Not ready to say goodbye
I’m back and you may be just as surprised to find me here as I am. After writing my “Farewell Column” (Jan. 28), I was a bundle of mixed feelings. To add to my confusion, I kept running into people all over town who had the nicest things to say to me about my weekly 700 words. People were gracious and sincere and with each friendly comment, I realized I simply wasn’t ready to cut the cord entirely. I was missing this connection.
I had agreed to write special pieces for the paper now and then. But when I slowed down long enough to really check into how I was feeling about ending the column, it honestly didn’t sit right. While I was switching things over to my blog, and will continue to do so, (www.thesecondhahlfonline.com) I realized I wasn’t quite ready to say goodbye to this familiar print format.
So, thanks to the flexibility of the Times Standard, here I am again! No, I’m not coming back each and every week. (I know it’s important for me to continue to explore this semiretired lifestyle.) Instead, you will find me here on the first Tuesday of each month.
I am grateful for the opportunity to continue to do what I enjoy so much, especially since I am actively exploring the many dimensions of this phase in my life.
Consider my current circumstances. As you read this, on this very day, I will be in Mexico City celebrating my husband’s 70th birthday! That’s right, for his BIG birthday celebration he wanted the opportunity to try out the Spanish he has been studying for years … and I was more than happy to tag along.
Prepping for this nearly month-long trip has been a wonderful exercise in positive aging because, except for our plane tickets, we have done all of the planning. Admittedly, it’s felt endless at times. While my brain has had fun exploring our many options, there were times when it was also a bit overwhelming.
Fortunately, our friend was happy to move into our home to water houseplants and just keep an eye on things. But there were all of those nights when I was scouring Airbnb for housing, making sure our phones would work, downloading an app for communication and registering for our half-day Spanish classes. (This also required taking a placement exam. True confession, I totally bombed, although I thought the brief narrative I was asked to write about an island off the coast of California might give them a good laugh … it was that bad. But I cut myself some slack. After all, it’s been 50 years since I took Spanish in high school.)
Planning this kind of trip also means facing some uncertainties and being willing to take some risks, both of which I believe help keep our bodies and brains healthy. Most recently, I’ve been paying close attention to the spread of the coronavirus. So far, Mexico is not experiencing any problems but I imagine that may change and we’ll stay aware of our hygiene.
It’s also been interesting to note how many people have said they’d be afraid to travel to Mexico. Obviously, we’ll avoid those areas that are known to be unsafe … but we do that in every country we visit. It’s just common sense. I also realize the media has had a field day portraying Mexico as a hotbed of crime. This is both highly inaccurate and grossly unfair. Mexico is a big, beautiful country full of many wonderful people. A traveler just needs to be smart.
Maybe I feel so relaxed about traveling to Mexico because I grew up in San Diego. I spent much of my childhood with a neighbor, a brilliant, kind, and loving Mexican mother of six. I thought of her as my second mother. She took me back and forth across the border with her and her kids nearly every week. I have always felt a great kinship with the Mexican people. Add their fascinating culture, their rich, diverse history, and incredible food and I am in heaven!
Mostly, I feel tremendously grateful we are able to travel. We learned firsthand a few years ago that circumstances can shift in a heartbeat. Celebrating a life of 70 years in Mexico with my amazing husband was too good to pass up.
See you next month!
Tracey Barnes Priestley is a life coach with a master’s degree in community counseling psychology and more than 30 years of experience as a counselor, educator and consultant. Visit her website, www. thesecondhalfonline.com; email her at: tracey@ thesecondhalfonline.com; or send letters to 665 F St., Arcata, CA, 95521. Tracey regrets she cannot answer all letters and emails.