#transgendertravelabroad

[mytruthandbeauty]

Thursday 8 February 2024

After much thought and consideration, after a fair amount of travel to Ecuador, Panama, Guatemala and several cities in Mexico I finally came to the conclusion that I wanted to make Mexico my home, so this past Tuesday I made it legal and went through the process of getting temporary residency for four years here in my beloved Mexico. It took most of the day and I was able to get it done here in Oaxaca de Juarez with the help of a great lawyer and after answering a few simple questions, paying a fine and the fees. The fine was because I had over stayed my tourist visa by more than six months, but the beauty of this particular program was I didn’t have to prove financial solvency ( meet a certain income level), which I could not do and I didn’t have to go back to the states and apply through an embassy there. While I wasn’t happy about the fine, I understood it and it wasn’t an outrageous sum, so I paid it willingly. The fee itself for the visa was more than the fine, but it is for four years and after that I can apply for permanent residency. After it was all done and I had my new ID card I wanted to jump for joy, I did figuratively.

Now the country truly opens up for me and I can do everything except vote. I had been searching for a home since I left Chicago in 2015 and I’m so thankful that I’ve finally found one, because for a while I didn’t think that would ever happen. I can now open a bank account, enroll with the national healthcare system and commit to learning Spanish. I told my landlady the good news and she said I should stay in Oaxaca and with her in my current apartment. I told her I could probably commit to a year, maybe, but it was good to feel wanted. I know her main motivation is that I’m a good tenant, I always pay the rent on time and in full and I don’t make any fuss, still it speaks to the fact that we also get along quite well and I’m sure I’m okay to be around. Mexico has been pretty much the same to me in general and I hope to continue improving our relationship.

#transgenderfindsafetyandsecurityoutsideusa #transgendertravelabroad #[email protected]

[mytruthandbeauty]

20 July 2023

This is going to be a rant, so it’s not really travel related, but I needed to vent publicly, so I apologize. This really won’t be public as I don’t have more than a couple of followers, but whatever.

In my experience most of YouTube is populated by white people and they seem to all come from a more economically privileged background then me, which leaves me sometimes feeling rather salty. They also seem to come from a class that is more privileged then the one into which I was born and grew up. Consequently we have very little in common and usually when I comment on a post my comment gets no feedback, unless I let it be known that I’m transgender then I’ll probably get some sort of nasty hateful reply. The only time that doesn’t happen is if I’m on a post about transgender or LGBTQ+ subject matter then I may get some engagement and it’s usually supportive. But what pisses me off the most is these YouTubers and commenters who are privileged whites who speak as if their perspective is the only one and the only valid one. I’m not going to list any examples, if you’re on YouTube enough it’s plain to see what I mean. I know that when you’re talking about something it’s easiest to speak from personal experience, I get that, but don’t make your statements as if there’s no other way to see things, that’s just lazy one sided reporting, but if you’re going to do that at least start off by telling your audience that you don’t really care about other sides to the issue or other aspects of the problem and that you know there is more to it then what you’re presenting but that, that’s not what’s important to you, because you have an agenda and you’re pushing that at the expense of showing a well balanced even fair discussion. Maybe these posters aren’t intelligent enough to know what they’re doing or maybe they are and they’re doing exactly what they planned all along.

#transgenderfindsafetyandsecurityoutsideusa #transgendertravelabroad #[email protected]

[mytruthandbeauty]

1 July 2023

I’m an outsider and I’ve chosen to embrace this fact. It’s one characteristic about me that has always been true. Much of it stems from my being transgender, some from my introversion and I think the rest from an insatiable curiosity about life and the world. So, as an outsider I can’t accept, in this late stage of my life, the oppressive laws and regulations nations have imposed on us with regards to where we can go how long we can stay and how we must live. With respects to this I’ve only broken state laws twice and the first time I paid the fine that was imposed and this the second time, I will pay whatever fine is levied on me here. But I choose to be free and will not in the foreseeable future apply for residency in any country. I will come and go as I please, keeping my safety and well being in mind as my primary priorities and I will abide by the countries restrictive immigration laws and leave when it is time.

