It was wonderful to spend an entire month in Sitka. But, it is equally wonderful to be traveling again - and to be outside the United States even if it is "just" Mexico. I'm back at Mom's place in San Antonio Tlayacapan on Lake Chapala in the state of Jalisco.
I head back to Sitka on September 30. From there I head to Anchorage on October 5 and then up to Barrow the following week. It will be great to get back in Barrow for the first time since I left in February. I'll return to Sitka on October 30.
Mom is here as well. We have an easy routine. I head off walking and exploring for most of the day but we get together in the evening for dinner and then a movie from her vast collection of VHS tapes. Tonight we watched Chariots of Fire, last night we watched Lillies of the Field.
Mom has a good circle of friends here that she is re-connected with. And her former students still remember her. Marcela came over today bringing flowers and home-made flan. The first time we met Marcela she was entering middle school. Cousin Denise and I were visiting Mom when Marcela and her mother came over to meet Mom. The person who was supposed to translate didn't show up for some reason so I ended up translating. I can still picture us - tiny Marcela, her mom, my mom, Cousin Denise and I - sitting in a circle and me with a Spanish-English dictionary trying to translate! Marcela has now graduated from law school, has completed her two years of internship and has her official certificate allowing her to practice law.
OTHER NEWS!!!!! I am in the movies. Or at least the trailer for what used to be called Everybody Loves Whales and is now called Big Miracle. You may recall that during the first week of my retirement last year my 1983 Isuzu diesel pick-up truck and I were extras for the four days the second unit was in Barrow filming exterior shots. The first trailer for the movie came out this week. At approximately one minute and 37 seconds on the left side of the screen you can see the back of my purple parka and my Sorrel boots for all of about two seconds as we community members head off to save the whales. The voice over is saying ". . . as school children and shopkeepers alike. . . " Here is a link to the trailer:
http://www.everybodyloveswhales.com/trailer.html
I can't wait to see if my parka and/or truck are in any other shots. And, I can't wait to see what other Barrow people show up in the movie.
I just realized that I am coming up on the end of my first year of retirement. It has been an amazing journey. I miss my friends and the community of Barrow. But I have been blessed with the opportunity to travel to new and old places; to make new friends and reconnect with old friends. I will continue to do that during my second year of retirement. See you soon!
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