Back

The waiting Monday | Day 345 of my 2023 Journal

Cecilie Conrad·Dec 11, 2023· 3 minutes

It is nice to sometimes just have a practical day. We needed papers to travel with the dogs, so Silke and I walked to the local vet; smiling, professional, and friendly, she helped us with the paperwork, and we had the pleasure of meeting a real wolf in the waiting room. We were also very happy with my Spanish skills; this situation would have been complicated without the language.

Walking to find broccoli+ with Storm. Nice.

Red flowers for sale everywhere as a symbol of Christmas, small local market, talking with my son, walking back, making lunch.

In the streets, we observed the garbage system. Mexico City is surprisingly clean. You would not think so in a city of 22 million people, many living under the poverty level, many living in the streets, and thousands living off pop-up shops in the streets. I wonder, by the way, about the system of this. There must be a mafia or a law to allocate these spaces to the vendors. I wonder which it is? As I see Mexico City, it could easily be an official thing, the government helping the street vendors not to fight over spaces and share the time. In the morning, there is instant coffee and bread for sale; during the day, it is the tortillas with all the fried meat; in the evening, it is snacks and stuff (food, but other food or less food). In the night, it is mostly gone.

Back to the garbage, I am surprised there are hardly any bins in the street, yet they are impeccable in most places. And the garbage guys (bless them) hand-separate the trash into categories and load it on the huge trucks working like snails cleaning the streets. It is overwhelming.

It was also a day of waiting, as Liv and Erik would arrive in the early evening. So, after lunch, Silke and I went out to buy her an extra pair of jeans, as it will be a while before we travel to warmer climates again. We enjoyed the walk, found a pair of jeans, and sat down to have a cacao and a chai as we were watching closely the arrival of the rest of the family.

We returned to cook a welcome meal and paused before the Uber delivered our oldest daughter and her Erik, safe and sound from Costa Rica.

And so, the evening was spent in reunion, stories and smiles and laughter shared until we were extremely tired and went to bed to sleep a lot. 

With love

Cecilie-Underskrift-300x133

Cecilie Conrad

Thank you for reading
I would love to hear from you. Listen to your thoughts and reflections - or praise :) It is often emotional to share our lives like this, and we get very happy when we get your feedback. So feel free to share a comment below 😋 

See more images on Facebook

Jetlag and emotional shifts mark our second day in Playa. As we await friends, we explore local markets and street art, challenging first impressions…Read more
In Playa del Carmen, we confront initial reactions to tourism and local flavors. The "Why are we here?" question sparks deep reflection and planning.…Read more
Navigating a 20-hour journey to Playa del Carmen, we confront various fears and challenges, from dietary restrictions to border controls. Despite the…Read more
Transitioning from van life to backpacking, our packing choices reveal hidden fears. As we embark on a seven-month journey, we face the challenge of …Read more
In our sixth year of full-time nomadic living, we've found that the real adventure lies in the people we meet. From Europe to America, friendships ar…Read more
As we transition to a life in backpacks, we're reminded of the power of minimalism. Discover how shedding the non-essentials not only lightens the lo…Read more
We say goodbye to our beloved bus, a symbol of freedom and togetherness. From its purchase in Sweden to its final resting place at Mon la Bassa, disc…Read more
Dive into a day where computer time and 'useless' sentences find their place alongside meaningful connections and life philosophies. Discover the joy…Read more
In our podcast, "Da Ladies Fixing the World," we tackle topics like unschooling, attachment, and the courage to live your truth. Subscribe to be part…Read more