Mexico has proven to be a safe haven for me, so I will come back to it when my travels dictate, because I’ve always felt safe here. I’ve been able to live comfortably here. I’ve had no problems accessing affordable healthcare even without insurance. The food is healthy fresh and inexpensive and at my doorstep. The cities are pleasant and inviting to walk in and fulfilling your needs takes only a few minutes. Nature is usually close at hand and the people are typically friendly and welcoming. What more can ask for from a country besides reasonable immigration laws? But I realize that in my search for a home I’ve been looking in the wrong places. Home isn’t a geographical location, home is in my heart and my heart is with me all the time.

#transgenderfindsafetyandsecurityoutsideusa #transgendertravelabroad #[email protected]

[mytruthandbeauty]

7 June 2023

I watch a lot of YouTube videos about travel and moving to other countries. Awhile ago this lady who is a U.S. American and now living in the Netherlands talked about why she moved from the US and will never live there again. I watched her intently as she laid out her reasons and finally she made a statement near the end, that really resonated with me. She said something to the effect that she couldn’t continue living in a country with which she didn’t share its values and it struck me that while I hadn’t thought of my situation in that light it was exactly how I felt and how I had felt for a long time about the US. The lady’s channel on YouTube is called Jovie’s Home and the episode is entitled, “Moving back to the USA.”

Most YouTuber and I have little in common, they are usually white cisgender heterosexual and probably financially have more money then me. I’m considered black ( even though I’m mixed) like many people transgender queer and have little money, so I can’t really relate to much of their opinions or ideas, but occasionally they will say something that transcends these demographic boundaries. What Jovie said about values was one such for instance. While I may not share her same values I understood immediately what she meant about not sharing a countries values in general.

For example, the states does not to this day have a universal or national healthcare plan. Mexico, where I am currently living does and I don’t know the ins and outs of the system I do know that it’s available for everyone to use regardless of their citizenship or residency status. I haven’t needed to use it so I haven’t looked into it, but I intend to do so. Also if you want, there is also private insurance available and it’s not unaffordable. Affordable healthcare should be available to all without exception. To me having or not having it shows just how much you value human life. When I got my cancer treatment I had to apply for charity assistance with the hospital, because I was indigent and I was approved. If I had had any income I probably would have had a huge bill, but since I didn’t have any the cost was completely covered. This was how it was handled in the states back in 2012.

During that same difficult time I had previously applied for a housing assistance program and according to federal law I was considered homeless since I was living with relatives and I was therefore approved for that program. I was awarded a small room of about 2.5m x 3.5m with a shared bath. It was furnished with a small closet, a single bed, chest of drawers, microwave and tiny refrigerator. There was a small window which looked out onto a brick wall of the other wing of the building. When I started collecting social security and with the progression of my gender transition it was decided that I needed a room with a private bath. This room was considerably larger and while just as sparsely furnished had a total of four windows. The view was a bit better as I could now see the sidewalk below and across the street. Also my room was adjacent to the fire escape so I could stand on it when I wanted fresh air without leaving the building. This room felt like a palace compared to my previous accommodation. Still I had to pay thirty percent of my income for this meager place, but I was just grateful to have my own place and to not be homeless. Compare that to any of the places in which I have resided in Mexico. I have lived in apartments that have ranged in size from studio to two bedroom all fully furnished with not just furniture, but a television, fully stocked kitchens, bed linens and bath towels. Included in the rent was WiFi while I had to pay electricity separately. The most I ever paid was about forty percent of my income. Good clean affordable housing is another value that I hold for all people. The US doesn’t seem to agree as there are many homeless people there or people living in substandard housing. I have seen only a handful of homeless people since living in Mexico.

One more thing I would like to mention here that I believe shows a contrast between the values of Mexico and the US. Fresh food here is incredibly inexpensive and readily available whereas in the states it’s more like a luxury. The vegetables and fruit here are ripe and full of flavor except if you make the mistake that I’ve occasionally made and bought some that were imported from the US then it was a different story. I try not to repeat that mistake. But also I’ve noticed that the pastries have less sugar than those in the US and honestly they took a little getting used to, but I found that I prefer the less sugary versions. Also it’s the same for the bread and I get both from my local bakery who bakes fresh every day. I’m a vegetarian so I can’t speak on any foods that come from any kind of animal except cheese and while Mexico doesn’t have lots of cheese the ones I’ve eaten are quite good. I don’t think there can be any argument that everyone has a right to healthy fresh food that they can afford to buy, still from my experience the US seems to have a problem with that idea.

