Bienvenido a Mexico

In the months following my last post on Emma, I have attempted to write numerous times, only to be thwarted by numerous setbacks: my laptop finally stopped recognizing the Internet, so I literally could not post; I became so absorbed in Jeffrey Eugenides’ The Marriage Plot that I completely abandoned my latest novel, Conrad’s Nostromo; I was suddenly packing to move from Eugene back to Blackfoot and had no time to sit down and write a thoughtful post; I was so busy studying Spanish and reveling in the delights of being home that I didn't have time to write... The list could go on, but underneath each of these reasons or excuses was the plain truth that I am, for once, at a loss for words and have been since the day that I signed on to temporarily move to Mexico.
At first I intended to write about how exciting this new change would be, and how deliciously relevant my book choice was--Nostromo is not only set in a Spanish speaking country and full of Spanish-speaking characters, but the title character is Italian.  The novel itself blends South American history with Italian, peppering character dialogue with a curious mix of English, Spanish, and Italian.  After signing with the HELP! Organization, this intersection of cultures in my life and in my book seemed serendipitous to say the least.  Each time I sat down to write, though, words failed me and soon enough some excuse or distraction presented itself and off I went.
After I moved home, again I had ideas of filling my blog with pictures of home, of my sweet Carlee, of my new kitty friend Gracie, and all the beautiful elements that make my parents’ house such a wonderful escape.  But again there were distractions--Carlee, Gracie, and all those elements of home that needed attention one last time before I left for Mexico.  My blog languished as, again, the proper words seemed to fail me.
Now, however, I am in Mexico and my whole world is teeming with words.  Instead of struggling over what to write, I am trying to figure out how to fit the adventures of each day into a readable post.  I've been here less than a week and already I've made several new friends, tried more interesting dishes than ever before, and embarrassed myself on a regular basis and I'm loving it all.  I've seen cockroaches (live and dead), carried on (small) conversations in Spanish with some of the locals, befriended a waiter at a bar and the owner and cook of a delicious taqueria, and I've learned how to efficiently brush my teeth with bottled water.  Our apartment has been without power for over a day now, and our water stopped working this morning.  As I write this, one roommate is doing crosswords by candlelight while another is washing up via waterbottles and a teacup.  It seems like my companions and I have had an adventure dictated by Murphy’s Law thus far, but despite it all, I am nothing short of euphoric at the moment.
I could wax on longer over the amazing effects of this trip thus far, but suffice to say that this trip has been in no way what I expected, and for that I am grateful.  And I hope that, as this trip continues, I continue to be surprised by myself and by Mexico.