The Rambling Rose - Summer Tour '07- JournalHome.com

I gradyamated (to steal a word from Katie Beester) after four years at WKU... and that only took four years too long. I was very ready to get out of Bowling Green and onto different things... not better or worse things, just different things. I didn't realize just how attatched I had gotten to some of the people there and I shed many a tear and lost a lot of water weight due to all of the crying I did that last week of May. I had a wonderful college experience full of friends, travelling, growing and learning. Notice I put learning last, but through all of the other things, I learned as well... I have to place myself in the "learn by doing" category... reading is fun, don't get me wrong, but I can read a book, for school or leisure, and love it... but the next day I couldn't tell you the main character's name or who died. Now by living something and mulling it over, be it going to another country or just discussing an interesting/controversial current event issue or historical event, I retain alot more information. And despite all of the negatives of MySpace or The Facebook, I am glad have the possibilities of communicating with all of the incredible people that I met... no matter wherre I go.

From DF we went to visit our friend Ivan in Puebla. It was great to see him... shortly after we left Mexico the first time we were there (when Beester and I met) Ivan moved from Guanajuato to Puebla for a "real job" and has been there for a good bit now... almost 2 years. The town is very nice... quaint and a lot more manageable than DF... but not Guanajuato. We went with Ivan to see the ruins in Cholula... not far from Puebla... and we walked under and around the site... climbed the hills and admired the views. It was amazing to walk through the labyrinth of hallways inside of the pyramid's base... it was hard for me not to think of people rushing through them without a second thought to where they were going because they knew the layout so well... then I started to think of them attempting to protect this amazing structure, all of the structures, from the Spanish who had come to take their lives and all they knew and turn it upside down. (Sounds hauntingly similar to what the US is currently doing with the rest of the world... hmmm.) Anyway, we spent the day there... got a decent sunburn on my left shoulder and then we hopped on an overnight bus to Zihuatanejo.

I now understand the reason that the "off season" in this area exists... noone in thier right mind would go to Zihua or any hot hot Hot HOT area at this time. We had booked a hostel online before arriving in Mexico so that we had to stay somewhat on a schedule... we could have easily gone all over and run out of time before getting to Guanajuato... and that would have been catastrophic. Ok... so we get dropped off at the wrong hostel, that had been the right one previously, and the owner didn't tell us so we stayed for a bit, had breakfast, quickly figured things out when they said they had no internet listing and then left... we found the right hostel after calling Angela the owner (by the way... it is great and Angela is so friendly so if you are ever in Zihuatanejo check out Angela's Hostel... economical and comfy if you don't go when we were there). We walked all around... it was too hot to stay inside... so hot that the beds were giving off heat. Showers didn't help that much because the water was too warm (not often a problem in Mexico where the showers are notoriously freezing) and because as soon as you turned off the water and stepped out of the shower you couldn't tell if you were still wet or had begun to sweat. Gross. We found a nice little restaurant on Playa Madera (I think it was) and we went there to stay all day and everyday. They had nice, typical, palm tree umbrellas and we stayed under ours and ate breakfast, lunch and dinner there... between meals and booking it from the shade to the waves and then back we kept the lemonada coming. Met a funny guy from London who we hang out with for a couple of days... couldn't quite get a feeling about him and I got quite annoyed by him... but it was entertainment at least. We stayed in Zihua for an extra night and then headed up to Guadalajara on the worst bus trip of my life.

We had bought tickets for the overnight bus so that we could sleep on the way and wake up there with our boots on and green hats ready to light up the town. Dan, a friend of ours from Wisconsin, moved to Guadalajara to teach English and so we stayed with him for a couple of nights. I think this city may be more realistic when considering a place to live in Mexico. I have too much fun in Guanajuato and the job opportunities, not to mention the population, are much greater. The city is beautiful and after we met Dan in the Plaza del Sol after he got off work we went to hang out in the main part of the city with the old architecture. The gazebo in the middle and the cathedral surrounded by people from around the world just amaze me. Seeing all of these structures that have been here for so long always, as I have said before, send me back in time... I would give alot to be able to go back to the founding of these cities... and then even further to before they took the place of the indigenous civilizations. So, we then showered off the bus ride grime and had the two most rockstar nights that any gringos could have while we were there. A few of Dan's friends are in a jazz-ish band and so we went and saw them play at some venues and hung out with all of them after the shows both nights... fun doesn't even describe it! The first night we went to the best taco stand that I have ever visited and then to a techno antro near the railroad tracks... great music and the best people you could ask for if you are a people-watcher like I am. Mullets, mohawks and crazy clothes galore! Tucker would have loved it... and the band that these guys played in: sax, trumpet, drums, clarinet and keyboard... they had a unique and fun sound. From there we went to another friend's roof (yes, roof) to continue dancing the night away. The house was only about a block from the main plaza and the view of all of the neon crosses on the tops of the cathedral's was just great. We slept late (surprised?) and then got Pizza Hut pizza for brunch... I know, it isn't quite authentic Mexico, but it did well to hold us over til we went to a friends birthday party and we got to eat the real deal: tacos, enchiladas, salsa... incredible! Went to see the guys play again at a nice indoor/outdoor restaurant/art gallery and continued the rockstar-ness from there... going from friend's house to friend's house saying our "hola"s and "adios"s.