And lastly I have to include that while in the US people are trying to take away transgender people’s access to gender affirming care here in Mexico I discovered a clinic with an endocrinologist who offers organic estrogen something I didn’t know existed and I also learned that there is a clinic that offers vaginoplasty at a fraction of the cost of what you would pay in the US. All of these examples are evidence that shows Mexico’s values are more in alignment with my own than the US’s and clearly this is a better place for me.

#transgenderfindsafetyandsecurityoutsideusa #transgendertravelabroad #[email protected]

[mytruthandbeauty]

3 June 2023

All that I’ve written until now has been praise for Mexico and rightly so, because I do love the country and it has so much to offer. However, in all honesty to present a balanced picture I should take some time to point out what I consider to be some of the country’s flaws.

This is not going to be an exhaustive list as I’m speaking from personal experience only for example I have no experience with nor do I know anyone who has an experience with any of the cartels so I can’t speak in an educated way on what they are all about. Now on to that which I have had first hand experience.

I haven’t tried to get a temporary residency visa, but I have read several articles both official and anecdotal and I’ve watched different YouTubers sharing their knowledge on the subject along with immigration specialists and I’ve determined from this that I don’t have nearly enough income to qualify for the visa. This is a problem for me, because I would prefer to be a legal immigrant here to be able to come and go as I please as well as use the public healthcare system if I ever needed it. And as I’ve stated above I love Mexico and want to remain. I don’t want to do repeated border runs indefinitely and who knows how long immigrations would allow me to do that. I think that there should be a separate visa for retirees with a lower income standard, because if you’re not working you don’t have certain expenses related to working outside the home. And I’ve shown in my life that I can comfortably live here on a monthly income much less than what the visa standard is. I’ve done it for more than 2.5 years. So, I’m not happy with the immigration laws.

Another thing about Mexico I don’t like is the noise. Depending on where you live it could be roosters crowing at all hours, dogs barking incessantly, the propane gas delivery man passing by his truck emitting this little jingle repeatedly or the worse is the insanely loud music blasting from speakers from the bars or clubs. Honestly, I am not bothered by any of these with the exception of the overbearing music from the bars, because not only are they unreasonably loud but they typically start late evening and go on until the almost dawn every day of the week.

Something else that I don’t like about Mexico is the cat-calling, the guys who think it’s okay to grope you and those who try to pick you up while asking for sex. It can be very tiresome.

I do wish that the tap water was drinkable, but it’s not and I don’t use it to cook either. Some say you can use it to brush your teeth just don’t swallow it, but I don’t do that either. Fortunately you can have the large 20 liter bottles delivered to your home for a small cost of about $2.00 USD.

And finally from what I can see recycling doesn’t seem to be a priority here, at least not in Puerto Vallarta. In light of the climate catastrophe I think that is something everyone should be taking seriously including governments on all levels, but that some Mexican governmental agencies aren’t is tragic and criminal. Don’t get me wrong, I love living in Mexico and I’m very happy I moved here, but I simply wanted to point out these things that I wish were better. I don’t believe there is a perfect country anywhere, for that to happen it would have to be uninhabited by humans, because humans seem to take pleasure in fucking up even the best of places. Still there are some places they have ruined less then others and for me Mexico is one of the less spoiled ones.

A quiet moment on the bank of the Rio Cuale in Centro.

#transgenderfindsafetyandsecurityoutsideusa #[email protected] #transgendertravelabroad

[mytruthandbeauty]

31 May 2023

I’m looking ahead, trying to determine where I will live next and potentially indefinitely upon my return to Mexico late this year. While Puerto Vallarta is beautiful and a good place for me I’ve been here long enough and I want to live in a different climate too. I’ve seen a number of videos about Oaxaca City, Oaxaca and read some articles too and I think it might be a good next place for me.

It has the same legal protections as Jalisco, the state in which I currently reside, it’s still Mexico so I know I won’t have any problem getting my meds, it has the same quality of fresh foods, it’s bigger than PV with a population of about three quarters of a million people, it still has some colonial era buildings and the second most important factor for me, it has cheaper rents then PV. I haven’t settled on Oaxaca yet, but another feature that makes it attractive to me is the village, I can’t remember it’s name, that’s nearby that is home to Mexico’s indigenous transgender people who call themselves, muxes. They don’t consider themselves transgender, but that’s the closest western title or label I know of that fits. If I go to Oaxaca City I hope to go to the muxes village and meet some and see what they are all about.

