a little about me and you

A while back I renamed my blog "This is Life".  When I started it back in 2008, after moving to Mexico, I had titled it "Life in Mexico".  I changed it because I realized it didn't matter where I was living and didn't want my focus to be on the fact that I am in Mexico.  Life is life no matter where you are located.

Of course I talk about it here and there, comparing things, even three years later, to how here is different from there.  But, overall, my life is not Mexico and I don't want to dwell on it.  There are more fun things to talk about than Mexico.

A few months ago I found a whole community of people that are in a similar situation.  And, that community is nice to belong to.  So, having said that, I am going to join the expat community in a blog challenge.

This originated at Lisa's blog, From One Country to Another.  She created a set of questions so we could get to know a little more about each other.  Even my non-expat readers could learn something about me.  If you want to participate, please do and link up in the comments.

1. How long have you been with your husband?
We have been together seven years and in September will have been married for 5 years.

2. Can you remember a funny miscommunication due to language barriers?
I can't recall any funny miscommunication.  But, there have been miscommunication, some due to the language barrier.  None stick out in my mind, though.

3. Where have you relocated?
In May 2008 I moved to Jalostotitlan, Jalisco.  If you find Guadalajara and Aguascalientes on a map and draw a line between the two cities, we are pretty much in the middle of those two places.

4. Do you have any children?
We sure do. As you might have noticed, part of this blog is dedicated to our crazy girls.  Annabella is 4 and will be 5 on December 31.  Emily is 3.  She just turned 3 on March 6.  They were 16 months and 2 months when we moved here so this whole "living in Mexico" thing is normal to them.

5. What is one thing that your blogger friends don’t know about you?
I would say the one thing they don't know is that I played clarinet from 5th grade through my senior year of high school.  And, just to clarify, I was NOT a band nerd! (That was for you, Marla.)

6. How did you stumble upon the blogging community?
Well, I stumbled onto a expat forum and was just looking around at all the questions.  Someone posted Leslie of Motherhood in Mexico's blog and she had a sizable list of "mexpats".  I commented on a few blogs and ever since I have joined the "community".  I have to say, I have "meet" a few people that I just have hit it off with and seem like there is definitely a friendship forming.  That is what I like most about it. 

7. Have you learned something new about yourself through the immigration process?
I already knew I don't like waiting, so I can't claim the immigration process allowed me to learn that.  I would say...that I do have the ability to relax a bit.  I can just take one day at a time and not worry about the future, too much.  I didn't think I could do that.  But, thanks to all this loveliness, I am doing exactly that.  It is refreshing in a way.

8. What is something that you love about your new country and what is something that you cannot stand (or greatly miss from your home country)?
I can't really say there is anything that I "love" about the country, but I do like that living here has allowed the girls to experience their Mexican heritage.  And the full immersion has produced two bilingual little girls.  It's really cute to hear them having conversations in Spanish with each other.  Also, I like that life is more laid back down here.

I miss lots of things.  I make up for some of them with a little thing called the US Post Office and a mother that is willing to box up stuff and mail it to me.  Of course I miss my family and friends.  Even though we get to visit the States fairly regularly, it isn't the same. 

9. Did you know your in-laws before moving? Has it been an adjustment being closer to them?
I had visited twice, once for a couple days and the other right before I moved here.  At first it was a HUGE adjustment.  We live, literally, down the street from my in-laws.  Now I rely on my mother-in-law to watch the girls for me.  They all seem very nice and have no issues with me.  That I know of. :)

10. If you were going to your home country next week, where is the first place you would go after seeing your family?
I'm not going next week, but I will be there in October.  I have a ritual for each time I visit.  My mom picks us up from the airport, we head to her house and I leave the girls with my parents and head straight to Target!  I try to squeeze Target in as much as possible on my visits!  Love that place.  But, who doesn't?  And, why isn't there any in Mexico!?
 
11. What is your favorite pasttime?
Being down here, in the house most of the time, I have to have many pasttimes.  My "favorite" changes from week to week.  Or month to month.  I might be on a reading kick.  Right now with my Kindle broken, I have been obsessed with the internet and food blogs.  I love finding new recipes to try.  It is a challenge because finding all the necessary ingredients isn't always easy.