An epiphany for Christmas

After nearly a month back in San Pedro la Laguna, Guatemala, it has become apparent that I belong here and not in Mexico.  The reasons for this are many, but the main ones are:  warmth, friends and comfort. 

There is nothing wrong with San Cristobal, but it seems that I'd be better off visiting it -- rather than living there.

Apologies for the lack of posts over the past few weeks.  It's been busy (!) and I've been slack.  But I have a nice collection of photos and will post them soon.  I'll write more too.

Hope you're having a fab holiday...

Cheers!

from the "a change in direction" dept.

So...

If I'm going to go through another big change, then it's time for Roadspill to change. It's time to start writing about the ups and downs of life lived differently.

It's hard to believe that in four weeks I will be down in Mexico. There is so much to do. And even though I've done these kinds of life changes a number of times before, I'm still overwhelmed. Selling stuff. Cleaning the apartment. Finding temporary housing. Booking flights and cars. Spending money. I don't want to spend money!

And, the big one -- believe it or not -- fear. Fear of the unknown. Fear that I'm making a mistake, even though I know I'm not. None of my past decisions have ever led me astray. Things have always worked out. Not perfectly, of course. But the worst case scenario has never happened. And I'm not even sure of what that would be. And if I were homeless and penniless on the streets of some Canadian city -- well, deal. Would that happen? I doubt it.

There will be more on all these issues over the coming days and weeks. First -- I must get rid of stuff. And then the rest will fall into place like it always does.

At least that's why I try to tell myself -- when I actually listen.

Cheers!

from the "beginning of the end" dept.

A Historic Snip

In 1989 change swept across Europe. It's hard to believe that 20 years has passed since those amazing days when anything seemed possible. The reality didn't quite meet expectations, but back then the sense of hope and the smell of freedom in the air was intoxicating.

A lot of events contributed to the fall of communism... like this one: On May 2nd, 1989, Hungarian authorities began to dismantle their border with Austria. As it turned out, this was the first hole in the dike. It started as a trickle but the old-school communist leaders soon realized the flow couldn't be stopped. From the BBC:

On 2 May, Hungarian soldiers began to dismantle the barbed wire and electric fencing along Hungary's border with neighbouring Austria.

The communist governments of East Germany, Romania, and Czechoslovakia were furious. They feared that their own citizens would use this gap in the Iron Curtain to flee to the West. But Moscow did nothing. [MORE]

And so it began..

Cheers!