Week 3 – Exploring Culture, Rainy Day Activities, and Moving into Our New Home
Week three has come to a close and it had its highs and lows as we continue to settle into our new life. From attending a vibrant cultural festival to moving into our long-term home, this week was all about exploration, connection, and adapting to the challenges of living abroad.
Santiago Apóstol Festival
Our week kicked off with a visit to the Santiago Apóstol Festival in Juitipec. This deeply rooted cultural celebration is one of the most important events for the local community. The festival was a colorful display of traditional costumes, music, dancing, and lots of food stalls. Of course, we had to get Elotes topped with mayonnaise, queso (cotija), lime, and chile. A unique aspect of the celebration was the tupperware… festival participants threw bowls, spoons, and buckets into the crowd. They also had traditional clay pots which were handed to individuals in the crowd as throwing those might have knocked someone out. We did not catch any tupperware but I did catch a few lollipops for the kids. This was their first experience with lollipops that start out sweet before they get spicy at the core. Ha!
Playdates with New Friends
Kate, whom we met at the English language church last week invited us over for dinner and a play date. She’s been in Mexico for 15 years but is originally from South Dakota. Her husband who is Mexican was super sweet and welcomed us right in. They have a five-year-old son and a nine-year-old daughter. Dinner here isn’t your typical 6 PM sit-down—it kicks off around 3 or 4 PM and can go on for hours. We ended up staying until almost 9 PM, eating, drinking, talking, and letting the kids run wild in their backyard.
Their house was an oasis. The backyard had this water system running through it, making everything feel super peaceful. We took a little adventure walk through the neighborhood, crossing a plank over the water like nature explorers. It was one of those nights where you’re just grateful to be building relationships in a new place and thankful that we took the leap of faith to move here.
Precious Moments
Saturday, we took another trip to Centro for dinner. Afterwards, we roamed into the square to watch some cultural dancing. There are street vendors everywhere so naturally Camille asked for a balloon cannon and Mason, a bouncy ball. They played with those toys until the sun went down. I’m always amazed and in gratitude of the simple pleasures.
We also began watching the Olympics, which inspired Camille, who excitedly showed off her gymnastics moves after watching Simone Biles. It’s moments like these that remind me how blessed we are to see the world through their eyes, where they see themselves in so many places - books, movies, the Olympics - anything is possible.
On a personal note, I realized the need to incorporate more intentional movement into my routine. Despite staying busy with household tasks and exploring the city, I felt wound up. After talking to my coach, I committed to daily walks and cycling, and Michael agreed to give me two hours of alone time each day to help me adjust to this new phase of life where, for the first time, I’m not working. Well for anyone else but myself. I want to love it so much but in the moment, I am grieving and giving myself the space to transition.
Rainy Day Activities
Given that it's the rainy season, we sought out indoor activities and discovered an incredible indoor play area. This place had everything—zip lines, slides, a trampoline park, a dance room, a dress-up area, and even a Lego zone. It was the perfect spot to spend hours on a rainy day, and the kids loved every minute of it. Afterward, we visited the Galleria Mall, where the kids enjoyed a giant slide. The real win for me and Michael? We found a P.F. Chang’s and had an amazing dinner. Sometimes you just need a taste of home.
Summer Camp and Moving into Our Home
July 29th marked the first day of a two-week summer camp for the kids, hosted by our new friends from the English-language church. The kids immediately loved the camp, which included activities like science, crafts, cooking, and music. Knowing they were happy and Michael would be able to focus on work while I was in France gave me peace of mind.
Now, let’s talk about moving day. It was rough. The driver we’d previously used was unavailable so we tried to move everything to our new place in an Uber XL, but they sent a regular sedan. If we had one additional bag, it would not have fit and we were running 30 minutes behind to the appointment to sign our lease. The biggest stressor was the wire transfer we processed the week prior for our deposit to move in was still pending and the bank could not give us a timeframe on when it would clear. That left us scrambling to find a way to get extra cash but due to the low max amount you can withdraw from the bank and language barriers when trying to take out a Money Order, my level of anxiety was through the roof. We had already checked out our Airbnb and all I could think of was that we would not be able to move in - panic mode. Knowing that I had to leave for my flight early in the morning probably did not help my mental state either, I needed everything to go perfect. IT WAS A HARD DAY! In the end, our landlord was incredibly understanding, allowing us to move in and pay the next day. The relief was overwhelming, and although I had to quickly unpack and repack for my trip, I was grateful to know that my family would be comfortable until my return.
I believe that God said - “whew Chanel, that was a lot but you made it” and when I went to check in for my flight, I was upgraded to Sky Priority all the way to Paris and flew first class from Mexico to JFK. I arrived at CDMX Airport early so I went to enjoy the sky lounge and EXHALE….the week ahead would surely be one to remember.
This week was filled with high-highs and low-lows. We’re getting settled, making new friends, and learning to roll with whatever comes our way. Together.