Guanajuato, Mexico truly is a second home to us – or first considering we vagabonds have no real home! On this, our fourth time back, we enjoyed seeing the familiar multi-colored buildings undulating with the hills and the former river tunnels which channel all main roads with their heavy traffic to pass under the city.

We enjoyed seeing our many friends, eating at favorite restaurants, walking the cobbled streets and marveling at just how cold the weather was. Our love for the city hasn’t diminished in the three years since we started coming here and, as our friendships here have deepened, we always feel welcomed to return.

Our facination with Mexico and Guanajuato led us to make this our first home after the 26-month ‘round the world trip and we had hoped to live here for a few years. But the altitude and its impact on the frequency and intensity of my migraines – as well as the cold weather – drove us away. Having been away eight months, we couldn’t help but feel we were home again albeit for only five days.

Thanks to the hospitality of our good friend Diane and the fabulous house she just finished building, we felt we were living the good life. We talked, ate, drank amazing eggnog (getting ready for the holidays, don’t cha know), and helped her out with little jobs like setting up her wireless printer and sound system. We tried walking around town with her but this 62-year old dynamo is hard to keep up with as she exercises everyday.

We also saw our “Mexican Mama” — the woman we lived with for two months some three years ago when we first visited Guanajuato to study Spanish. Hermelinda is about to retire from taking in students and says she is inspired by our travels and volunteer work. I’ll be helping her research opportunities to do volunteer work in countries abroad: a very rare thing for Mexicans in their fifties to do! She’ll also contact her daughter Alma in Barcelona so that we can meet her when we’re in Spain in November.

Turi and Kim and soon-to-be-born Philip were a treat to see although we wished our visit had been a few weeks later so that we could meet the latest member of the family. Their full family of cats and Boa the dog gave us the chance to pet animals to our hearts’ content. I even managed to squeeze in a little bit of time with Lori to get caught up on her work with the women’s shelter.

WHAT’S NEXT: ten days in Los Angeles to see family and friends and take care of business; fly to Portugal to start a two to three month tour of Mediterranean Europe: Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Gibraltar, France, Monaco, Italy, Greece and Turkey; and travel to China in early February in time for Chinese New Year or Spring Festival.

NOTE: My “This Expat Life” & “Writing on Wednesdays” blogs are on hiatus until we settle down in Wenzhou in February 2010. Between now and then, I’ll be writing only about Baby Boomers Traveling. Hope you enjoy coming along with us.

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