I’ve often struggled with where and how I fit here as The Gringa in a Latin land.  The best way to describe it is the first day of middle school as the new kid to a well-established, tight-knit community.  Not only is it literally a different language but there is an unspoken cultural language that I don’t understand either.  For seven years, I’ve been embracing this “I don’t fit” mentality.  Yet, through the media encouragement of complete strangers, I’m reminded that “The adventure/action is here.” I’ve been waiting for something to hit me, for inspiration to jump out…thus, I’ve missed the exciting things along most of the way.

So today I share with you a small taste of what goes on in my routine trip to the grocery store.

1. Two dogs literally stuck together back to back.
2. Criminal in handcuffs in the bed of police pick-up truck.
3. Taxi driving backwards into traffic.
4. Two teens sitting on top of a water tank truck.
5. A minivan stopped between two lanes of traffic to pick up/drop off passengers in the middle of the road.
6. Open flame blazing on the side of the road, burning bushes.
7. Countless street dogs.
8. Ice cream guy pushing his cart up the steep hill.
9. My nemesis boulder that was stuck under my car a week ago.