A Christmas Season City at Night: And one more thing we left behind

San Miguel, and much of Mexico, takes Christmas very seriously. For the last couple weeks there have been crews working on the streets around the center of town stringing lights between the buildings on either side. There are lights running for up to eight blocks in either direction at times.  The Parroquia is a park in the center of town, a block long on each side and it is the social center. It is well populated day and night by tourists and natives alike. With Christmas on the horizon it is even more populated with people hanging out, taking pictures with family and friends, sing and dancing listening to mariachi bands, and eating lots of ice cream. There seems to be an obsession with ice cream here. In the square there are always 3-4 ice cream trucks and there are also two ice cream stores on the square. Below is a picture of lights running down the street for eight blocks.

In the center of the park there is a gazebo. It is a magnet for kids to run around in, and for adults to share a dance. It is also a popular spot for couples to share a kiss. Like the rest of the area it is strung with lights.

The main church in the square is a beautiful ornate architectural wonder. At night its pink glow add to its beauty. I am hoping the pink returns to this picture. For some reason when I moved it to here it lost the pink on my end.

If you look at the featured image you can see poinsettias. Like the lights, they are an addition over the last two weeks and hundreds have been planted in the squares around the center of town. I have watched as a pickup truck pulls up to the curb and a small crew hops out of the truck removes dozens of plants and efficiently plants and waters them. It is quite an investment that demonstrates a good deal of civic pride. I am anxious to see what happens after the new year. Do the plants remain, are they replaced?

A final item. I have mentioned that being gone for months is very different than a relatively short vacation. A lot of what we take for granted gets left behind. Another example of that popped up this week. When we are at home if minor illnesses like allergy sensitivities, cold, flu etc. pop up I had easy access to supplements and chiropractic tools that usually dealt with those problems before they became more serious. We had to make decisions as to what to leave behind. Well, when Sheila got sick about 4 days ago we did not have the usual resources. The result has been a rather miserable and frustrating week for her. I feel fortunate to not have gotten sick.

I bring this up only as another example of one of the many things to consider when leaving home for more than a short period. There will be things you miss. The necessity of adapting and growing through these challenges is one of the benefits of travel abroad. As uncomfortable as things may seem, there is always the opportunity grow in the aftermath.