We got on the best bus (Primera Plus) around 10 and headed to Guanajuato to reunite with all of our good friends and family... the welcome once arriving in Guanajuato is never disappointing. I love walking into Santo Cafe or around the corner by the Jardin and seeing everyones reaction... seeing us, disbelief, surprise, excitement and the hugs all around. We stayed at Salvador's house, hung out at Fly, and Santo all the time and tried desperatly to soak up the experience so that we could carry it with us back to Gringolandia. We went to visit both of our Senioras and it was wonderful to spend time talking with them and getting caught up on all of the goings on in the city. It is hard to write about the time that I spent there because, though I have tried many times, my talent for capturing the charm of the city and the feeling that being there invokes doesn't rest in my words. When walking through the streets it is always as if we had never left. The alleyways and shortcuts are just as familiar as the last time we were there... and though the names of stores and restaurants change... it is the same charming little city that is slowly being surrounded by modernization. (Just outside the city a mall has been built and there is a McDonalds... we didn't even know until we were leaving the city and the taxi driver pointed it out to us with a bit of pride in his voice... but B and I were saddened by the news.) The last night in Guanajuato I started running a fever and had a horrible head/chest cold... it didn't get better with the bus ride to DF the next morning.

So, I felt horrible... but mainly because I was ruining the last day that Katie B and I had in our favorite country. We walked to the Zocalo from our hostel and snapped some fotos to document our being there... then trudged down the polluted street to grab a bite to eat. The air quality did nothing to improve my state of being but I forced down some OJ and toast so that I wouldn't be taking medicine on an empty stomach... not that it stayed full for very long. (yuk) The night is a blur of fever-induced dreams and waking up not knowing where I was... strange. I may have felt that way even if I wasn't sick because we had travelled across eight states and about 2500 kilometers (1550 miles) in only 15 days... with the little sleep we had mainly being done on busses. Around 4 am the fever broke and I got into the shower... still didn't feel great, but the next morning was well enough to go to the Palacio de Bellas Artes... incredible building that had a temporary exhibition of more of Frida's work... I couldn't get enough of her and we were lucky to have seen so many of her pieces. Crazy and draining farewell to the country and people I love... it will be strange not being able to zip down there as often as I have been... it was exhasting but I would do it all over again in a heartbeat!

I got on an earlier flight to Colorado than I had scheduled, and I am so glad that I did. A comfy bed and good company is exactly what I needed to recuperate. Jean and Markus picked me up from the airport and I know I wasn't a very fun sight to see... I think I probably scared them with my apperance, but they never let on :). This was my first trip to Colorado... and long overdue. There was so much to do and see... and it is a beautiful state. My aunt and uncles house is incredible and conveniently located between Denver and Boulder so that we got to do both cities quite easily. The first day we went to a downtown sidewalk art fair... great artwork done in broiling heat with chalk... and the knowledge that it will result in a photo and then after a rain it will all be gone... but all the same it was wonderful to see. We also went to the Museum of Art... after battling our way through the Gay Pride Festival... and I got to see some of my favorite artists including Marlene Dumas and Maria Martinez. Wonderful. I must say that with Jean and Markus I ate better than I had in probably the last four years of my life... and not really in the sense of alot... but really good food. I think it showed, too. One night we went to Cirque du Soleil, the Corteo show... marvellous and beautiful and, despite the clowns, not really that scary! I loved it... they had "little people" and the lady was suspended in the air by these huge balloons... then tossed into the audience... incredible... go see the show, any of them, if you have the chance. I got to see Colorado University's campus... the surroundings are great and the view of the Rockies is just wonderful... I am obviously running out of adjectives... but all are needed here... and only continue as I go... Jean and I went on a hike one day and every day I was more and more convinced that I could, one day, move to that gorgeous state... if for nothing else, for the fact that my aunt and uncle are there... and they are motivators to not get fat and lazy! (I did go to a Jazzercise class with Jean and it made me realize just how poor my physical condition is due to the lack of dancing... I guess running to a connecting flight doesn't really fall under the exercise category.) The last night there, we all went to see Michael Franti and some other groups in concert at Red Rocks... we had a nice picnic dinner before and saw a wedding party (after seeing this place I don't know why anyone would get married anywhere else) then hiked up to the venue. The music was just an accent to the beauty of the landscape... and it only got better as the sun went down.

