I love my Mexican family. Not only are they lovely, loving people, but they are also crazy and fun! Here are some of my favorite interactions.
Dad Sauce: Come here and let me check your eyes, make sure they don't look different. Me: comes closer. DS: Yep, they're a little different now!
Talking with A - Me: Yeah, I may need to get a new computer and I'm thinking I'll take my BIL to go shopping for one with me. A: Well, I would say T could help, but the price might be having to go down to his place and have beers with him and M. Me: I'm not sure the world is ready for those shenanigans.
Making cookies - B: (wanders out from the room where he's playing video games) What is that smell? I've been smelling it FOREVER. Me: Cookies (gestures toward them). B: What kind? Me: Gooey butter. B: (tentatively tastes one) OH those are GOOD! (grabs three, goes back to gaming). Me: I think I just learned what it's like to have a teenager around.
DS: So what are your plans from here? Me: Runs down the road trip. DS: So when are you gonna see your momma?! Me: I'll be with her for the whole summer. DS: Oh, ok, then that's alright.
It's been a wonderful relaxing time here in TX, and now on to the next part of the journey.
A happy (tho slightly stressed) Cake.
A making Jalapeno Poppers!
QUESO!! It's so bad for you, but tastes so good!! Not pictured for this day: brisket, salad, potato salad, empenadas, and ginger pigs.
A much happier Cake.
A sleepy Mandi. I love that hide-a-bed... I have a spot on that mattress that I just kinda roll into :)
Why do things taste better when someone else makes them? I had to get the Dr. Pepper just for the novelty of it. The biscuits and gravy with sausage and egg were HEAVEN and I may have overindulged just a bit.
The ginger pig!!
Lucky - Dusty is not pictured. She's such a pretty cat, super playful and cute. Dusty is a little lover and yes, it took ALL my energy to NOT steal them. So pretty, so soft, so cute. I love animals.
We left the house on Monday morning and headed to the Davis mountains. The truck did really well and Cake got used to being in the middle instead of in her basket. Ana and I loaded up on the road trip snacks - you know what I'm talking about: Cheetos, jerky, trail mix, chips, crackers, etc. We also had water in a cooler bag. We were ready! On our way to the mountains, we stopped in Balmorhea to see the spring and the swimming hole there. It looked really nice, but it was not open.
Lotta nothing.
Balmorhea
We saw wild pigs! Then we decided to take a break and let Cake do her thing.
Cute rest area.
Needed a selfie with Cake... she wanted to still be exploring... it's tough to get a dog to pose, sometimes.
The clouds were really pretty, but I'm not sure you can see it in the pic.
We ended up swinging further south and closer to Marfa, TX then we had intended. However, it was a happy accident because we ran across this. As I understand, it's supposed to be some kind of artistic thing - a designer "store" in the middle of nowhere, TX. The fence around it has become a 'love lock' fence, which I thought was interesting. Much to our friend's dismay, we did not stay in Marfa or try to see the Marfa lights (google it, it's fun).
We stayed the night in Van Horn, TX and set off the next day for my aunt's house. I got to thinking about how a road trip is such an American thing, and decided to take some pix of typical sights on an American road trip. First, the weird stuff you find at gas station convenience stores.
TX, serving all of your Dia De Los Muertos decor needs.
Figured a pic with the truck wasn't a bad idea. Here we were at a rest stop on the side of the road.
Not a bad one, but the doors on the bathroom stalls would HORRIFY anyone who wasn't American.
I got kisses from a Cake! I was trying to get a good pic... it wasn't possible.
The view on the way to my aunt's house. You can't really tell in the picture, but it was snowing on the mountains. In the valley where we were, it was 70 degrees and sunshiny. It was a beautiful day and a beautiful drive.
It's been really nice being able to get away from other people. One of the hard things for me about Korea was that no matter where you went, there was always a bunch of people around. Here, we didn't have to wear a mask because it was just us in the truck, we could stop in the middle of nowhere and have NO ONE else around. It is truly glorious to be able to get away from the city to the REAL country. I also think that I've been outside more in the last few days than I was in the last year in Korea - I need to work on my tan! If it weren't for the cold wind, the weather today would be amazing. Anyway, it was a nice trip, we had a good time, and now I'm in New Mexico.
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