May 11th, "what did we do on mother's day?"..."we celebrated mothers all across the world" - Katie Davis

Today was crazy awesome!!!! haha Actually it was almost ordinary, but I wanted to add some pizzazz to the intro :) We read, slept, sweat, and walked!
But first... we ate! This was Lazaro's last morning, so the three of us went out for a final meal. La China (not to be confused with Va Gina!..Thanks Katie haha) was the restaurant of choice. In order to get to the dining room, we had to first walk through the kitchen, passing their pet parrot who happened to be missing many feathers, and grandma who appeared to be doing dishes.
This morning I try the Chilaquiles! This recommendation from a friend, was delicious. It's torn up tortillas with a spicy sauce and torn up cheese over it. It hurt my belly, but was so worth it.

Over breakfast we talked about Fernando's financial state. He always seems to manage to break even by the end of turtle season, despite loans he takes out and how in the hole he appears. As an American, I'm well aware that in order to really grow a business, you need to do better than break even. This is something not apart of the Mexican culture which I think is what makes it so hard. They give until they have nothing, and even then they will still give. This is wonderful and generous, but they also have a hard time accepting and taking. For example, Katie wanted to give Fernando a disclosed amount of money for allowing her to stay with him and for his hospitality etc. This was money he clearly needed, but repeatedly turned it down and kept shoving it back into Katie's hands. She finally made him take it and said she wanted a shirt and would call it even. He wanted to just give her the shirt and not get anything. This is nice on the outside, but in operating his camp, he needs to think about it as more of a business. This is also the only way he will be able to receive a large amount of funding from other big businesses or companies or cities even. The three of us talked about ways for them to start changing how they work things so that we can get them more money in return. They first need to start writing everything down that concerns money. Without this, no one will give big checks to help them because it will appear as though the money is just disappearing into the abyss. Those of us who are down here know better, but still, if you want to work with America, you've got to know the rules. We've started to set up a spread sheet to just start getting numbers down for their operation. We need written proof of their expenses over the last few years in order to work with big financial supporters, so the three of us are working to get that done by the time I leave on the 30th.
We walked around the stores and headed back to the house. It was unfortunately time to say goodbye to Laz. Fernando and Laz joked around for a while and then accepted that it was indeed time to go. Laz took off and Katie and I went back to the cabin. We read for about 2 and a half hours.
By about 2, it was hot..and I'm talking real hot. Like you're brain stops working and all you can do is nap or walk. It's ridiculous. We had already napped, so it was walking time. We headed for the beach and just went. We walked for an hour and then went swimming to cool down. After you walk the beach for 45 minutes, you finally hit the part of the beach where no one goes. We swam for a little while and then just sat and talked. We talked about our families, home, air conditioning, what we want to do in the future-All very good things. The thing I like most about just walking with Katie is that we both enjoy talking and we both enjoy the silence. We talked for about half the time we walked and used the rest to just be in our heads and think. The beautiful ocean and soundtrack of birds and waves crashing can inspire much thought.
We got home and it was time for the best part of the day. Shower and get food time.
We got pizza which was delicious as usual, and then switched it up and got ice cream after. The 24 hour store actually sells the Magnum bars we had been hunting down all week, so we enjoyed those and walked back home. Then it was time to check our mail and connect with the outside world (or write in my blog). After a little while, though, it just gets old. I want to read now. I want to lay around and just relax. It's something that I never would have expected of myself before this second return.
I returned to the room and talked to Katie for a little while, then we decided it was movie time. and not just any movie...TOMB RAIDER!!! haha The Cradle of Life is bad, its amazing. It was the perfect way to end the day.

Now for some insight.
Everything feels like a home here-Restaurants, the beach, the 24 hour store Katie and I love so much, and every stand we pass on the way to town. There are always families out front or walking around together. A family prepares the food for your family. I've never been to a place where literally everything feels like a home. It really makes me miss my family. I doubt we all start a road side taco stand together, but I love being with them. My brother told me today that travelling adds years onto your brain and it's so true. I feel like I've grown up more than I could have imagined being down here. In high school, I would have been so scared to have made this decision by myself, it probably never would have happened. I would have made up an excuse to get out of coming, and would have retreated back home. But now the truth is that I love exploring and learning. I love meeting families and people and making friends. The change that has happened since coming back for round two, however, is that I can appreciate the balance. No longer can I imagine myself living in just one place, but nor can I see myself growing up without my homebase, without my family and their families. I need both to be happy. I also need to just take a step back every once in a while and look at my life. Just float and exist. Existing, as I have come to find, is way underrated. No matter how busy you are, there is always time to just exist. If you don't have it now, make it for yourself. It is this simple act of existing right now that is keeping me at peace. I could worry about going home and working, or having enough gas to last me all summer, but I won't. I'll exist and be happy, and that's that.