and then life happens...

Sorry that updates have been slow folks.  There's a lot happening this week, and my plans for the rest of my trip are up in the air.

My grandma passed away a couple of days ago.  She's been sick for a very long time, so we knew it would be soon, however, it all happened unexpectedly.  It's crazy how I actually ended up being the closest (distance-wise) to her from my family.  At this time, my dad and aunts/uncles have arrived from the States as well as other family I didn't even know about from all over Mexico so there's a kind of family reunion happening.  I've slept about 2 hours in the past couple of days, so that doesn't help either.  While I'm glad to see my family (I wasn't planning on seeing them anytime soon) it's unfortunate that it has to be in these circumstances.

Yesterday also marks three months since one of my students passed away.  Three months.  It's so hard to believe still.   Not a day goes by where I don't think about him and about the impact he left on his friends and family.  Grieving is such a painful process and it hits in waves, which makes it so much harder.  I took this trip knowing that I needed to take some time away and to take my mind off of things, but those feelings of sadness and worry are always present in the background. It made me really happy to see that my former students were planning to spend the day together to remember Paul and be there for each other.  I'm very proud of how they take care of each other and I'm so lucky that I get to witness that because it reminds me to stay up. 

Good things are happening, too, and I have to remind myself to focus on those.  I've got a couple trips planned this weekend (pyramids and hot springs), I start a Spanish class soon where I'll get to meet other world travelers (not that Mexicans are hard to get to know ;), and my dad is getting married!  I've been getting to know his fiancee this entire time and while not necessary, I definitely approve! 

I've learned a lot, but the most important thing I've learned first-hand in the past few days is that life just happens.  We never know what it has planned and it's plans will always trump ours, but our experience will always be shaped by how we react to those plans.  My dad is really an amazing example of how there's always something positive to think about and when that something is hard to find, then make it happen.  So that is what I'll try to do. 

Mexico City in the morning from my window.