We meet again, North America

From good to bad to better, and beyond

Jun 15, 2023

The last time I sent a true update, I was back at the Cascais Outsite house savoring my final days in Portugal before heading to Tulum, Mexico. My original plan had been to visit the UK, but my frugality (aka scarcity mindset) reasoned that it would be too expensive, so I decided to go to Tulum instead. What a mistake!

3 weeks in Tulum

I had heard lovely things about Tulum over the years but had never visited. Also, the Outsite location looked pretty amazing—two pools! When I got there, I rented a bike and used that as my main form of transportation to explore the Centro area. It was very hot, but I was a happy little lizard. Despite the heat, I continued to return to Pozolería La Mexicanita for steaming bowls of their sensational pozoles. (I also highly recommend Nimeño for superb pastries—including tiny croissants!—and breakfast, as well as La Negra Tomasa for seafood in a vibey setting.)

Soon after arriving, I found out that my friend and her boyfriend would be in nearby Akumal for a few days, so we planned to meet up. They had rented a car, so they scooped me up and we explored the Coba ruins before cooling off at Cenote Tankach-Ha. Afterwards, we drove back to Tulum and had dinner in town before they headed back to Akumal. I hadn’t seen this particular pal (for more than 2 hours) since before the pandemic, so it was definitely the highlight of my trip. (Love you, babe!)

A few days after Catherine left, my lover arrived to share the last week of my trip. On his first full day, we drove to the Tulum beaches (I hadn’t yet been in my two weeks there) and had a nice enough time despite the aggressively touristy atmosphere. I was happy when we left (something I’ve never said about leaving a beach before). That night, we hopped from food truck to food truck, gorging ourselves on tacos and churros. Mmmm. The next day, we wised up and drove 30 minutes north to Playa Xpu-Ha, which was sooooooooooooo much better. Later that evening, we broke up… with 5 more nights to go. Oh, but that’s not even the worst of it. Hours later, I woke up in the middle of the night with a fever and was later diagnosed with dengue! While I was fortunate enough to have a “mild” case, I was extremely anxious that it could turn into “severe dengue.” Despite our comically awkward situation, I was deeply grateful to not be alone during this time. Overall, it was a harrowing experience and I was overcome with relief when we landed at JFK.

10 days in NYC

As my symptoms slowly subsided, I managed to meet up with a few dear friends between a dentist appointment, a haircut, and a visit to my storage unit. Then, I stayed with my best girl in New Jersey, and enjoyed some relaxing days in the cutest neighborhood in the Eastern time zone before flying back to LA.

Briefly befriended a bird in Brooklyn (Day 6 of dengue)

1 month in LA

I arrived in LA a few days before Mother’s Day, without a set departure date. The following weekend was my grandma’s funeral (she died last August, at 91, surrounded by loved ones). I’m not sure when the last time ALL of us cousins were together, so it was really nice to see/hug everyone and celebrate our very special lady.

Additional LA highlights

Balboa Island frozen treats, entertaining signage, Poog night at Jar, California poppies :)

Knowing that I didn’t want to overstay my welcome at my mom’s house (or give into becoming the pathetic cliche and/or abject failure of an adult that my negative self-talk sometimes convinces me I am), I had asked Instagram in April if anyone needed a house sitter this summer. With the exception of my uncle offering up his Portland, OR home in June, most of the responses I got were from NYC friends—so it began to look like I’d be spending July & August in New York. But did I want to spend the summer in New York? While I absolutely adore an NYC summer, I felt like I’d be doing myself a disservice if I went back there for two whole months. What would I even do besides essentially relive the life I’d already decided to move away from? I remembered the electric buzz I’d felt after my PDC, and I didn’t want to lose any momentum I might have gained while figuring things out in Portugal. Thinking that there might be some permaculture opportunities near my uncle’s house, I decided to do some Googling, and ended up coming across Lost Valley’s internship program.

3 months in Dexter, OR

I applied on May 14th, got accepted on May 31st, and booked my flight for June 10th. No longer housesitting for anyone, I’m now spending my summer learning about gardening and land management while living in Lost Valley’s intentional community. I have my own little bedroom, plus access to communal bathrooms and kitchens. In exchange for room and board, I dedicate 20 hours/week to land and garden work. I’m also continuing to do my naming work (which became quite busy all of a sudden) so I’ve got a pretty full plate at the moment. This is a fairly stark contrast to how empty my days have felt over the past few months, so I look forward to figuring out how to make time for everything I want to focus on (including writing and general self care). It helps that the air here smells absolutely delicious and the days are sunny and long.

I’ve been here for 4 days so far, and everyone (ages ranging from toddler to elder) has been very nice and welcoming. In addition to the humans, there are some dogs, a few cats, and the only animals they raise at the moment are DUCKS, including 6 freshly hatched ducklings. As for flora, I’ve learned to identify poison oak and am doing my best to stay far away from it. My internship starts in earnest next week (this week was for settling in and orientations), so stay tuned for more updates!