One of many murals in Centro Puerto Vallarta

#transgenderfindsafetyandsecurityoutsideusa #transgendertravelabroad

[mytruthandbeauty]

16 May 2023

Not long ago, maybe a week or so, I was relaxing at one of my favorite spots. It’s under one of the many large shade trees growing along the bank of Rio Cuale in Centro. It’s a charming spot where many people like to come and hang out, because it takes you away from the cars of the nearby through street and the street that runs parallel to the river is a one lane strip that sees very little traffic. Anyway this day in particular while I was enjoying the quiet, there were voices from occasional passers by but they didn’t disturb the calm, and the tranquil beauty of the river not a stones throw away this small group of people passed me and they were rather loud and one of the women said something about, if I hear another word about a democrat, then her voice just trailed off, I knew instantly they were US Americans and I felt immediately defensive and argumentative. I wanted to say to her something like, what about democrats, but I didn’t, because I didn’t want to get into a pointless argument with someone I perceived as an ignorant narrow minded US American the very type of person I had left the states to get away from.

I watch a lot of YouTube of US Americans telling other U.S. Americans that they can have a better life by leaving the states and while I believe that’s true I cringe, because I don’t want US Americans running all over the world inflicting their stupidity and ignorance on other countries. I sometimes want to tell these vloggers to stop promoting these places, but I understand why they do it and I know I’m guilty of the same thing, so I can’t point fingers. I guess it’s human nature to want to share with others when you’ve found a good thing. And I’m sure that many of those US Americans who venture beyond the shores of the states and settle abroad are not guilty of the ignorance and narrow mindedness which I fled when I left my so called home country. But if they are hopefully the experience of living in another country will show them that there are different and maybe better ways of doing things. If not, well they will probably do the rest of us a favor and go back home.

#transgenderfindsafetyandsecurityoutsideusa #transgendertravelabroad

[mytruthandbeauty]

Monday 19 February 2024

I have such a sense of peace of mind since obtaining my four year temporary residency visa here in Mexico that I feel more relaxed now and I actually sleep better. Every day my body feels at peace. Even though I felt good and safe here before this I feel even better now. I used to be a little bit apprehensive around police before, because I was living here under an expired tourist visa and I was concerned that they could take some negative action against me like having me deported, fortunately nothing like that ever happened.

I think coming from the US I had developed this fear mindset, where I was afraid always that the worse would happen, because it does often in the US to so many people and while the worse never happened to me some bad stuff did, so I was always concerned. I’ve since come to realize Mexico takes a very different approach to things, for instance if you are in my previous situation you are not considered an illegal but rather irregular. And I’m just speculating as I’m not involved in policy making of any sort, but they instituted an migration program whereby those who had legally entered the country within a certain period, their tourist visa had expired, they had a physical address here and were living here, were supporting themselves and not breaking any laws then if they paid a fine and could prove the above then they could get temporary residency without leaving the country to apply and without proving a source of income. I think they decided to take this more humane approach to immigrations then so many countries including my country of birth. Also while you are in the country prior to obtaining residency no one is out looking for you and you are not stopped on the street, because you appear to be a foreigner. I realized shortly after coming here that Mexico is a much more civilized country and they seem to believe in treating people with dignity kindness and civility. This has further cemented my love for this country and it’s people.

#transgenderfindsafetyandsecurityoutsideusa #transgendertravelabroad #[email protected]

[mytruthandbeauty]

#transgenderfindsafetyandsecurityoutsideusa #transgendertravelabroad #[email protected]

[mytruthandbeauty]

I’ve gotten very comfortable in my Oaxaca apartment. It not only has everything I need, but great views of this side of the city as it stretches off into the distance and up the side of the nearby mountains, but I have a wonderfully attentive landlady as well. This girl could hardly ask for more.

#transgenderfindsafetyandsecurityoutsideusa #transgendertravelabroad #[email protected]

[mytruthandbeauty]

#transgenderfindsafetyandsecurityoutsideusa #transgendertravelabroad

[mytruthandbeauty]

