Asking, Receiving, Appreciating

It is my first day back in Chicago.  Apparently we are bracing ourselves here for the worst blizzard since 1967.  What a nice welcome home!

There are so many stories from Mexico yet to be written on this blog regarding lessons learned, people met and places seen. 

I want to take today to be grateful for having the opportunity to have this journey and thank all of those who read about my adventures along the way for reading and fueling my desire to document my adventures.  The following are moments I had that prove the Universe listens and sometimes really helps you out.  It is my form of saying thank you to everyone who helped me out along the way.

1. I don't have enough money for the cab to the airport. It was 3:30a.m.  My flight was at 6a.m. to Chicago.  I had checked into this hole in the wall hostel just to have a bed to sleep in for a few hours instead of spending the night at the airport.  I had planned on taking a public bus to the airport which would cost $40 pesos.  I had budgeted the last of my pesos for the ride.  I forgot to think about the fact that I'd have to leave so early.  This was Mexico, not Chicago and public transportation isn't 24 hours.  A cab would run me $200 pesos.  I am in the hostel lobby trying to figure out if there is an open ATM around here when the owner of the hostel who I had told of my dilemma hands me another $100 pesos (I had $100 myself).  It was such a random act of kindness that I was truly touched by it.

2. It's our treat.  Along the way on my travels I was treated by family, new friends and random strangers I had just met to a plethora of food, places to stay, water and drinks.  Americans have this idea that they are Mr./Mrs. Money when they travel to Mexico.  You should see them.  They travel with their secret money pouches they wear under their clothes, they are weary and suspicious of the local people or of the cost of things.  They are incredulous sometimes and think everyone is a thief or scam artist trying to get their precious dollars.  I let some new local friends buy me a beer or my lunch.  It wasn't about money, it was about humility in a strange way.  To be able to share your culture and home with someone else is a beautiful thing.  Thank you to everyone who offered anything to me on the journey.

3. Just ask the universe! "I am exhausted, it's getting late. We should leave here.  My legs feel like jelly after climbing so many pyramids." I say to Gibran.  "Me too.  I feel so hot too.  It's so sticky, I wish it would rain." He replies.  Just then, as though Gibran had commanded the sky, we feel rain drops on our sticky skin. 

"Man, I want to leave because I'm tired but only regret not being able to see any monkeys."  As though I had commanded Mother Earth, we heard a rustling in the leaves.  "Oh my God!  Look they are spider monkeys!!"

The rest of the day Gibran and I practiced with the universe.  In Mexico there aren't as many gas stations and seeing as we were in the middle of the jungle and almost out of gas we did a lot of praying to the universe that we would make it out to the next town two hours away.  Miraculously we did.

There were quite a few more close calls like this dealing with making my bus when running really late or being able to stay at a hostel or hotel that is nearly sold out.

4. Thank you!  When you are in desperation, wondering if your car will make it out of the jungle or if you will make your next bus to the next town so you can meet up with someone it's very easy to remember to pray to God, Buddha, Shiva, Jesus or whoever you pray to. It's a slightly different story when you are sitting in paradise without a care in the world.  I was grateful to the Universe often and powers that be for allowing me the special moments I had with people, animals, nature and myself during this trip.  I made sure to be gracious and humble in the most awe inspiring moments as well as the scariest moments (which weren't that many).  The Universe/Powers that be/God responded very well and took really good care of me abroad.  I am thankful for this as well.