Friday, August 6, 2010

More Culture Shock and Car Problems

I am still experiencing culture shock with my own culture. I am caught in this in between state. I am not in Mexico where I feel is my home now and I am not living in the States either. I am in limbo, waiting for my taxes to be figured out and returned so I can go back to Ajijic.

The hardest part for me about being here is the necessity of spending hours of my day in a car. I hate cars. I would be happy if I never had to get in one again. Today as my friend was driving along on the freeway and the sun was beating in on us and we were surrounded by many lanes of other fast moving cars, I felt a sense of panic. I wanted out. I just wanted to be able to walk from place to place. I didn't care where. I wanted out of the car world. I wanted grass and dirt around me instead of asphalt. A simpler life.

There are always unexpected expenses and problems with cars. Today my friend had a nail in her tire for the second time in two days.  So we spent an hour or so waiting in a very depressing room surrounded by tires and that awful tire smell until it was fixed. While we were waiting we were treated with stale popcorn and coffee that had been sitting in the pot all day. Ugh. 

Last week my son's electronic car window broke half way up and that cost three hundred dollars to fix. Then a couple of days later his electronic opener fell off his key chain and into his trunk. That cost another two hundred dollars to fix. So, within three days he had to spend five hundred dollars on unexpected car problems, with nothing to show for it except a working car. I could almost live on that amount of money for a month in Mexico. I hate cars and car problems but in the States, in large cities, they are almost a necessity.  So, here I wait....... The longer I am here, the more depressed I am becoming. That is why I haven't been doing my blog lately. Sorry.

6 comments:

  1. Ten years ago,when I returned from a vacation in Kauai,I experienced anxiety for 2 weeks while driving here in SoCal. The noise of the cars, the speed of cars passing me, the need to constantly drive defensively, horrible experience. Hopefully the time you have left in Or. is shorter than the time that has just passed. Am so anxious to return to MX for many of the reasons you mention.All the Best. Sylvie

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hey Patricia
    Since I left Mexico on July 7 I can't find your email address. Wanted to share some pics of the night we were at Bodega's. My email address is bwb819@aol.com. Loved the blog on the garage sale. Bob, Pat and I are in the midst of a garage sale now. I get so excited when people buy my "junk" I want to run back in the house and start grabbing stuff I shouldn't and put it out for sale! Especially Bob's stuff!!--not necessarily mine!! Hope to hear from you soon.
    Brenda

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi Sylvie, Thank you for your comment. I am glad I am not the only one with these bad feelings. I don't know how I was able to drive all those years. Patricia

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi Brenda, Thank you for writing. I was wondering what happened to you. I would love to see those photos. E mail me at Petwalker40@yahoo.com Thank you, Patricia Love your comment about wanting to get rid of Bob's stuff....

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi Pat,
    I hope you finish up your business there soon, you need to get back here fast, I often wonder how I am going to feel about the states when we go back for our first visit.That won't be for awhile but it will be interesting. Hope to see you back here soon.
    Cheryl

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hi Cheryl, Thank you. I am looking forward to getting back but I am sure going to miss my family. Patricia

    ReplyDelete