Staying at Julio and Emilia’s mini farm for a week was wonderful and peaceful. They have water catchment systems all over the place and Julio seems to spend the majority of his time tending the gigantic vegetable garden they have. They seem to be reforesting part of the property with saplings here and there. 

More than any other time before, I wished I spoke Spanish fluently because Julio and Emilia seemed like interesting people and I wanted to get to know them. But we mostly talked in simple words about the dogs and the garden. They noticed my car’s trunk, still held together with a bungee cord and I explained how the latch was broken. They asked if I wanted their mechanic to come see it. I said it must be expensive? They said no, we left it at that, and we all left to do errands for the day. 

Later Julio knocked on my door and indicated I should come to the car. A man was there, their mechanic. I tried to say what was broken and he looked at it. Like a surgeon he asked specialized questions that no one else had thought to ask, including me. 

Where was the button near the driver’s side to control the trunk? What about the key fob? He looked at both.

I’m embarrassed to say this (I’m not a car person!) but there was another control for the trunk I had never noticed. It was the one actually on the trunk itself, it was hidden in the spoiler. He was examining this and the hinges on the trunk, and the latch itself.

Then he fixed it. In front of my eyes, after looking at the car for 10 minutes, he fixed this problem that had been vexing me for months. I almost cried and I couldn’t believe it.  Seems like the handle/control on the trunk of the car was jammed while engaged, causing the trunk to stay open and not latch. That’s it.  I didn’t even know that thing was there.

I congratulated him with a pat on the back and thanked him profusely. I said I need to pay you. He declined with a smile. I said no, I need to pay you. No. I said again, I want to pay you! No, no.

This was just a few days after I published my video about the 6 best things that have happened to me since I moved to Mexico! Damn, this is one for the list!

It was time for the dogs and I to leave and move to our new home, and I hugged Julio and Emilia goodby. We took some pictures and later I sent a text explaining the small present in their little house was because I was so grateful for their hospitality and help. It was just an orchid blooming on the table.

Alex and Henri my new landlords are a very nice older couple, originally from Mexico City, but living first it the town of Patzcuaro, and then here out in the country for many years. Alex lived in NY for 5 years and her English is very good. Henri is a man of few words, but friendly.  Alex has oriented me to the house and garden with instructions like closing the curtains when I leave the house (because “we’ve never had a problem, but we don’t invite people to see our things”).

Our new casa is outside a little village and about a 25 minute drive to central Patzcuaro. It’s a lovely drive.

I’m not a person who get’s lonely really. Maybe because of my two side kicks, with me all the time.  Or maybe it’s because I’ve spent so much time alone, but I like living on my own, and despite making these videos, I’m a pretty private person.

Privacy is always something I look for in a rental, but I chose this house for its natural beauty, inside and out. It has a huge garden, views to die for, and the house is the perfect size for me and the dogs.  I do have my new landlords living next door on the same property. I’m not going to lie, that did give me pause for a minute. But I really like Alex and Henri, and I don’t get the feeling they will be intrusive.

Also, for the first time I will have some “domestic help” around the house. Alex says Temo will clean the house once a week and whatever else I need, like gardening, car wash, repairs, handy man. What a luxury!! The only thing is I don’t know what day Temo will come. He needs to be able to take constructions and other jobs in town, so Alex makes it flexible when he comes and puts in his days here at this property. So, now that I’ve been here a few days,  I’m expecting him to surprise me any day now.

There was a moment, after I unpacked, explored a little, and got the dogs acclimated to the new house, when I thought “what am I going to do if I’m not moving around all the time?”  but then I looked out at the lake and I felt very still.

I could feel the cool mist on my face and the warm sun on my shoulders. Amongst the birds singing I could imagine I heard something like ancient voices coming through the mist floating off the lake.

I wondered about the lives lived here before, on this very ground, for centuries, and their different beliefs, ways of life and experiences. And I knew, there is a lot I can learn here.