Another Lovely Daaay

(This post is most properly read with Bill Withers in the background)

It started with our cat Belle screaming to be allowed to go up to the rooftop terrace. After prying my eyes open, I slide out of bed and opened the door - letting her, but not Osa, out to play up top. Osa cannot be trusted to stay within the terrace and immediately looks for a way to get beyond the walls.

I started our coffee machine after filling it with the amazing local coffee our friend Tim roasts himself, exactly to Ken's liking. As the coffee was brewing I did the dishes from the night before and opened up our large windows overlooking the lake. The air was chilly, perfect for yoga, so I changed and went upstairs with my mat.

The temperature stayed cool, the bugs stayed away, and I was in just the right mood so I went through just about every posture I know several times and added a bonus, finishing by massaging my face using some of the Thai Massage moves I learned over the weekend class. Belle was right at my side the whole time, somehow staying out of the way but slinking in between my legs and stretching along next to me. Afterwards, I sat with my legs crossed, soaking in the sun, and tried something new. One by one, I visualized the people that I love and miss back home, and sent them each my love and wishes for a good day. Felt good to connect, even if it was only on my end.

When the sun got too hot, I retreated to the lounge under the cabina and sat in the shade for a bit with Belle who crawled onto my chest and was purring loudly. I eventually tore myself from the perfect view and loving kitty and went downstairs to get ready for work.

I poured a cup for my sleeping hubby and left it next to the bed, and poured one for me with a little coconut oil mixed in. Grabbed my laptop, glasses, flash drive of Brazilian music and headed back upstairs. I love working from the roof.

The music was exactly as I remembered from the week before at Paco Real, a local restaurant owned by a Swiss man and his Guatemalan wife. Their two teen boys serve as hosts, waiters and sometimes even bartenders. ;-) When I asked him about the lovely song that was playing, he was so excited that I asked, explaining in great detail about the artist and offering to set me up with more of his music if we brought him a flash drive.

The sounds of rolling Portuguese and soft guitar as my background, I dove into an exciting assignment for a client who is building a wonderful parent engagement program for her county. I have been tasked with developing the evaluation plan, and those that know me know how much I love data and measurement - ensuring that those precious dollars are going towards the activities that help kids and families the most.

Ken came up and brought Osa along, trying to give her a chance under his supervision to understand what her boundaries needed to be. At some point, she escaped through the laundry room and Ken found her at our landlord's gate, very easily in the path of the three large German Shepards who live here. Last time for Osa.

Lost in my work, I nearly missed the fact that it was nearing time for me to start walking to town to catch my first group Spanish class. I quickly pulled together and devoured some oatmeal with chocolate, coconut and nuts and changed into a sundress because it was going to be a brisk, hot 15 minute walk to make it on time.

Climbing the long driveway to the gate at the road is usually enough to make me gasp for several minutes, but strangely today I practically ran up the path and my breathing was barely affected. As I walked down the "unnamed road" as Google calls it, I came upon a "pack" of about 50 small yellow butterflies who were on the ground and when I startled them, they spiraled upward around me, feeling quite magical. I ran into two such packs and dozens of others in other colors in ones and twos - by far more butterflies in one walk than I had ever seen. It left me with this feeling that something special was happening.

I came into Hostel Del Lago where the class was being held and ran into our friend and Tim the coffee guy's wife Osnat, who had just taught a yoga class. Tim came in shortly after to pick her up and offered to meet me after class to give me our next order of coffee and some new jam they made from a fruit, jocote, which San Marcos is famous for.

View from our "classroom"

There were four of us students and our teacher Andrew in what has to be the most beautiful Spanish class setting in the world. The time  passed incredibly quickly as we talked about the lake towns, culture, challenges...all in Spanish of course. Great, fun and safe environment for learning a new language.

After class, I walked with Andrew up to the Konojel Nutrition Center, a non profit that provides a healthy lunch for at-risk kids and elderly, along with an academically enriched after school program, nutrition education and two organic community gardens. I knew immediately I wanted to be a part of it. MUCH more on this to come. Check out their Facebook page if you're curious. Here are a couple of my favorite drawings the kiddos were working on today.

On my walk back home, it began to pour.  An older Mayan woman came onto the street from a path below and immediately cozied up to me as I was holding an umbrella. We walked closely together for our short journey on the same road, and talked about the rain and shared our names.

As we separated and I came down the hill, my phone rang and it was Ken calling to let me know he was walking to town and brought my raincoat. As I hung up the phone, there he was and then his phone rang again - the guy working on our quad needed to see us and we just happened to be around the corner.

While Ken talked quad parts in Spanish, I had a blast playing with their puppy and toddler and watching them chase one another. When we were ready to go, we both realized we were hungry and tried a new spot, La Paz.

Flowers on the table

The ambiance at the restaurant is enough reason to go. Surrounded with lush trees, bushes and lots of flowers, the cozy one room place was enchanting. We both ordered the veggie burrito and couldn't have been happier. Ken even commented it was the best vegetarian food he had ever had and wasn't missing the meat!

View of the gardens at La Paz

We slogged back to the town center in the rain and decided to splurge on a tuk-tuk ride back home. After a little more work and Facebook time connecting with friends and family, the day is coming to an end. Ken is starting a fire, mostly for the aesthetics, and I am signing off to go make chicken curry. I can only hope to have another lovely day when I wake tomorrow.

Ken on the path outside La Paz