Heneghans Abroad

Corrie, Mary, and Mike are living in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Love


I love this place.

I love the sunshine and seeing mountains every morning.

I love not having a car.

I love walking to the store, restaurants, parks, and the beach.

I love the bus. And I love that Mary loves it. I even love that she asks to ride it everyday.

I love the friendly nature and warmth of Mexicans, especially towards kids.

I love when people touch my baby’s blonde hair turned green by pool chlorine and call her “chiquita.”

I love that the playgrounds here have metal swings, slides, and teeter-totters that are screaming hot in the sun and so dangerous. Just like a K of C growing up, minus the monkey bars and merry go round.

I love that we have a nanny who loves Mary so much she calls her “muy inteligente” every time she comes over. Though I don’t think Mary’s ability to jump up and down while screaming really warrants calling Mensa. Sorry Ya Ya.

I love the slow pace of life here and how it forces you to be present.

I love not being able to buy more at the store than you can carry home as you walk. I don’t even know what buyer’s remorse is anymore.

I love our tiny apartment. Too small to hide from each other. Forcing you to speak your mind. And mean it.

I love that you can get ice cream here basically any time of the day and probably find someone else eating it too.

I love that most restaurants have playgrounds or bounce houses for kids.

I love that kids are welcome everywhere and no one gives you a dirty look when your kids screams and hollers for 20 minutes.

I love seeing cruise ships every week. I’m fascinated by them.

I love the pizza at Costco. Seriously.

I love that I’m trying to cook. So what if I can only make meals that have yellow, red or orange peppers in them. At least I’m trying.

I love the new friends we’ve made here.

I love that being away has made me appreciate my family and friends even more.

Most of all, I love this place in my life.

I love watching my daughter grow into a little person . A person who is freakishly like my husband – friendly, outgoing, quick to laugh, busy, and very, very energetic.

I love that Mary knows how to throw up her arm to flag down the bus and does so daily, whether or not it’s the right bus.

I love that Mary thinks the word for “water” in Vallarta is “Ciel,” Coca Cola’s brand of bottled water here.

I love that Mary hugs the security guards in Marbella and they hug her back.

I love that Mary hugs random kids on the street and parents laugh and the kids hug her back (usually).

I love that Mary says, “hola” and “adios” to everyone, everywhere while waving her hand vigorously. And that she yells her greetings louder and louder until people respond.

I love that Mary is starting to sprinkle Spanish into her everyday language. It’s fun to hear even though she saves most of her Spanish practice for Ya Ya.

I love that Mary loves swimming. Thank God.

I love watching people at the pool in awe of Mary’s fearlessness. I wish we could take the credit. She just decided she would swim; we didn’t have anything to do with it.

I love that Mary can make a morning of watching cars and trucks from our bedroom balcony, waiting on pins and needles for the “water truck” aka the truck that waters the flowers to drive by.

I love that Mary has shown an adventurous appetite, trying any type of food we put in front of her. Truth be told, I still think she likes Diet Coke the best.

I love watching Mary make new friends and actually start to play with them, kind of.

I love that Mary tells me “I do that” (translation: I’ll do it – NOT YOU, MOMMY!) about 100 times a day. I love it even when I hate it on the 101st time before 9am.

I love that we’re the kind of family that puts on music and sings and dances together. Even in front of other people. And I love that we’re not embarrassed.

I love that Mary’s favorite song is “I Gotta a Feeling” by the Black Eyed Peas. Really.

I love that I’ve fallen in love with my husband all over again.

I love that we have regular date nights.

I love seeing my husband’s charm and personality through new eyes, watching him make friends and tell his stories for the first time to new people.

I love having time – to think, to dream - even if the thoughts are sometimes scary.

I love that I’m a better person, wife and mother now.

And I love that Mike has diligently encouraged me to draft a blog post, never giving up hope that I’d actually do it.

I love this place.

My love to all of you.

Corrie