Catching Up

I've wanted to write several times in the past week since I returned. But I feel like I've been going non-stop. So here's a little catch up.

The journey back was much better than I could have hoped for. I had about an hour nap before I got up at 2am and finished packing things up, showered, ate some Weetabix with soymilk and dried cranberries, and waited for the car service to arrive. I struggled to get my bags out of the apartment, into the elevator, and out to the car. It took about 15 minutes and of course the driver was complaining about me being late. If I'm not fighting with someone driving a car, it's not my life.

Anyway, we arrived at the airport and United's counter wasn't even open. There was a 20-something guy with a backpack, smelling a little boozy, asleep by the counter, and another young woman waiting. The flight was at 6am but they weren't fully operational until nearly 5am. The agent was in no hurry but luckily I was feeling mellow. She gave me the impression she wanted to piss me off by being extra slow, but I fought back by not reacting in the least. In the end I had to pay $50 apiece for 3 overweight bags (my little carry-on size bag weighed in just under the 50 lb weight limit) plus $100 for each cat. I had asked for assistance so a very, very nice woman came with a wheel chair and wheeled my heavy backpacks while I carried the cats. She took me through security and all the way onto the plane. This time, they let me board first which was really nice so I could get the cats and the bags situated and not be in anyone's way.

The flight to Denver got really turbulent about 15 minutes outside of Denver. Other than a small plane I flew on in Haiti, it was the worst turbulence I'd ever experienced in my life. The cats cried and I felt bad, but I just kept trying to soothe them with my voice. The connection in Denver was easy although the person who came with the wheelchair complained that wheelchairs were only for people and not bags, but I didn't let her bother me.

As expected, once in Vallarta, people were helpful and even wheeled me up to the front of the line for immigration. I asked for a 180 day tourist visa and was obliged, no questions asked. We then had another guy help with the big bags and wheel it all to customs. I was nervous because the 3 people in front of me got the red light which meant they had to open their bags for inspection. I was thinking how I'd signed the form that specifies you can only bring in 2 cameras and how I had 4 pro bodies, not to mention my point and shoot and all the other equipment. But luck was with me and I got the green light. We just stopped briefly to show the health certificate for the cats and we were good to go.

My apartment was incredibly dusty and moldy and I spent a lot of the past week cleaning and giving my beloved washing machine a workout because all the clothes I left in the apartment smelled moldy despite being packing in plastic bags with fabric softener.

Tara. Jessica. Sara. Leila. Karah. Jessica. Monica.

Those are the names of the brides who booked me for October and November. I arrived Tuesday afternoon and had my first pre-wedding meeting with a bride on Thursday evening and started photographing on Friday. So far I've shot weddings for Tara, Jessica, and Sara as well as a "Day After" photo shoot for Tara. These weddings have taken me from a high-rise hotel in the Hotel Zone, to what some consider the best restaurant in town on the beach, to a villa in a smaller town north of here where I stayed overnight, to a private rustic resort, reachable only by boat.

I've gotten a new gas tank delivered, as well as aa 19 liter jug of water , my kitchen stocked, the Internet reinstated (which took longer than expected), and the boiler fixed.

Whew!

When I'm on the southside of town (where I live) and in my own little world, I feel really, really happy to be here. But tonight I had a meeting in a town north of here which made me feel beat up. The traffic is only getting worse and the construction is progressing at such a quick pace that I barely recognize certain areas...and this has only occurred in the past 4-6 months! The ugly, concrete sprawl is growing and intensifying and tonight I had a really bad feeling about it. I felt like I could see into the not too distant future when things take a turn and go downhill and people start to tire of this place and abandon it the way they have Acapulco. It feels like everyone just wants to cash in while things are good with no regard to planning for the future or the regular people. Those with money will always be able to flee to somewhere else but those without, including the foreigners who are retiring on a fixed income, I fear for what will happen to them.

I'm trying to keep things in perspective and enjoy the good things about being here and keep growing my business, but have one eye scoping out the future and other locations. I've decided that I must take a trip in the next 6 months or so to the San Francisco/Northern California area to see if it's a place I might want to live.