Mini-dream come true

Hi everyone,

Today I had a very cool experience, one that I had been dreaming about for weeks. Traveling from place to place over the past two months, we have been highly aware of our role as visitors. We do our best to connect with people in very simple, very human ways--eye contact, conversation, smiles, etc.--and generally feel that we have had quality interactions with the local people along our way. Still, I often feel that I gain more than I am able to give. So, for the past month, I have been dreaming about going into the pueblitos, setting up an art table, and inviting people to paint or draw with me. Today the timing felt right.

We are in La Cruz, the town that has served as our hub on the Mexican mainland. The marina in La Cruz is fairly new, so the town still has a somewhat pre-tourism feel to it (at least compared to surrounding towns such as Puerto Vallarta and Punta de Mita). We have come to appreciate the local markets--one for fresh tortillas, one for meat, one for fish, another for veggies, etc.--the kind people, the bus system, and other trappings of what I'd call "authentic" Mexico.

I set up the art table in a centrally-located park, using two plastic tables and some chairs borrowed from the taco stand across the street. After hanging my sign (a combination of bubble-letters and my best Spanish), setting out the paints, and sharpening all the colored pencils, I only had to sit alone and idle for approximately 5 minutes before an adventurous family gathered around and began to paint. Awesome: a local couple was the great-aunt and uncle, with their family visiting from Tequila, Jalisco (not joking!), and two nephews who live in L.A. All told, about 12 people. They broke the ice. After that, I had a steady stream of ninos (kids), for the next two hours. It was AWESOME!!!! Ryan and Laura were my support crew; brought me ice cream, took pictures, helped clean up. As you can tell, I couldn't be happier about how it went. Perhaps we'll take this act "on the road" for the rest of the trip. Stay tuned.

Other news, before I sign off...Tomorrow we are parting ways with Laura and Jim. We have had such a great time with them on their beautiful boat. As many of you know, Laura and Jim's abundant love and willingness to have fun make them a joy to be around. We couldn't be more grateful for our time together.

Can you feel the love?!

On the flip side, we will be joined, for this final leg of our sailing adventure, by our friends Mike & Angie and Alex & Carrie. There is another northwest swell on the way and our favorite Mexican surfspots are only a few hours of sailing away, so we know we have good times ahead.

We love you all and want to remind you that, yes, the days are getting longer.

Peace,
Jess and Ryan