I love this state. I could stop there... but I will elaborate for the sake of those who haven't had the chance to know it. I know borders are imaginary lines that are set up by man... but just driving from state to state there seems to be almost immediate changes once that dotted line on the map is crossed. Tennessee is blue and green, Colorado is purple, Oklahoma is rust and sky... New Mexico is tie-dyed. Purples and oranges and greens and pinks... blue and green and browns are there, too but there seems to be something about them that glows... I know why artists pick up and head out there... another place on my ever-growing list of places to live. Our first night we stayed in Ojo Caliente at La Casa Feminista... great organic cantelope served for breakfast, by the way. We walked to the natural hot springs and soaked in the same pools that the Native Americans had used so many centuries ago... an inspiring and healing experience. Thinking of this and the feeling that I had while watching the sun go down over the rocky terrain makes me think of a quote that Jean told me and that I will never forget... even if I don't have if verbatim... the spirits of the ancestors all cradle and support the living, urging them forward, saying, "Let this be the one". Now, I don't know if that is correct... and I don't even remember where she said that it came from... but just thinking of that makes me calm yet driven at the same time... and not to necessarily succeed in anything in particular but to search for that which will move me forward and into positive places... sorry about that tangent... that is how I felt that night, soaking up the Lithium, Soda, Iron and Arsenic it was quiet and soothing... a blend of the past and present that gave hope for the future. The next morning, after sleeping in a perfectly cool adobe room and a yummy breakfast, we made our way down to Taos where we had delicious Mexican Chocolate coffee drinks. Taos such a great little historic town and how it was laid out reminded me alot of Patzcuaro, Michoacan... a little less ornate, small yet alive. We saw some impressive art galleries in old adobe buildings that I would love to live in if I ever win the lottery... which would be an even greater miracle because I don't buy the tickets... still, it is nice to dream. We went to see the Taos Pueblo Indian reservation... got a tour. They aren't allowed to teach anyone their language, only those who have their blood are allowed to know it... and they don't like FDR, he took their land away but they like Reagan because he returned it to them. We stayed in Arroyo Seco that night and I think I would like to go back to that town... there was a bakery/cafe/deli place that was playing Mano Chau... I could like it there. Santa Fe was our next stop and we stayed there for the next couple of nights... The town was full because we were there for the 4th of July holiday, but that gave it a hightened level of energy. We could walk from our hotel though it took a while to get to downtown... (coming into the city we had problems with detours and a slight misreading of the map on my part ... not to mention the hotel was not in the town center like it had been advertised) and we spent most of our time wandering through galleries on Canyon Road and going to museums. We went to the International Folk Art Museum... we had thought we went with enough time, a bit more than an hour... but we walked into the main room and saw that there were over 1,000 (more Jean?) from 100 countries... they didn't even have them labeled on the displays, you had to look them up in a book... I will reserve an entire day for this museum next time I am in town. We started most of our days waking up around 6:00 and laying in bed, reading til we could eat breakfast... then after early dinners we were in bed around 8 ish... it was great! We watched the fireworks from the hotel room... on top of a hill so we were able to see over the entire city and the fireworks from every direction went on for a long time.

