Last night I could not sleep and thought that it was because I couldn't breathe through one nostril. It is cold here in the Bay Area and I have contracted a bit of cold you see. However, tonight I think I smell the true meaning behind it all (pun intended).
Have you ever felt a connection to a place that just draws you in once you are there? Or had a yearning to be somewhere, go back to a place where you were happy? Do you hold a Tara in your heart as Scarlett O'Hara does in Gone With The Wind?
El Aguacate de Abajo, Municipio de Tabasco Zacatecas. That is my Tara. It can be found on the map (a very detailed one) but there aren't any signs to direct you to its location. It's a ranchito out in the mountains on the eastern side of the Sierra Madre where you can see the sun rise with the mountains. The stars shine bright at night and the moonlight is all you need to guide you home. It is no San Miguel de Allende with beautiful homes and quaint streets, grand cathedral and spralling history to devour. Yet it is a part of me that I hold fast to my heart.
Every year in December since I was 6 I have gone to El Aguacate. As soon as the fog and cold set in I knew it was time to go and I looked forward to it. I looked forward to spending Christmas where there weren't any presents, Christmas trees or Santa Clauses. Sounds dreary I know, but running around like I owned every inch of that place meant so much more to me. It is a freedom that I have not felt anywhere else.
The reality of it all is that in my vain attempts to go I have been disuaded by family advising me not to go because the roads are dangerous, the area is dangerous. I know what you must be thinking....articles have surfaced saying how the narcos are taking over. No. The stories told are from word of mouth by those families who have been directly affected. And so I resolve that at present it would be foolish to go and place my family and I in harm's way. How much longer shall I wait? Just 'till I can get settled in my new home in Nayarit, too bad there wasn't a road that cut right through those mountains. To think how much quicker I could get there but then nothing is ever that easy. Instead I have to make the trip down to Guadalajara and then head North to Zacatecas.
Oh well, for now I only dream about standing on the mesita that overlooks El Aguacate and hope that it hasn't changed too much.
What wonderful photos!
ReplyDeleteThanks Jackie, I have so many that posting a couple was difficult.
ReplyDeleteDitto - your photos are amazing! Makes me want to check it out. I just took a bunch of pictures of Santa Catarina but it was more like, "look how ugly it is." I mean the mountains here are gorgeous but the rest of the scenery is .... well not gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteFound your blog via "Countdown to Mexico." I feel the same way about Mazatlan. We first went there in 2007, and the place claimed me as her own. I bought a timeshare just to spend more time there, but I really wait for the time when we can move there. After the first visit, as we were leaving, I whispered, "Mazatlan, I'll be back. This is where I should be and I will be back." We try to go twice a year. Going again in a few weeks, this time taking my son and daughter-in-law. They can't be gone for long, so we may go back later this year for an extended visit.
ReplyDeleteYes I have a "Tara" as well. I started crying at the first sentence of this post. You have encouraged me to write about my "Tara" as well.....the tears will flow but I will write it. Thank-you
ReplyDeleteI look forward to hearing all about yours!
ReplyDeleteThis post was wonderful to read! My favorite of your posts so far :) It helped me realize why I want to move back to Spain. I hope you get to go back to your "Tara" soon, if you haven't already.
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