The Gifts that Keep on Giving

December 20, 2017 Teressa Jackson

Sunset from outside our apartment. I recently hiked to the top of the tallest mountain you can see in the distance.

"Year's end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us." ~Hal Borland

The year's end is almost inevitably a time when most of us look back and reflect, although my favorite direction remains squarely in front of me. I don't like to live in the past or dwell on things, and that's probably good since I have a pretty terrible memory.

Several people have suggested that I author a book, and I haven't written off that idea, although I tend to think that I am, in general, not all that exciting or interesting. However, 2017 has certainly been one of, if not the most, eventful years of my life.

I'm a numbers person, so I'm going to indulge in a little breakdown here in that regard. Since embarking on my extended road trip on October 22, 2016:

I've laid my head to rest in 70 different places.
I've created 113 pieces of original art, and sold 84 of them. Seventeen remain for sale, and I'll probably crank out a few more before 2017 leaves us.
I've visited 31 national parks and monuments.
I've traversed four countries - the United States, Belize, Mexico, and St. Martin/Sint Maarten.
I missed a catastrophic hurricane by a mere three days.
I've driven approximately 30,000 miles.
I've traveled by car, foot, airplane, water taxi, repurposed school bus, bicycle, taxi, scooter, colectivo, ferry, motor coach, and teeny tiny prop plane.

In my life, whenever I've left one environment for another, I'm interested to see how relationships change - with whom do I maintain contact, with whom do things diverge, and how to the nature of those relationships that continue become different? Having lived my whole life until now in one geographic area, I'm mostly referencing academic and professional transitions. This time, this occurred on a much broader scale.

There are certainly more than a few people with whom I feel that I've lost touch since leaving home. I never know what to think when this happens, especially when I become disconnected from people about whom I care deeply. I won't blame myself, but I also don't blame the other. I've always said that "the phone works in both directions," and it (and e-mail, text message, etc.) truly does. To those people with whom this sentiment resonates, I'd just like to say that I welcome the opportunity to become a part of your life again, even if I can't seem to figure out how personally, and even though we now reside 1,500 miles apart.

We've lived in Tucson now for over two months, and I'm enjoying slowly settling into the routines and surroundings of this Sonoran Desert wonderland. I took a Korean cooking class at the Jewish Community Center, am becoming involved with the Humane Society, and I'm hoping to take some art classes at the nearby Northwest Art Center in 2018. Most importantly, I almost never miss the opportunity to watch the sun's final light show each evening.

I've yet to find a fantastic spot to eat Indian food, but was pleased to discover some amazing Chinese dumplings at China Pasta House, something I could never locate in Louisville. I'm set on sampling all of the taco shops, taquerias, and Mexican eateries that exist here. If you Google "Mexican restaurants in Tucson" you get 2,440,000 results, so I might be just a minute. Stand by...

Aaron and I are currently sharing the use of one car, and for the most part, I'm enjoying that challenge and opportunity to rethink what's necessary. He requires the car for work far more than I do, but I honestly haven't felt very hobbled without unlimited access to motorized transportation. The area where we live is close to everything I could really need except a post office, we are close to a nice walking and biking trail, and the climate is pretty much perfect for being a pedestrian. I've also considered getting a bicycle, and still might (although I'm slightly daunted by pedaling up hills... er... mountains).

I continue to receive reminders that life is short and precious, and that we should accept risks and opportunities and give love and forgiveness as much as possible. I'm not much for the holiday season, and it's been nearly unnoticeable here in sunny Arizona, but these are the gifts that keep on giving no matter what time of year it is.

Much love and merry everything to you all!

Even the daytime skies can be pretty fantastic here

Checking Out Playa del Carmen

August 19, 2017 Teressa Jackson

We left our Airbnb in Tulum Sunday morning and headed up to the main highway. Our load in tow, we flagged down a van marked "Colectivo" and wedged ourselves and our baggage inside. These vans run from Tulum to Playa del Carmen 24 hours a day, and are mostly utilized by locals. As passengers indicated their stops along the way, the van let them off. It also continued to pick up people, even though at times I was unsure how they would fit on board. They always did.

The trip was around 40 miles. Colectivo rides cost the same no matter where you get off, and we took it to the end of the line at their station in Playa del Carmen. The cost: 90 pesos, or around $5, for two passengers. Our cab for the final leg of the journey was what we came to know as the typical fare for most destinations in the city, a reasonable 50 pesos or just under $3.

We headed down to gaze at Playa's beach. The seaweed that has plagued most of our trip was, indeed, still an issue. Although the water was pretty, it was also a bit smelly. Next, we strolled a bit of Playa's Fifth Avenue, which we found to be mostly a tourist trap with aggressive sellers and trinket shops sprinkled amongst chain retailers. Not really our scene. Hungry, we caved and ate at a taco restaurant here, and were rather shocked at the bill of over 500 pesos, or around $30US. Considering we had better meals for less than 100 pesos in Tulum, it felt a little like a delicious robbery.

