I have arrived to my new life in Cuesta Marina, a beautiful spot on a hill overlooking the lake Sutchitlan. I am living with Mirtila, a woman of about seventy who wears a comb in her ponytail and continuously talks and not necessarily just with me with herself as well. I feel like it is a constant sleep over: we talk through the thin walls of the house late at night. Anyway, how do I explain this endearingly eccentric woman? So when I was in Cuesta Marina for the visit she wanted to show her gratitude for me visiting and spending two years of my life in Cuesta with a gift. As I was walking out the door she pulled me aside to her closet and took out a pair of literal granny panties and a grandma bra to give me. The panties are a light hue of purple and well the bra was too big and as she told me ¨tiene pechitos¨ (you have small breasts) so she retracted that gift. That is Mirtila in a nutshell very giving and warm but a little eccentric I guess I would say. I kindly asked her to save the panties for me so that they would be awaiting my arrival when I came back. So I am here with my new community, new friends, and best of all new panties.

I am no longer living with grams in her room but next door in a pink and green studio apartment as I like to call it, minus the rats and with a plush bed. But most of all I am just thankful that I have been placed in such a beautiful and friendly place with people who have opened up their arms and their hearts to me. The new thing to say is aww...Joanna. Then they laugh pat my hand and give me a hug. I still have yet to find out if this is out of love or sympathy because my Spanish is lacking and my humor doesn´t always translate. The Spanish thing is harder than I thought it would be. I went to go by a piece of sugar cane yesterday for a quarter and ended up walking away with an entire cane about seven feet tall. I mean not a bad deal, but who knew, not me I guess. Anyway, so far so good. Keep reading to stay posted.