27 January 2024

I’m writing this to share some of my joy at my finally choosing a home country, at finally being able to say that I’ve concluded that I’ve found a place that accepts me and that I accept. A place where I feel safe and have peace of mind. I thank the universe for bringing me here and opening my eyes to all it has to offer and for it not turning me away. I’m not a world traveler even though a few people have referred to me as such, but I’m sure that was in jest. I know that I’m privileged to have been able to travel at all. I have only been to five countries outside my home country and I’ve spent most of those three and a half years in Mexico and I’m blessed that Mexico has allowed me to be here all this time. During that time I’ve left Mexico three times, but I’ve always returned. I’m not going to try to make this attraction into some mysterious or spiritual thing I’m too practical for that. The draw Mexico has on me is very practical even though there are also some elements that appeal to my need for beauty. Life teaches you that you should be true to your real self if you are going to be happy with your life and being surrounded by beauty is something that I need to be happy. Mexico supplies beauty in spades. You have the natural beauty of the varied landscapes, the artistic beauty created by its people and the beauty of the smiling faces of the people. But I’m not writing this to talk about aesthetics but the down to earth reasons I love living here.

The most important factor in why I continue to live in Mexico is I am not concerned with or afraid of being confronted by transphobia. I have not had anyone say anything, do anything or act in a transphobic way toward me ever. I am not saying that, that sort of thing doesn’t happen somewhere here or to someone, but it hasn’t been my experience. I haven’t seen a single person out in the streets preaching that gays or trans people are sinners and going to hell. I haven’t once been referred to in male terms by a Mexican except maybe once or twice and when I asked the person if they had done so, they professed that if they had it wasn’t meant to misgender and they apologized for the misunderstanding. I have unfortunately experienced this once by a man at the airport and when I confronted him he offered no apology. He was a white American, surprise, surprise! But in all fairness I’m pretty sure I was once misgendered by a boy, a Mexican, from whom I was trying to get directions and he worked at this building inside a booth behind a plexiglass window. When I asked him if he called me sir he just gave me this dumb smile, so I can’t be sure if he did or if I misheard what he said. Still a couple times in about three years is not very bad. It had been a lot worse back in the states.

My next element about living in Mexico that really makes life a joy is having access to affordable and good quality healthcare, which includes being able to get prescription medication over the counter at very affordable prices. Fortunately for me I am fairly healthy so I don’t need to go to see a doctor often or routinely, but the few times that I have had to see a doctor even though I don’t have insurance I’ve been able to pay for my visits out of pocket because the price was so minimal I think the highest price I have paid has been something like US$40 but in Mexican pesos. so I’m not afraid to go to a doctor whenever I need to do that.

The next thing which is very high on my list is affordable housing. I have been able to always secure housing that is not just well priced but comfortable clean safe and in typically lovely neighborhoods and all of these places have been fully furnished which includes not just the furniture, kitchen appliances, but water and Wi-Fi. I do have to buy bottled water for drinking, cooking and brushing my teeth, but that is a minor cost of $35.00 Mexican pesos for one 20 liter bottle, which typically lasts me about a week. I’ve only had to pay electricity and in most cases I think one place I had to pay for my propane gas, which I used for the stove and hot water, but that typically was only about seven or eight dollars a month. This is not the same as housing, but when I look for an apartment I always look for a place that is in a walkable setting meaning that from my place of residence I can easily walk to all the places that I would typically need to go on a day-to-day basis such as pharmacies, grocery stores, possibly hardware stores, maybe a café, or a restaurant, supermarkets, department stores and banks. When I’m out walking I don’t want to be in constant fear for my life due to the proximity of high speed traffic, you do have to sometimes be aware of the traffic, but often there are streets that don’t allow for frenetic driving, because they are narrow, have visual obstacles that make drivers slow down and the pavement is cobble stone which slows them down too. Drivers here tend to be more courteous and respectful of pedestrians as a rule in my experience, so you have that going for you as someone who maybe getting around on foot. Also on the subject of safety, I have not once felt unsafe the entire time I’ve lived here, not from the national guard with their assault rifles or a casual passerby.

One very simple, but equally important element to good living in my estimation is having ready access to inexpensive fresh unprocessed foods, this is something that I think is under rated by so many people, but so vital to a high quality life. In just about every location in which I’ve lived here I’ve only been a few minutes by foot from a tienda/frutería where I could always get fresh vegetables and fruit. Sometimes there might not be certain items available, but that was simply because they weren’t in season, so you’d get something else. I think it’s better that way and things aren’t being frozen and shipped hundreds or thousands of kilometers just to satisfy a few overly demanding customers taste buds. And that kind of behavior is bad for improving climate change anyway. Another thing about food that is so good here is panaderías. Panaderías are small bakeries that bake their own bread and pastries fresh daily and I love that, because I love fresh pastries, that was something I couldn’t get in my birth country.