We left the morning of the 5th to drive to OK City... south and take a left turn through the Texas panhandle and then into Oklahoma. That was a nice thing about driving across the flat plains... no mountain-y, hill-y, nausea-invoking roads... only once did we have a few switchbacks... when we were going down into a canyon that wasn't very clearly marked on the map in the middle of New Mexico. We stayed the night with Jim, Judy and Jamie... picked CH up at the airport... and then the next morning headed down the Jameson Ranch in Davis. Eating, horseback riding, eating, laying around, eating, swimming, eating, walking around, eating, going out to the fields among the cows to watch the sunset, eating, talking, eating, napping, eating... eating... eating... eating... It was great, really... but I felt like I had built up a reserve of food for the winter... too bad I can't hibernate. It was wonderful to see Dorothy, John and Cathy... well all that were down there... Brett and Lauren were there... Jim and Judy... me, Jean, CH and dad. I very much needed that time there with the family... alot has changed in the past few years but it is nice to know that the ties still remain. Jean dropped me off in Edmond at Mama and Papa's house... really hard to say goodbye after such a long and great time together... I can foresee many trips like that in the future. Mama and Papa's has a certain smell to it and it makes me think of strawberries and chocolate-covered graham-crackers... one for each hand. We hung out at the house the first night and talked long into the night... they are alot more alive than I am, I think... I get worn out and they stay awake later than I can! I had a hard time keeping up with them... it was fun from the first to the last. We went to the Cowboy Hall of Fame... it has changed names, but I can't remember it now... and saw the art of the Prix de West show and some new exhibits that I hadn't seen. I love the fact that I am from Oklahoma... though I was raised in Tennessee... I will always say that I am from the Sooner state. It is incredible to hear the history of it, and with Papa knowing so much it is like having a personal tour guide/historian to show you around. While I was there I met up with some other friends, too... the Grays, Emily and Claire, and then Kent, Nancy and the kids. I love having friends and family all over... I never have to worry too much about getting lost... and I know I could always crash on someones couch if it came down to it. (Everyone remember you are more than welcome to land at my place... where ever that may be!) Plus... I get to see things in the city that I would never have thought to go to before. I went with Mason to a poetry slam in El Paseo near my first house... and I went with Leslie to the Oklahoma City Museum of Art... great Chihuly collection and other temporary exhibits.

So, after a whirlwind 6 weeks of two contries and countless miles covered... and living out of a backpack, I fly back to Tennessee to regroup before heading down to the beach with mom. It is strange to be at home where everyone is so settled into their routines... that don't exactly include me anymore. I kinda stand still and observe while things happen around me. I guess that is what living in Kentucky for 4 years did. I spent most of the time painting and visiting with friends... Jennie O is getting married while I am in Spain so I went with her to pick up her dress and see it on her... I am sad that I can't be there... she is going to be beautiful. Julie and Willa have their babies and I love to play with them... I can't believe that we (well, they) are already at this point in our lives... I feel like we should still be looking for indian money on the playground. It is always good to see Lucy and it is like we have never spent a day apart... It is good to be home.

As we move south, mom gets a bit more relaxed and I can tell she loves it in Rosemary. The trip isn't that long and we make the usual stop for peaches and icecream. Mom works at two of the stores in town and is planning the concert so I have quite a bit of time to get paintings done for the upcoming art show in Tennessee. I also teach Audrey, 5 year old cutie, Spanish from 10 - noon. It is fun to see her learn... although it is challenging on my part because she can't read or write so I have to come up with ways of helping her learn through just talking and images. I am glad that I will have older students once in Spain. One of the main things I wanted to do while I was in Florida was to cut my hair. I had to put it off a couple of times, but finally I went in and chopped off about 15 inches. 13 of it was sent to Locks of Love for children with cancer who can't afford wigs... such a good feeling. Also, I didn't think it was quite fair of me to have all of that hair and complain about it all of the time when there were children out there who would love to have their own hair. Plus... I may be in need of a red wig someday and I am hoping the karma pays off :). From the moment that I returned to the states I had been working on getting my Student Visa to be able to study and stay in Spain. The process, just to spare you the gorey details, was grueling and miserable. But, finally, I got the phone call and was demanded to come retrieve my passport and visa... and to prove my identity.

Just in time to get all of my paintings together and set up for the Art Show/Sale in the Memorial Building... to benefit the Maury Regional Hospital Foundation. It went really well and I was, honestly, very surprised at the turnout of great art that was there... I mean, it was surprising for Columbia. (I guess that doesn't show our town in a great light... but maybe it means that we are moving on up!) The first night was very nice... music and wine and so many people that I was able to see and catch up with and tell goodbye... otherwise I don't think I would have been able to see so many friends. So, despite being completely exhausted and having sore knees from standing on that concrete for two days, I am glad I did it. (Not to mention, I sold quite a bit of my smaller pieces and a couple of medium sized ones... YAY!) So that is where I stand now... cleaning my room and going through old stuff before I run off to Spain. I have officially 11 days until departure and I am in that limbo period of wanting to pack... but I can't because I can't run around Columbia naked... well I guess I could... but I doubt that would be accepted in this neck of the woods...