Back in travel mode..sort of.

When you've taken off your shoes, and you are in a bathing suit most of the day, and you've figured out the peso and you've made some friends, your home.

Slowly I'm unwinding here in Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo and the stress and business of L.A. is falling away. This once sleepy fishing village on the Mayan Riviera is still relatively quiet by Mayan Riviera standards and once here, many people with big travel plans, find themselves reluctant to leave.
Practicing flexibility is one of the joys and also the necessities of happy travel. As Alan Watts used to say (?) " The map is not the territory", and once you see the territory, it can be a whole other enchilada. This is true anyway for those who have the luxury of adjusting game plans, which I'm thankful to say that I do. I've just realized that for the past year when folks have asked me how long I'd be staying, the answer has always been, "I don't know, I'll see". this is usually followed by high-fives all around.
I landed in Cancun one week ago intending to stay only a few days before some serious traveling through the Yucatan and into Belize. But uh-oh, Spring Break was in full swing and my first thought was, "how do I get out of here"? Remembering a tip from a friend about Puerto Morelos, I headed south on the coast about thirty miles.
I arrived intending to stay only a day or two but have already been here one week. Now I have just negotiated a lower rent for the coming week in exchange for teaching English to the staff at this hotel. Within a loosely structured life I have a need to create my own structure and being useful in some way is always part of that. Living simply and spending little is also part of the plan. Hopefully everyone benefits this way.
In Puerto Morelos people still make their living fishing off the reef. Just off the coast is the world's second largest barrier reef. On shore, the colors of blue and jade green water are reflected in the small fishing boats and the details of buildings, which are otherwise painted white. Umbrella trim and gulls wings flutter above me as I lay on powdery, white gold sand. It is good to let go of everything but the moment. Life is grand!
I work on projects in the morning and swim through the mid-day hours. In a few weeks I'll be back in New Orleans and life gets busy again, so I'll take my down-time now.