive to the border or an hour and a half flight from the Veracruz International Airport. The advantage of traveling by van, as we intend, is to take all the healing aids we've gathered, along with some creature comforts. When we arrive, we plan to continue and, hopefully, enhance our health routines.

Third, our diet is based primarily on tropical and subtropical fruits: bananas, mangos, papayas, melons, etc. We have found that the quality of those fruits, almost all imported, has diminished substantially here in Austin—to the point where we struggle to maintain our preferred raw fruit & veggie diet (frutas y verduras). Our understanding is that Coatepec is in a very soil-rich region with lots of fresh produce year round. 

Fourth, we have found ourselves in complete social isolation here in Austin. We have no family/friend network or safety net to help out if an emergency arose. Thus, there are no ties to any community that would keep us here. 

We are adherents to the Peak Oil concept and believe that substantial changes are coming to the American lifestyle, if not the world. This is based on a declining supply of oil and natural gas at ever higher prices, leading to eventual crises in the not too distant future. While this may sound “doom and gloom,” there are a growing number of scientific types who are pointing to certain incontestable facts. On one of the lists Jack monitors, The Oil Drum, he met a college professor who is retiring to Mexico from New England to avoid the difficulties he foresees coming: Peak Oil Report. He selected Coatepec as a good spot to ride out the coming storm. He placed a general invitation for others to join him there, and Jack contacted him by phone. We’ve been in communication ever since, and he’s been most helpful in facilitating our transition. Apparently, there is an expat community there.

Next, our research of the area turns up a most agreeable climate, a “cloud forest” that averages 66°F year round, highs in the 80s, lows in the high 40s, a coffee-growing area, full of birds and orchids. We’ve been in email contact with at least one other person there, the co-owner of the local EcoLodge, El Retoño, who has been kind enough to offer to rent a cabin on a monthly basis while we decide if we want to stay longer.

A spiritual element may also be fulfilled for us. Ashram Coatepec offers yoga, meditation, and other lovely activities. 

Additionally, while we don’t want to exploit anyone there, we are certainly looking for someone who can assist Jack in caring for me on a long-term basis, within our budget. He hasn't had a day off since I came home from the hospital on May 19, 2007. Finding help would have been financially impossible here in the US. In Mexico, we might actually be bringing a job to someone.

Finally, to complete the circle life often takes us on, Jack and I met in Mexico 11 years ago. Our love and life together began there, and we are happy to be going back.

My mother says we passed through Coatepec on our way to Xalapa back in the day. When I was 12, my father's career took us to Veracruz where we lived for a year. So, the loop goes back even further. 

April 9 PT Session & Fruity Love

I woke up feeling OK this morning. Some noise disturbed me around 6 am, and I slept fitfully the next few hours. I got up at 9 am and, after a shower, decided to take a dive in my HBOT chamber. I spent 45 min in the chamber listening to Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows, sooo good, v sad it's the last one. I came out of the chamber feeling refreshed. My energy level had pepped up, too. I was ready for the day! After a delicious and satisfying 32 oz. banana-celery-date smoothie, we were off to physical therapy (PT).

I returned to PT after a two-week absence, and it was good to be back. I got there early and spent 25 min on the NuStep- invigorating workout! Then Paul, my inspiring therapist, came

and walked with me over to the rehab stairs. He handed me a cane to use as I climbed up and down the stairs with my other hand on the railing for support. It took some getting used to holding a cane and using it for stability rather than leaning on it for support. Paul reminded me that my legs are strong and that I should feel confident using them to support me. Climbing up wasn't too difficult but going down was scary. After my first shaky step down, Paul instructed me to lead with the cane one step ahead and then step down, watching my feet as I stepped. By the last step, I felt more stable and confident.

Next, I did squats on the rebounder holding the stability bar with only one hand. Great, just when I had gotten the hang of doing squats while gripping the bar with both hands! But that is Paul's job: to nudge me out of my comfort zone. As my body learns and adapts, it can get comfortable doing things a certain way (the lazy or easy way) which can hold me back from taking it to the next level. Paul explained that in order to retrain my neuro-muscle behavior, I have to challenge it. He ended our session having me practice sitting and standing from a chair. The action of sitting was much improved, but my standing needed work. I was not coordinating the raising of my upper body with the straightening of my legs. My knees were popping back, straightening my legs as my upper body was still bent over. With proper instruction from Paul and practice, I finally got it! It felt good to get the coordination and do it with ease. I am always amazed at how all this movement used to just come naturally, and now I am having to focus my mind to relearn it. I suppose it's a form of functional amnesia, and I've lost the memory of how to do it. So, I have to learn it all over again. Ah, the things we take for granted until we lose them.

Afterward, Jack and I headed over to REI to pick up a shirt I had ordered for him. I had some dividend $$ from '06 that I wanted to redeem, and buying my honey a new shirt was the perfect way to do it. It's a nice, earthy shirt and he liked it :) He's heavy in earth signs (Capricorn), and I love him in earth tones. WF is in the same Gateway shopping center, so we went there next to pick up some groceries. We needed to restock on bags of frozen organic mango that we love for our smoothies.

After shopping, we came home, and Jack made us a rich banana-carob-cacao smoothie. Yum, it was like a chocolate milkshake without the sugar and dairy- what a treat!

Today makes the 4th day in a row of feeling good and energetic. I believe the raw, fruit-based diet has made all the difference. I tried everything else first, without any success. It wasn't until I gave up my addiction to salty/spicy/fatty cooked carbs that I started to see an improvement. I've always known this, but I have to keep proving it to myself, just to be sure. An added bonus is the emotional boost I feel. Living with my neurological condition and physical disability is a daily psychological difficulty. As I have mentioned before, I often succumb to feelings of hopelessness and despair. But after many fruit-filled days, I feel happier, more optimistic, and brimming with love. Fruity love.... This hangs in our living room for inspiration:

I love being surrounded by tropical fruits, and someday, I'm going to go live where they grow!