Day 61

In our transition to our new life here, my husband and I are in constant conversation of comparisons with the United States. Everything is “you would never see that happen in MD, or the price for that was so cheap in comparison to the United States”. While all that is true, it is so nice to have fresh eyes and appreciation of where you are in the moment. Most is all positive. Happy to be here rather than there (especially under our circumstances), but there are a few things that require a little ‘adjustment’.

Mazatlán time: everything is slower but the driving. The service in restaurants, the lines in the supermarket, the list can go on but what is nice is that here, there is no place people would rather be. No one is inconvenienced by the wait time in line at Walmart or the supermarket. Everyone seems happier in the moment.

Products I use every day in the US are not here. That requires an adjustment. There are similar items but for nostalgia purposes, I miss fresh pasta, mostly tortellini. The similar items require translation, so I evaluate the importance in my daily routine on whether I have to go hunting for it in a new city where I do not speak the language, yet.

There are so many little things about Mazatlán that I love. Fresh fruit everywhere and anywhere. The tacos are amazing. The people are warm and open to immigrants. The home décor is just gorgeous with simple colors and solid clay and wood. Subtle charm.

But most importantly is the fact that I feel SO MUCH safer here in Mazatlán as a woman. I know other women and mothers with young children feel the same because I see them a lot less attentive and diligent as young mothers in the US. I can run outdoors with BOTH ear buds in. I am constantly surveying my surroundings and not once since I have been here have, I said to myself “this does not feel safe”. That is priceless in my opinion.