The International IB school expat world – it’s a unique slice of life.  It’s like college all over again.  I moved to a new place.  Lots of other people moved to a new place at the same time – from all over the world.  We’re the freshman, the newcomers trying to figure it all out.  We’re committed to be here for two years.  Some will stay longer and some will decide that it’s not the right place for them before their two years are up.  There are those who have been here a while, the upper classmen if you will.  They know the best places to eat, they know where to shop and how to get your laundry done.  Some of them have lost a little of the spark – the excitement for the new adventure. It’s no longer a new stage of life for them.  But the freshmen are constantly trying to make connections and build a community for themselves.  There are dinners together, ultimate Frisbee games, weekend trips and holiday celebrations.  All with the same vision – to connect with others and make this new place home.

I’m a freshman by association, because I’m married to a teacher.  I’m in the same boat of trying to build a community – a place of connection in a foreign land.  It’s learning about new people and letting them learn about me.  It’s being open and vulnerable.  It’s what building friendships is all about.  It’s part of the adventure.  

I’ve moved around a bit over the last decade and each place I’ve lived has housed a different slice of the world’s population.  I grew up in the Maryland suburbs of Washington D.C. – a land of professional commuters and military types.  From there I headed off to Grove City College – a school swarming with scholarly Christian summer camp enthusiasts and C.S. Lewis loving conservatives.  Three months after I graduated I got married and moved to Brooklyn, NY.  Moving to Brooklyn right after 4 years of college in tiny Grove City, PA was a bit of a culture shock.   I was a suburban expat living in the big city among a quirky conglomerate of individuals and families from all over the world.  From Brooklyn we moved to Reno, NV, a sunny haven on the edge of Lake Tahoe filled with laidback outdoor enthusiasts and gamblers alike.  Each of these places has shaped who I am.

And now I’m living in Mexico City.  The third most populated city in the world (just before New York City and right after Tokyo and Seoul, if you were wondering).  I’m still trying to figure out how to define the faces of Mexico City.  I’m not sure they can be singularly named.  They are the faces of the men and women making their living running tiny food stands on every corner practically 24 hours a day, the men who are out washing cars and doing landscaping in our apartment complex as early as 6am, the artists selling their wares at markets spread out across every neighborhood, business people who start their days early and don’t come home until 8 or 9pm – sitting in traffic for hours a day, the government officials, diplomats, and generally wealthy who send their kids to The American School with nannies and chauffeurs, and the expats from all over the world who are drawn to the city for any number of reasons.  These are the people of Mexico City.  I am one of them.  This is not somewhere I ever expected to live.  But here I am.

Our condo has been rented! We're so happy that the stress of waiting is over.  Thanks for your prayers.

And in other good news - we found an apartment to rent.  We'll be putting a deposit down on it today.  It's just a five minute walk from where we're currently staying in a fairly new and large apartment complex.  My favorite feature?  The great walk-in closet in the master bedroom with tons of built-in drawers and shelves.  With a husband, son, and a male dog I have to make sure to keep a few girly favorites:)  Besides we weren't able to bring much with us, so although I don't have much furniture to fill up the apartment I at least have clothes to keep in the closet.

On Tuesday we took a brief break from city life and visited a nearby ecological park.  It was great to get away from the crowded streets and enjoy a little bit of nature.  It's hard to believe the park is surrounded by such a huge city.  I have a feeling Eli and I will be stopping by occasionally to take a walk and spend some time in the grass.

Now that we're headed off to another country I decided it's time to resurrect the blog again. We've been on the road with our car crammed full for 5 days now. Here we are just before we left Reno:

So here's a brief run down of the trip so far:

Day 1 - We drove from Reno to Boulder City, NV and stopped very briefly in Las Vegas to see the water show at the Bellagio.

Day 2 - We headed to Flagstaff, AZ and managed to make it to the Grand Canyon in time for the sunset.

Day 3 - We drove to Albuquerque, NM and visited with the wonderful Dodrill family. It was great for Eli to have a chance to crawl and around and for Dave and I to enjoy a home cooked meal and catch up with the Dodrills, who are friends of Dave's family from MD.

Day 4 - We drove 11 hours from Albuquerque to Granbury, TX - our longest day on the trip. The only mishap was Dave leaving his I pod on top of the car when we stopped for lunch. It flew off the top at about 40 miles an hour, but was miraculously unharmed when Dave picked it up out of the middle of the road. We'll now be loyal customers of Speck cases.

Eli has become somewhat nocturnal at this point, so he was great in the car, but stayed up pretty late that night after sleeping so much.

Day 5 - We visited with my Dad's parents in Granbury, went out for a delicious Italian meal with them and then headed to Dallas to visit my mom's parents.

Today we're enjoying relaxing in Dallas and looking forward to dinner with the extended family tonight. We'll be here enjoying some much needed rest until Thursday morning when we make the drive down to Loredo, TX.

Thank you to everyone who has been praying for our trip. So far we have had a very successful and enjoyable journey.