The cenote flowing into the sea at Punta Esmeralda

Over the course of our week here, Aaron and I sampled a few different beach areas, and found Punta Esmeralda to be the winner. This spot on the city's northern edge was packed with locals enjoying a slightly rocky beach and a cool, clear freshwater cenote spring/sinkhole that sent a constant stream of water gushing toward the sea. I couldn't resist chowing down on an elote (Mexican style corn on the cob with mayo, cheese, and chili) for 15 pesos (85 cents) while we were there. Delicious!

We spent a much more expensive day in Cozumel, which is located just across from Playa. The ferry cost $17US per person round-trip, and we rented a scooter for $40US to enjoy some freedom and avoid paying a fortune in taxi fare. The beaches on the island's east side were beautiful, but the rough waves made it impossible to swim. The island's west side is rockier and mostly geared toward snorkeling, but the area near Chankanaab National Park had a nice little spot where you could enjoy some beach and do some snorkeling.

While we enjoyed the jaunt to Cozumel, we decided we would definitely not be heading there for a stay due to the cost. Prices were inflated and mostly stated in dollars. The vendors would then charge you at a rate of 20 pesos per dollar, while the official exchange rate is actually $17.71 pesos per dollar. This created an artificial rounding on already too-high prices, meaning we lost 13 cents for each dollar spent. I just felt a little taken advantage of at this dishonest tactic, even though I know that this type of thing is somewhat to be expected in tourist areas. I suppose most cruise ship passengers wouldn't know the difference, but that doesn't make it right.

Aaron and I really enjoyed the quiet little neighborhood on North 28th Street in which we stayed in Playa, which was comprised of older but well-kept row houses. The Airbnb where we stayed was the best run of our trip so far, as well as being the least expensive. We were near enough to the beach but also close to plenty of authentic shops and restaurants on North 30th Avenue and the surrounding neighborhood. It was lively at night but did not feel unsafe, with lots of locals out for a bite to eat and people singing or playing music for tips.

We have definitely enjoyed Playa, although admittedly not as much as Tulum. Tulum's beaches, less touristy vibe, and low cost of living have probably made it the overall winner of this trip abroad so far. We'd go back to Tulum, and I'm sure that we will in the future.

Next up, we are headed out of Mexico, which makes me a little sad. I've loved our short time here and haven't felt unsafe or threatened one single time. I think if more people from the U.S. would spend a little time in this country, we'd have a lot more love and understanding. I think if I spent a little more time here, I'd really start to get those high school Spanish skills back, but I'd also probably gain 20 pounds from all the delicious food.

Speaking of food, one other aside - vegetarians and vegans, rejoice! Mexico is your friend. I have been truly amazed at the number of vegetarian and vegan restaurants I have spotted in both Tulum and Playa del Carmen. I actually haven't eaten at any of these specialty establishments, but most of the more "mainstream" restaurants have plenty of options for us non-meat-eaters, too. A pleasant surprise!

So, where will tomorrow take us? We are headed to Cancun International Airport, from which we will fly to Miami, but after two hours in the U.S., we'll leave again - this time to Saint Martin/Sint Maarten, a French/Dutch island in the Carribbean.

Taking on Tulum

August 12, 2017 Teressa Jackson

Bright and early Tuesday morning, Aaron and I packed our bags and checked out of Gumbo Limbo, our Airbnb in Caye Caulker. We were supposed to be at the water taxi dock at 6:30 a.m. Luckily, we scored a golf cart taxi almost immediately, so we didn’t have to lug our bulky load too far across town.

The water taxi took us to San Pedro first, where we had to clear Belizean immigration. It was pouring rain off and on, and the line moved at a snail’s pace. One man input our passport information into his computer, another woman took our $20 US exit fee per person, and another man stamped our passport to indicate we had left the country. There was a separate line for each – a study in inefficiency if you ask me.

When I purchased the tickets to Mexico, the woman working at the water taxi had told me that we had to pay the $20US Belizean exit fee and a Mexican entry fee of $25US. We learned on the way to San Pedro that she had told us the wrong amount for Mexico, so we had to quickly locate an ATM to get more money so they would let us into Mexico. Of course, in typical Belize style, the first one we found was out of order. Luckily, the second one was up and running.

Back at immigration, the line was nearing an end and almost everyone was ready to board again. We lined up, shuffled on, and off we went.

I don’t think that the water taxi ride is ever totally smooth sailing, but the water was especially rough due to the front end of Tropical Storm Franklin heading toward us. For nearly two hours, we rode what felt like a roller coaster while leaky windows dripped on passengers.