And last, but certainly not least, is the weather. Mexico generally speaking has great weather, but here in Oaxaca there are annually 311 days of sunshine. The humidity is comfortable. I’ve only been here during autumn into winter and the days are comfortably dry with mostly sunny skies. The elevation is 1,550 meters or about 5,160 feet which probably accounts for the cooler nights which get to about 50F/12C and warm afternoons of about 80F/28C, like today it started at 53F/13C and this afternoon it’s now 86F/30C. The sky is a bright blue with just a scattering of pale white clouds and the sun has been bright all day. So, these are my reasons for living in Mexico and returning to Mexico at a glance and more importantly why I’m going to make Mexico my official home by getting legal residency. I’ve started the process by searching for a lawyer to help me make this dream a reality and I meet with him soon. Hopefully all will go well and I’ll have my residency card soon. As I said at the beginning of this post I’m not a world traveler. My ambition has been to find a home. I don’t believe that home is simply where you’re born, that is just a circumstance of your birth and that place may not align with your values or suit your needs, tastes or desires, it’s a circumstance you can change if that is what you need to do for whatever reason. I know that I will still want to travel sometimes, but after my residency is secure I’ll have a home to which to return, so it will be vacations to other lands and having a country in which I feel safe and have peace of mind to return will be the icing on the cake. And again I am very grateful to Mexico that I’ve been able to live here and hopefully will soon call it my home. I tried to offer a restrained essay on why I love Mexico, I could easily have made this a very flowery piece, but that I think would have gotten in the way, and in so doing share with you the joy I feel for this wonderful opportunity that life has given me. I will post my progress toward my Mexican residency as development occurs in the mean time thanks to anyone who reads this.

#transgenderfindsafetyandsecurityoutsideusa #transgendertravelabroad

[mytruthandbeauty]

28 October 2023

For the past three years now, well not quite three years, but almost 3 years I have been living in Mexico. I have lived in Puerto Vallarta, San Cristobal de Las Casas and now Oaxaca de Juarez and I’ve also visited Mexico City. It is a country that has been and continues to often be vilified in the US media and by the US state department. However, for me it has been a safe haven in a world that is filled with madness. I have found it to be not only beautiful, but peaceful and tranquil and its people warm and welcoming. When I look out my window at that view it nourishes my soul while I prepare food to nourish my body. Each day it remains my just how blessed I am for the life that I have.

#transgenderfindsafetyandsecurityoutsideusa #transgendertravelabroad #[email protected]

[mytruthandbeauty]

28 October 2023

Mexico has been for me for almost three years now my new home and it is a country that too often is vilified by the US media and state department. I have found it to be a warm beautiful place of welcoming friendly people and a place that has been like a safe haven in a stormy world. This is my view of Oaxaca de Juarez, Oaxaca Mexico and it gives me a sense of peace and tranquility as it nourishes my soul each time I look out whenever I’m in the kitchen nourishing my body. This makes me know how blessed I am each and every day.

#transgenderfindsafetyandsecurityoutsideusa #transgendertravelabroad #[email protected]

[mytruthandbeauty]

25 October 2023

Shopping in Mexico for everyday things can either be an experience of convenience or one of exploration and adventure. The convenient approach is when you go to a large market that is part of a chain. It can be a local chain or an international one. Here in Oaxaca one of the local chains is Chedraui and then you also have Walmart or maybe also Costco. I stay away from the foreign companies as I prefer to give my money to a local company, so if I need to head to the big market I go to Chedraui. However, in spite of the challenges I like to try the little shops, tiendas as they are called in Mexico, as much as possible, because I believe they can most benefit from the money I spend, at least that’s what I hope and it also makes me feel better.

A couple days ago I needed to restock some things so I decided I would go to this little strip a few blocks from me that I had stumbled upon the previous shopping day I was out as it looked promising. As I made my way slowly along peering into the different shops either through glass walls or just open entries I ventured into the ones that seemed to have what I was looking for and eventually after three outings I got everything that was on my mental list. I had to return home after each successful trip, because carrying my purchases up steep hills was rather tiring and I’m not as young as I used to be so I rest when I need it. Some times I get a little jealous of the young people I see taking their long strides effortlessly up the hills with bags in hand or a backpack over their shoulders and think, I wish I had the energy and stamina I once had when I was in my twenties it would make all this so easy. And then I realize that that would entail my having the body I had at that age, completely nullifying my transition and I resign myself to the reduced capacities with which I now have. It’s a trade off with which I’m okay. It seems life is just a series of trade offs with which we have to live.

