Happy New Year, Dear Readers, from the southern most tip of Mexico, where the sunshine is plentiful, and the sea is beautiful if intimidating.
Our adventure of living in simplicity for six months got off to a grand beginning on December 14, when the snow began to fall as we were frantically doing our last-minute packing. As we headed to the airport at 3:30 a.m., our fingers were crossed that we wouldn’t get stuck on our road. We didn’t. In record speed, but weary with no sleep, we arrived at the Halifax airport in enough time to get through American immigration with no problems. Our boy cat, Lyle, who at the best of times is timid didn’t think the same as we did. Little buddy was overcome with fear at all of the sites and sounds and literally, well, shat himself. The carrier instructions were right: take extra towels for clean up.
The plane out of Halifax was delayed because of an ice problem. We had to overnight in Huston on our journey, so arriving late into the USA and missing our connection in Newark was less stressful than it could have been. Promise of no ice along the way was a soothing thought.
Our stay in Houston could have been horrible because we were put into a smoking room. I guess cats = smokers. The room was a horrible dive, and I began getting a headache the minute we laid down to rest. Luckily, we were transferred out after my friend, Elizabeth, who lives in Houston and works at Rice University, tried to telephone us for dinner. The calls wouldn’t go through so the desk person had to walk down the hall to tell give us messages. That wouldn’t do. Walking in some parts of America is just too difficult. She changed our room, and even though we had to carry the very heavy bags up the stairs, it was well worth it. Clean bedspread, vacuumed floor, and windows that opened.
Dinner with Elizabeth and her husband Bill was at a Thai food place near the airport. Unfortunately, I cannot remember the name of it, but it really was better than any I’ve had in Canada. That says a lot, I think, because VanGroovy has some good places, and even Halifax’s Bon Thai is good. Starting the trip with fantastic people who are as good of story tellers as they are kind gave me feelings of goodness and excitement for our upcoming adventure.
We’ve lived large, the Main Squeeze and I, since arriving. I’ll save the stories for other posts. I just wanted those of you who I haven’t been able to contact by email to know that we’re fine.
Les mando deseos de buen salud y felicitas (not sure I’ve spelled that one correctly).
p.s. the Internet is accessible via satellite only, and it’s often slow so I’m having difficulty posting some of the beautiful pictures I’ve captured. I’ll keep trying.
DeNel Rehberg Sedo 