When we finally reached Chetumal, Mexico, we had another line for Mexican immigration. This one was far quicker and far more efficient than the one in Belize, and we soon paid our 500 pesos per person entry fee and were cleared. We scored a taxi for around the same price as the bus would have cost us, and settled in for a nearly 3-hour ride to Tulum.

I began to get an inkling of how much less expensive Mexico is than Belize on the ride to Tulum. We passed several vendors selling pineapples on the side of the road, and most were 5 or 6 pineapples for 50 pesos – which equates to around $3US. In Belize, we typically paid anywhere from $2-3 for a single pineapple.

Our accommodations also reflected this pricing change. The brand new, large, nicely appointed one-bedroom apartment was cheaper than nearly everywhere we stayed in Belize, and definitely the nicest place we’ve stayed on the entire trip.

Tulum pueblo (the town) dazzled us right away with its abundance of restaurants, shops, paved roads, streetlights, and artistic flair. While plenty of the type of bare-bones structures you might picture in Mexico do exist there, Tulum has equally as many new, modern, architect-inspired buildings. Murals line many of the streets, and an eye for décor and design is apparent. Tulum feels more like Europe than it seems related to any Mexican border town I’ve visited.

We rarely ate in restaurants in Belize, but the abundant establishments and the low prices of Tulum were too much to resist, so we typically ate out for a meal a day. These culinary delights included chile and egg stuffed and rajas (strips of poblano pepper) and cheese stuffed gorditas (like a stuffed thick tortilla), cream cheese stuffed and hard boiled egg stuffed tamales, loads of tacos al pastor for Aaron (like shawarma made of pork), quite a few vegetarian tacos for me, and a delicious stuffed pepper that was probably the best I’ve ever eaten. Most meals, including tip, were $5-10 for both of us together. Amazing.

I actually did do some shopping in Tulum, even though I try to keep my possessions minimal. My one pair of earrings had broken, and I just can’t stand to not wear something in my ear holes, so I picked up a nice new pair in a local shop. I also lost my sunglasses, so those were replaced as well. I am so grateful that I was in Mexico when I needed to make these purchases, as they would have been so far more expensive, or even impossible to even make, in much of Belize.

Our first outing in Tulum was to the beach, and it was breathtakingly gorgeous. Jungle-enveloped cliffs tumble down to some of the most beautiful waters I’ve ever seen, crystal clear and turquoise. The rocky shoreline reminds me a bit of California’s coast, but obviously the tropical temperature makes taking a plunge into the water a whole lot more inviting.

We couldn’t leave the area without visiting the Mayan ruins that sit atop the cliff along the sea, so one day we took a cab to this attraction. It’s immediately apparent that these ruins are the reason Tulum pueblo is here, and every person trying to sell tourists something within a 20-mile radius seemed to be on the scene to take advantage of the multitudes.

The blazing heat and big crowds at the ruins made our time there a little less enjoyable, but we made the best of it. I was excited to see a coatimundi just inside the entrance, and the views of the sea from atop the cliff were spectacular. It’s always amazing to think about what it must have been like to live in such a place, and to walk where these people walked, lived, loved, and worked.

One of the most enjoyable excursions during our time in the area, though, was a jaunt of around 3 miles west to the Grand Cenote. A cenote is basically a sinkhole cavern filled with freshwater. The Grand Cenote was home to a plethora of bats, fish, turtles, stalactites, and stalagmites. The water was jarringly cold, but we quickly became used to it. The gorgeous blue water was a great place to snorkel, and it was really intriguing to peer down into the dark and mysterious depths and see the formations.

We had planned to leave this morning, heading to Playa del Carmen, but it appears that our adventurous eating has gotten the better of Aaron. He’s on the mend, but we’ll be in Tulum one more day while he recovers. Meanwhile, I’ve had time to craft this write-up!

Valley of the Sun

April 27, 2017 Teressa Jackson

Kalisha and me at Hole in the Rock at Papago Park

Two weeks ago, I meandered through the desert, past the beautiful blue waters of Lake Havasu, and into the Valley of the Sun. Phoenix has definitely lived up to its nickname, as UV rays have been in plentiful supply here, and there certainly hasn't been a single drop of rain.

I even got to experience a day at what they refer to as the "century mark" when the mercury climbed to 100 degrees on Sunday. You always hear people say that it's not as bad because it's a "dry heat." They're telling the truth. I'd take a million 100 degree days at 6% humidity over 90 degrees with 90% humidity back home. Heat is infinitely more tolerable when you don't feel like someone wrapped a wet blanket around your head. Sorry, Ohio Valley.

While I feel I've barely scratched the surface of what this city has to offer, I've definitely enjoyed my time here. I had visited Scottsdale several years ago, but didn't really get to do or experience much on that trip. I honestly had no idea how large the city was until I got here. With a metro area of around 4.5 million people, it's around 3 times the size of my Louisville hometown.

