Yes, I Am Staying. Sort Of.

April is a funny month over here.

It is the month when the days warm up (we still have some super lovely cool mornings and nights, made that much lovelier by the knowledge that they can be taken away at any time). It is the month of Semana Santa, when the village gets its last big burst of activity for a while, and it is the month when many of the people who live here part-time get ready to leave towards an easier climate.

And so, the ubiquitous question: Are you staying?

There is something about “staying.”

Staying means we will soon be sweating 24/7, unless we gift ourselves some air conditioning breaks. Air conditioning breaks mean moving indoors, and for those of us who spend most of our time outdoors, or live in indoor-outdoor homes like I do, this in itself is a big shift.

Staying means we will be making some changes to our homes. Humidity and big rain are about to move in with no apology, Nature’s way of reminding us - as it will again and again for the months to come - that we’re not the boss of it. Sealing roofs, painting iron work, moving outdoor furniture, stocking up on some pantry items just in case the rivers are too fast to cross for a couple of days, getting the antidote from the vet against the dog-killing toad, checking for any place where standing water may want to hang out (mosquitoes = dengue) … and more.

In a way, it feels like getting ready for a party. A party where the jungle is going to turn bright green, where anything we plant will grow at a vertiginous pace, the ocean water will be warm, the lychees will arrive, the mangoes will fall from the sky, the village will return to its quiet state of many years ago, there will be laughter as we get caught in the rain and all along a certain knowing that we are kind of bada**es together. There’s a lot of sweetness to it all.

So yes, “Are you staying?” is everywhere.

Last November, I had sworn that I wouldn’t “stay.” My car had spent most of the crazy hot summer at the mechanic’s, and feeling stuck here with the relentless heat had been rough for me. I swore that I wouldn’t do it again. Kind of like we do after giving birth each time. I have three children.

I am watching my friends get ready for their other, cooler life, and I miss them already. I am making calculations on paper to try and find the Sweet Spot where I, too, can be in easier weather at least part of the time. I look at my pups, my cat, and I know that leaving is not as easy as getting on a plane. After the end of May, it is too hot for them to fly. Driving is expensive. Possibly problematic. I need someone to stay in my home if I am not in it. Lots of moving pieces.

And yet. I am thinking …

A close friend has invited all of us to come stay with her in another, cooler state in Mexico. We could certainly drive there, I could paint, and spending time with her sounds lovely. Also, Washington is calling loudly, and so are my kids, who are moving to the Southwest of the United States.

And I love a good adventure.

So for now, I am living this in-between time and feeling its gifts all the way. I am also deeply aware of the blessing of being able to contemplate choices.

This morning I climbed on my roof and painted over my skylights so that we won’t feel like little roasting bugs walking around the kitchen. This is a sweet ritual, and it reminds me each time of how much I love the Essence of Simplicity. No fancy covers, just a coat of paint in the Spring, which gets scraped away in the winter, welcoming the new season.
It’s good. All of it. Questions, explorations, wondering, trusting. And again, options. I try to never ever take options for granted.

I wish you a tender awareness of your daily Gifts - the ones you receive and the ones you share - and an easy transition into the next season, wherever you are.
***
PS: I now have the dates for my next two Esencia Retreats, and you are invited! Four days together meditating, sharing, laughing, and creating in my home in Mexico. This Retreat is great for people who already know that they are artists and those who doubt that they could ever be. For the latter, I am giddily excited about lovingly proving you wrong. November 8-11 and March 12-15.