On my last outing I was on the hunt for pastries, my eternal weakness, and I followed Google maps’ directions to what should have been a panadería, pastry shop, but found nothing but a blank wall. No signage of any sort, not even a name painted on the wall or door, nothing. Google maps had let me down again, this is something that happens too often with Google maps and when it does it pisses me off to no end, but at this point I half expect it to happen, so I don’t get too bothered when it does. Still I was disappointed, because I wanted a sweet baked good to go with my breakfast in the morning. Heading back home I decided to stop at this little shop on this side street/staircase I had spotted on the way to the non-existent bakery and inside in my broken Spanish I asked if they had bread, because I couldn’t think of the word for pastry and the man showed me a tray of small loaves of breads and I bought one for $40.00 Mexican pesos. The woman there tried to sale me some flowers. They may have been carnations, but I’m not sure, anyway they were lovely with blossoms of tightly packed petals and a very subtle fragrance. I explained, as best I could that while they were lovely I couldn’t buy any because I didn’t have a vase in which to put them. I think she understood and as I was leaving she broke off a blossom and handed it to me with a smile. I thanked her and said see you later. As I walked home I kept sniffing the flower inhaling it’s sweet subtle fragrance eventually I tucked it into my cleavage so I wouldn’t drop it and continued home. Each time I looked down at the colorful delightful gift in front of me I smiled and thought how much I loved Mexico, that flower represented the fact that Mexicans want and appreciate my presence and want me to be happy here and to continue spending my money with them.

#transgenderfindsafetyandsecurityoutsideusa #transgendertravelabroad #[email protected]

[mytruthandbeauty]

20 October 2023

So I’ve been here in Oaxaca de Juarez now for all of October and during this time until yesterday I spent my days exploring and understanding my new neighborhood. I found the local supermarket, a couple of nice little tiendas, and a discount pharmacy all the basics one needs for every day living. Now it was time to branch out and make my way to Centro and to the Zocalo. as always I relied on Google Maps to get me there and it gave me quite a circuitous route winding through narrow alleyways down staircases that substituted for streets or I guess you could say pedestrian walkways and eventually onto broader streets which were OK because I guess they were the quickest way or most direct way eventually to get to my destinations. 

Along the way I’ve passed some interesting sites to say the least. Someone had substituted statues of Rottweilers for gargoyles in front of their house which I thought was quite interesting maybe it has something to do with the fact that it seems Mexicans love dogs. Once I got close to Centro i saw many historic buildings that had been converted or rather I should say repurposed to suit contemporary uses while retaining their historic facades.  But before reaching downtown I was enchanted by the colorful houses and the sprinkling of bright blossoms on trees that all seemed to pop up out of nowhere. it was a day of pure exploration and while I did have a tentative destination I wanted to actually enjoy the journey more so than the point of arrival, so I was therefore able to enjoy a leisurely stroll instead of feeling hurried and like I had to get to where I needed to be. eventually I didn’t make it to the Zocalo but I saw large impressive very old churches along the way and there were many many people out enjoying the day which was warm but not hot with bright sun and just a few clouds overhead. I became thirsty and I found a little shop where I was able to buy some water to satiate my need for liquids and by the time I got to Centro I was really hungry so I stopped in to this pizzeria and had a nice vegetarian pizza and a large salad. The service at El Sagrario restaurant bar and pizzeria with very good. It was efficient attentive and professional. The food was not only delicious but the ingredients were fresh tasty well seasoned not fussy but very well put together. I had a lovely leisurely lunch and I enjoyed the decor also. Eventually I made my way back home and I stopped off at a little panadería along the way and got myself a couple of chocolate frosted donuts to have for breakfast later in the week. I must also add, that there were a lot of people, families, couple, singles, young and old at the Zocalo why I don’t know there was also a band playing music and it was a very festive time and also at a couple of other locations I passed mainly in squares near the churches there were tents and tables set up where restaurants were doing business and small retailers were selling their wares. I had a lovely time yesterday and I’m glad I finally made it downtown and got a chance to appreciate the sights and sounds of Oaxaca city. This was the first time but it definitely will not be the last time because I intend to be here for quite some time to come.

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