It's been especially fun to spend some time with my friend Kalisha, who relocated to Phoenix from Louisville at the first of the year. She was kind enough to tour me all over the metro area, and I truly got a more local perspective thanks to her. We attended a self-defense class, visited the farmer's market, saw the city sprawl from up high at South Mountain Park, gazed at Camelback Mountain, hopped up to the hole in the rock at Papago Park, went to a Young Nonprofit Professional Network event, and devoured a few delicious meals.

Blooming saguaro at Desert Botanical Gardens

Kalisha also scored me a free pass to the Desert Botanical Garden. As a self-described "plant nerd," I think was probably the highlight of my time in Phoenix. Other stops included the Frida Kahlo & Diego Rivera exhibit at the Heard Museum, the Rose Garden at Mesa Community College, and Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin West. I took a day trip to Sedona and hiked in Oak Creek Canyon, and stopped at Montezuma Castle National Monument's gorgeous cliffside dwelling on the way back to the city. I enjoyed lunch and olive oil tasting at Queen Creek Olive Mill (olives!!). South of Phoenix, I visited Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, a multi-story structure built in the 1300's by Ancestral Sonoran Desert People.

I also was really happy that my return to the Sonoran Desert unexpectedly coincided with the saguaro cacti's annual bloom. The white flowers, which open at night and only last through the following day, are Arizona's state flower.

One of the things I enjoy about being somewhere on a more extended timeframe is the chance to just spend time like a normal person. I ate some great Mexican food, spent a lot of time with my paintbrushes, shopped a little, enjoyed my Tempe neighborhood, and put some new tires on my car. After nearly 16,000 miles of traveling, it was time!

There remains plenty I haven't seen, done, or experienced in Phoenix, but I've learned to let that go and not wear myself out. Sometimes you have to walk the line between tourist and pretend local... between vacation and real life.

Where to next? I'm really excited to hit the road this morning and head toward one of our nation's least visited national parks, Great Basin National Park in Baker, Nevada. I'm very excited about the diversity of this remote park, which includes mountains, a glacier, ancient bristlecone pine trees, and a cave. Time to put some wear on these new tires!

Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin West in Scottsdale, AZ

Crossing Paths and Collecting Adventures

January 22, 2017 Teressa Jackson

I had a lot of really wonderful experiences during my four weeks at Red Mountain Cottages in Bisbee, Arizona. I gazed at the sunset over the Huachuca Mountains each evening. I enjoyed visits from mule deer, roaming cattle, and flittering desert birds, and heard the sounds of coyotes singing in the night. I visited Old Bisbee, Ramsey Canyon Preserve, Chiricahua National Monument, Coronado National Memorial, Coronado National Forest, Cochise Stronghold, Kartchner Caverns State Park, the Whetstone Mountains, the wild west town of Tombstone, and the border towns of Naco and Agua Prieta in Mexico. And last but not least, I devoured ridiculous quantities of delicious Mexican food.

Mom and me at Chiricahua National Monument

My mother came to visit for my last week in Bisbee and shared in the fun, too. She was perhaps even more mesmerized by the beauty of the desert than I was - standing outside each morning in her coat and pajamas to watch the sunrise, strategically placed to see nature's fireworks to both the east and the west. The time whisked past, and it was hard to believe it was time to pack up the SUV and head to the next adventure on January 21.

I had made a couple of day trips to Tucson (about two hours from my Bisbee home) to see Saguaro National Park, and decided that my run to the airport to bid "see you later" to mom was a good reason to spend a couple more days there.

Mom and I spent her last day in Arizona visiting the Arizona - Sonoran Desert Museum, which was an interesting and expansive combination of museum, zoo, aquarium, art gallery, and botanical gardens. It was home to an amazing array of cacti, interesting desert creatures (including my favorite - the javelina!), and some informative exhibits. Our four hours there flew right by, and we took a small rest at our Airbnb before heading to El Charro Cafe to meet my second cousin Kim, a Tucson resident.

Kim, who I hadn't seen in 15 or so years and had never really known, graciously invited me to her gorgeous home for a hike after I deposited mom at the airport this morning. We journeyed six miles into the saguaro-covered mountains, watching her sweet dog Murphy busily investigate the landscape and getting to know one another. As someone who has never lived near extended family, it was fun to make that connection, especially with such a lovely person.

After three hours with Kim, I had another social date. Kalisha, a friend from home, had recently relocated to Phoenix and we had arranged to meet up in Tucson. It was nice to see another familiar face, and we talked non-stop for the next four hours. I have to admit, she made me wish a bit that my next stop was in Phoenix so we could have a few more visits, but alas, my route is set through February. Perhaps my path will encounter hers again sometime in the next few months... time will tell.

For now, I'm westward bound in the morning. Stay tuned!

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"Year's end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us." ~Hal Borland