febrero: Seeing my parents in Zihuatenejo

My parents decided to escape the Midwestern winter and spend a long weekend in Zihuatenejo, a small beach near Ixtapa on the Pacific side of Mexico. I went out to meet them.

It was a wonderful trip. The beach was set in a bay, a very peaceful and beautiful place. Ixtapa is the hotel-developed town and Zihuatenejo is still a sleepy, fishing town with a fraction of the tourism. I arrived on Friday afternoon and we all got teary - I have been missing them a lot. I put on my bathing suit, grabbed my book, and joined them on the beach. I brought my book, but for the first day or two, we talked almost the whole time. It was great to be able to see each other and catch up without the limitations of phone calls or Skype dates, but just to soak up their company for the first time since August.




We spent the part of Saturday wandering the artisan market downtown and getting a feel for the restaurant possibilities there. While downtown, we stopped by the pier to get information about sport fishing and lucked out. We met a guy, recommended by two groups of Americans that we talked to, and booked our fishing trip. We spent the rest of the afternoon on the beach at the hotel.

We woke up before the sunrise on Sunday and went down to the pier. We bought some sandwiches by the pier to take along, and jumped on board the boat with our guide Adan. We watched the sun rise as we drove out into the ocean, watching the rocky coastline of Ixtapa and Zihuatenejo fade into the distance. During the morning we saw sea turtles, dolphins, and some pretty cool birds of prey that hover above the water and then Kamikaze-style dive into the water for some lunch. Well, we also caught some fish. All three of us caught a sailfish and had a fun time doing it. Both Mom and Dad had some injured fish that didn't fight as much, but my heavyweight fighter seemed to make up the difference (or maybe that is a typical "fisherman's exaggeration"). It was healthy and fighting hard and about 90 pounds according to Alan. In an instant, I went from a mature 23 year old to a helpless 5 year old. Dad helped me and coached me as we both battled the fish to bring it into the boat. As soon as I made any progress, the sailfish would start running again and I would lose all the line I just worked to bring in. Haha, but that is what makes it fun, I suppose. It was the only fish I've caught since lazy afternoons of my childhood at the cabin, dropping a hook and worm into the water and pulling up a bluegill. A little different, I have to say, and quite an exhilarating morning. We went back and relaxed at the hotel until the breathtaking sunset and then went to watch the Super Bowl downtown.







Monday morning was an easy one at the beach, and we grabbed a quick lunch before I dashed off to the airport. It was a rushed goodbye, but fortunately we are going to see each other again in March when they come visit me in Cuernavaca. It was incredible, relaxing, and a grounding weekend for me. I find myself still seeking a lot of comfort in the relationships at home that give me so much life.