Have you ever woken up one day, and realized you really have nothing to do? It’s actually not a bad feeling. It’s like a little mental vacation. You stay in your PJ’s for most of the day, kick around on the computer for a while, and catch up on all the daytime television you can take until the kids come hopping off the bus in the late afternoon. And, then you wake up the next day and it’s the same as the day before. It’s like your own personal Groundhog’s Day.
I don’t exactly know why I’m feeling like this lately. I mean I know I’m almost at the six month marker of living in a new country, and the “honeymoon” phase has worn off. But, I think maybe it’s the lack of requirement expected out of me these days. Since moving to Mexico, most of my duties have been striped from me. Now, when I describe the way my life is now, please don’t say…”Oh what a tough life.” I’m very fortunate, and I’m certainly not saying it is tough in any way, shape or form…but it’s a very common lifestyle in my new country. There’s a bigger problem…It’s a life that it is lacking real purpose these past few months. It’s making me really lazy. And, I’m bound and determined to change it.
DRIVING
I can’t drive anymore. I mean “technically” I can still drive…I’m just not really supposed to do it. You see, I have a driver. He’s very nice, call’s me “Mrs.”, and follows me around. This is not “normal” for me. I’m used to hopping into my car, and driving my ass to wherever I need to go. Now, I’ve come to appreciate having a driver because I would seriously lose my shit on a daily basis if my ass was behind the wheel. I’m pretty sure that you don’t have to take a driving test or lessons or anything to drive in Mexico City. There are no rules…red lights don’t really mean stop, double yellow lines don’t really mean do not cross, and pedestrians have no rights…so screw’em.
HOUSEKEEPING
One of the perks to living in Mexico is the affordability of having domestic help. In the past I have had a maid come to the house twice a week. I was living in Belgium with two children, and my husband travelled 95% of the time. In a land where it takes 2.5 hours to complete a load of laundry because the machine is super eco-efficient and the dryer uses steam to dry…things were not getting done the way they needed to be done, and I had a lot of moldy smelling loads of forgotten laundry.
Fast forward to present day life – Living in Mexico I have a muchacha. She is spectacular. She reminds me of my mother a lot…so maybe that’s why I like her so much. She works everyday from 9AM-5PM. She does not live with us…many muchachas live with the families they work for, but since this is all new for us, we opted for her to live out. At first I really didn’t know what she was going to do all that time, but remarkably the days come and go, and she stay’s busy. So…the housekeeping and laundry are always taken care of each day.
COOKING
You see, that’s something that our muchacha does too. I’m responsible for breakfast, which doesn’t take much effort…I mean cereal or a Nutella sandwich doesn’t constitute “gourmet” standards. She makes lunch and dinner. I mean, I could cook in my own kitchen, but it’s something that she loves to do (believe me, I asked)…So why am I to deny a woman her passion?
SCHOOL DROP-OFF and PICK-UP
I’m used to getting the kids ready and piling them into the car (later than expected), and driving them to school each morning, where I park, walk the kids to their respective classrooms and then chat with the other moms…plotting out that day or week’s adventures. And, then the process happens again in the afternoon where I pick the girls up, and proceed to lose them on the playground amongst their friends…I again plop my rear end next to my friends to laugh, cry, and plot some more.
Yeah…that crap ain’t happening here. The girls are whisked away at 6:45 AM via bus. And, then delivered back to me at their daily routine times in the afternoon. No, picking up from school for my kids…and even if I did, there wouldn’t be anyone to talk to because I can’t speak spanish, and most moms just ignore me. So, I don’t go. I mean I occasionally I pick-up my oldest daughter from her gymnastics class, but it’s just not really enjoyable to be passed by again and again.
VOLUNTEERING
I was so involved in my girls’ classrooms and school. Now, I try to help in the classroom as one of the class mom’s, but it’s more like I’m just treading water. I used feel needed by the teachers, and I was a member of the executive team of the school family association. I used to know the teachers, the specialists, the principals, the staff, and a lot of the faculty…now, I know no one.
Those used to be my major duties in life. I now don’t have to do any of them. Which means I have got to find something to do with my days. I haven’t found a gym that I like, and that is seriously a big problem. I need motivation, but I don’t have that person in my ear saying…Are you coming to class, lazy ass? I am feeling sluggish and lethargic, and this is my own fault. These traits then trickle into other aspects of daily life. I need to find some hobbies. Something that sparks my interest. I’m not passionate about anything right now. I don’t think I have been for a long time, but that might have been masked by the excessive amount of “doing” that I used to actually do.
I’m on the search of “resolutions”. I don’t really agree with New Year’s resolutions because those are just crap ideas that you know you’re going to sweep under the rug three weeks into the new year. I mean real life changing resolutions.
- Get Bilingual…I need to learn enough Spanish to communicate without the locals looking at me like my my hair is on fire and I have a giant booger on my nose.
- Get Fit…I need to create a fitness goal to strengthen my mind and body, AKA “Get off your lazy ass”.
- Get Involved…I’m going to need to volunteer again…So, who needs my smart ass to help them?
Okay, so these sound doable, right? I don’t want to over extend myself into a downward spiral of self loathing because I can’t accomplish all that I’ve set out to do. What are the odds you’ll give me that I can actually accomplish these goals in 2014? I’m gonna need help keeping on track. Will you push me to get my lazy ass off the couch and stop eating chocolate covered raisins from Costco, and go for a run instead? Will you push me to do the damn Spanish homework or listen to Rosetta Stone when I’d rather be napping? Will you drag me to some meeting that requires people to actually pay attention, and be responsible? If so, great…I’m looking forward to 2014. If not, don’t be so damn lazy…you just might turn into the current version of me.
I am one of the friends that saw you everyday in action during the time we spent in Brussels, and I can say that you can do it! Come on, just don't think it too much. I would recommend starting ASAP with your first resolution: Learning spanish! This will ease with the rest of the activities/life in Mexico and who knows where else life might take you. Love you my friend! Vanessa
Get off your butt! this is the perfect opportunity for you to use Rosetta… your muchacha and you could have lots of fun with your “accent” lol don't let this pass you by girlie… you will have plenty of time to look back and say it was all worth it… Just sayin… 🙂