Kindred Spirit

“Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, ‘What! You too? I thought I was the only one.”– C.S. Lewis

When I joined Expats Puerto Vallarta: Everything You Need and Want to Know, I thought the site would be good for gathering information and learning all the significant history of Puerto Vallarta. Normally, I would find such things boring but because I am in a new country (okay, so Mexico’s been here for centuries) I figured learning a little history would help inspire me to learn the language.

Anyway, my new friend Linda is one of the members on the Expats site. She not only sent me a welcoming text. She offered me assistance if I needed help navigating Vallarta. We decided to meet on the Malecon, swap stories about Puerto Vallarta and spend a little time getting to know each other.

We met at Cerveceria Union, a cool restaurant/bar looking out on the beautiful blue ocean. We had a table in the front corner that let us look left, right and behind while we enjoyed people watching. Cerveceria Union has the most incredible oyster bar and grill. The food was absolutely delicious but I will definitely continue to get my Margaritas on the beach at Mismaloya.

The sun was shining, the colors of life were magnificent and we were happy to be alive in the middle of all of it. We talked for hours, interrupted only from time to time by the waiters, who provided us with super service, kept us laughing with funny stories, and told us a little about tribulations they we’re overcoming and how happy they were to be in Vallarta.

Linda and I had lots of stories to swap. We come from very different backgrounds but our life stories parallel in several ways. It is a blessing to meet someone who is simpatico and full of positive energy and loves her dog. We are typical pet owners sharing stories and pictures.

After a long lunch, I decided to accept Linda’s invitation to hang out at her house until Rey got off from work. Rey is a real estate agent. Between taking care of the office and showing luxury homes and condos, I’ve learned to adjust to his unpredictable schedule. It gave Linda and I a few more hours to get to know each other.

We jumped in a taxi after Linda negotiated the price. Typical of any country you may travel to (including the U.S.), you’ll pay the tourist price if you don’t bargain before getting into the cab. Our taxi driver was super friendly, played groovy music and even played with the dog. He was a typical jack of all trades advising us of other services he or his friends could provide just in case we needed help.

Linda cooked a super shrimp scampi that I ate before Rey came. When Rey got there the conversation took a serious political turn but it was great because we were all on the same page. We talked about politics, art, dreams and achievements while Rey enjoyed his meal, and we grooved to the music of “Marcus Miller” and “Tuck and Patti” playing in the background.

One thing we all could agree on. It’s much better living in the Garden of Eden than in the Concrete Jungle. We have left behind the conflict, struggle and stress of a life that dictates when we come and go, how much we “have to” work/earn, and when we can take well deserved time to relax.

But alas, the evening must come to an end because tomorrow morning we go to the Botanical Garden!

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