hasta luego

My year, by the (approximate) numbers:

-  283 days in Mexico
-  13 states (out of 31, not bad!)
- 8 zonas arqueológicas
- 13 pueblos mágicos
- 91+ occurrences of ☺️  in WhatsApp (not including deleted threads)
- 161 new Facebook friends
- $16,100 (pesos) total spent on rent
- an average of 3 miles walked daily
- 4 Duolingo classrooms with 117 students total
- 12 weeks of photography class
- countless bus movies watched (minus their last half hour or so), tacos consumed, and times I explained the 3rd person "s" to no avail

What I, er, won't particularly miss:

- feeling like an ignorant foreigner every time I leave my house/open my mouth to speak/generally exist/etc. (despite typically interacting with very gracious and nonjudgmental individuals)

- getting weird looks for wearing anything but jeans even when it's hot as blazes outside

- being the last to know about everything on campus, from a canceled class to a faculty meeting to a major change of school leadership

- the trash truck (see here)

- not being able to bake (I should clarify that I never even attempted to use the inside of my oven... in general it's seen as a storage space in Mexican households)

- horror stories in the news, even when I felt like my general area/daily life was quite safe

- having to order garrafones of water, being told it would be delivered in 15 minutes, and waiting outside for hours before it actually arrived (related: not having a doorbell)

- paying for my clothes to be washed but dropping by the lavandería at least three times before it was ready for pick up

- getting stomach sick like clockwork every time I thought, "Hey, I haven't been sick in a while!"

What I (already) miss so much because I love Mexico and it will forever have a special place en mi corazón:

- FRUIT! so cheap! with chilito!

- workout classes where I'm personally known, appreciated, and missed when I skip because I'm lazy can't make it

- my favorite panadería, La Casa de Pan Integral, where I'd buy myself a couple of delicious pastries each Monday whether I needed 'em or not 

- being referred to as "Miss," "Profa," "Maestra," or "Teacher" even in totally non-school-related contexts

- social media culture in which texting anyone and everyone out of the blue to say hi or ask for a favor is not only normal but expected!!

- being the default authority on inglés-- but I'm sorry I have no idea why though, through, and thorough are pronounced so differently 

- affectionate advice (e.g. "¡Tápate! You're all sweaty from Zumba and it's cold [70°F] outside!")

- being greeted by someone I know (more accurately, someone who knows me) whenever I'm walking around the centro, without fail

- colorful buildings and beautiful views around every corner

- friendly vendors who always recognized me ("OK güerita how many plátanos do you want today?")

- cooking for myself (especially my tradition of weekend morning pancakes); this doesn't have to stop but it will certainly be less interesting when I have more than one pot, frying pan, spoon, etc. 

- apodos-- how there are [instant] nicknames for everyone; being called "Mali" by people who I just met

- and, of course, LOS ANTOJITOS y otros platillos-- chilaquiles, gringas, gorditas, memelas, agua de jamaica o melón, manzanas de chamoy, enchiladas, I could go on...

- plus so much more... shout out to all of the wonderful people who made my time in Atlixco so wonderful!

MÉXICO LINDO Y QUERIDO, I'll be back!