Things Coming Together

I breathed a sigh of relief when I made out my passport application, complete with photos, and all of the other "Stuff" I had to provide, and had the clerk tell me that my expedited application (over two-hundred dollars) would get my passport to me before May 9th... whew.  I also closed on my house today, and will hopefully have a renter soon.  I am hoping the renter will take good care of my house until I can get back and begin renovation.  Tomorrow I'm off to New York for a few days, then I will return, rent out my house, and then I'll be off to Yelapa!  If you want to watch a great old movie, check out:  Night of the Iguana.  It deals with a place just north of Yelapa, and stars Richard Burton and Ava Gardener, 1964.  It's one of the movies that helped make Puerto Vallarta and places like Yelapa famous...

First Hurdle

Okay, so I have run into my first bump in the road... I can't find my passport!  I have moved several times within the last year and a half, therefore I have no clue where the little oddly-sized document might be!  So I will be frantically tracing my steps of the last year, all of my containers, suitcases, boxes and document holders.  Two days to go before I head for New York to enjoy a short visit with my battle buddy from Iraq, and his family, and then back home for a short stay while I pilfer through things to find that passport.  If I don't find it I suppose it's a couple hundred dollars to expedite a new one.  I think I can get into Mexico without one, but getting back to the states could be a problem... 

Changing Text

Okay, I am going to try and change the text on my blog so that you can read it a little easier...  It might take me awhile to figure it out, but I do plan on making adjustments as I go.  Feel free to let me know what I can do to make my site better!

Necesito Practicar

Today, even with a helacious chest cold and cough, I must say I devoted a whole twenty minutes to Spanish.  I am very excited about this new adventure, and of course although I probably romanticize the experience, I know that even with frustrations and bumps in the road, I am committed to enjoying each and every moment, and being patient... after all, I am a young retiree, there are only moments in time, and I am determined to enjoy each one, recognizing the good, and appreciating each experience.  Quiero ir.

Bound for Yelapa, Mexico

I decided that in order to share my upcoming experience with everyone this should be the ticket!  I will try to blog as much as possible during my preparation and arrival in Yelapa.  My journey will take me from my home near Salt Lake City to the small fishing village of Yelapa.  In preparation I am practicing my Spanish, and although I'm not very good at it, I plan to become much better before I leave in a few weeks. 

I came by this wonderful opportunity when a friend, Tami, suggested that I contact Lance, who runs the Casa Arriba bed and breakfast in Yelapa.  She told me Lance was traveling to New York and would be gone until November, and that he needed a caretaker for his property in Yelapa.  I contacted Lance, and through several phone calls and emails, I accepted the job.  Summer is the low season in Yelapa, and I won't be renting out rooms.  I will be tending to the property and Lance's pets... watering plants, etc.  Meanwhile I hope to enjoy the people and the culture of Yelapa. 

Come along with me on this new six-month journey to Yelapa, Mexico!