Ellie Smoit, The Adventure Cat, Part 1: Boxes

Boxes

ELLIE SMOIT

I love boxes. 

I can fit in them. I can fit in all sizes of boxes. It doesn’t matter if I can’t technically fit in the box. 
I love boxes.
More boxes have been coming into the house. Some have crinkly brown stuff in them. It makes fun noises when I jump into it and play with it.
Sometimes Noxie and Kaylee want to come into my boxes. But no! They are MY boxes! I will kill them if they try.
I love boxes.

Inspecting

Well, I also like bags

Bubble wrap is fun, too

I’m keen on books

I really love books

I don’t care how small they are

Ellie Smoit, the Adventure Cat, is chronicling her journey from her house in Colorado across the United States and to Mexico, with a little help from her owner, Lexie Greenawalt.



Falling into Place

LISA

Today everything fell into place for Phase 1 of the Mexico adventure. We sat down and planned it out, and then we took action!

Step 1: Figure out our dates
First we looked at the calendar and Google Maps and figured out how long it will take us to drive to Guadalajara, Mexico, from Harrisburg, PA, where we will be visiting Grandma for the Christmas holidays before embarking on our adventure. We argued a little about whether the Mexican portion, after we cross the border at Laredo or McAllen, TX, should be done in one day or two, and finally decided to wait and see how the traveling went. (but we found a cat-friendly midway hotel just in case.)

The arrival date will be Jan. 10 or 11, 2019.

Step 2: Sign up for Spanish immersion classes
First I booked us for two months of four-hours-a-day Spanish immersion classes at the Guadalajara Language Center. They teach from 8:45 AM-1:30 PM, Monday through Friday, with a half hour off for lunch. Only $680 a month! They also have excursions to show you the area and give you a chance to study your Spanish, as well as opportunities to volunteer in the community.

Step 3: find a place to live

House La Holandesa

Next, I booked us for three months in a four-bedroom house in Tlaquepaque, in the southern suburbs of Guadalajara, Mexico’s biggest city, for a ridiculously low $850 a month. (that was through the foreign language school. the same property is $137 a night on Trip Advisor!) So lesson #1: Book local.

It’s called House La Holandesa. It’s in a gated community. The house has plenty of room for us all to spread out, even when Aryk comes home on Easter Break from University. It has a nice looking kitchen with granite countertops and stainless steel appliances, and a guest room! The most important amenities, though, are a parking space, and cat-friendly.

The house is about a ten-minute walk from the center of Tlaquepaque and 15 from the language school.

So we have a language school, we have a home. We have a plan. Now we are really getting excited!

Hasta La Vista!

That’s it, we’re doing it. Our oldest child Aryk is off at university in England. Our youngest child Gavin has just graduated from high school. Rather than be empty nesters, my husband Bob and I are stepping off the treadmill and hitting the road to spend the next decade or two exploring the planet.

The family in London
The family in London

Our oldest child Aryk is off at university in England. Our youngest child Gavin has just graduated from high school. Rather than be empty nesters, my husband Bob and I are stepping off the treadmill and hitting the road to spend the next decade or two exploring the planet.

We are relatively young and healthy, and the stock market has done good things with our investments over the last few years. So we are renting out our house just outside Denver, putting our stuff in storage, and packing up a few suitcases, three cats, our daughter (for a gap year) and our musical instruments and heading south of the border to explore Mexico for the next few years. We plan to spend three months at a time in different communities, mixing up cities, mountains, coast and historic pueblos, to really get beyond just a taste of this glorious country.

I know people think we’re crazy. Whenever I tell them the plan, they look at me uncomprehendingly.

Why are we doing this?

  • Because travel opens your eyes and heart in ways nothing else can.
  • Because meeting all kinds of different people expands your horizons.
  • Because learning a new language stretches your mind and keeps your brain supple.
  • Because settling in one place forever feels limiting.
  • Because the ocean is beautiful and the mountains are glorious.
  • Because thanks to social media we can stay connected to old friends and dear communities while we make new friends and create new communities.
  • Because Mexico has a low cost of living and high quality of life.
  • Because … salsa and mole sauce.
  • Because … bougainvillea and pelicans.
  • Because … waves and reefs.
  • Because … whales and dolphins.
  • Because … ruins and festivals.
  • Because … the Day of the Dead and Three Kings Day.
  • Because … tequila and mezcal.

When we’re done with Mexico, we plan to move on to Central America and South America.

When we’re done with Central America and South America, we’ll give the cats back to the kids, ditch the truck, fly across the pond (Atlantic Ocean) and begin exploring the rest of the planet.

Because life is short. And the world is big. Join us on the adventure!

Author: LisaPosted by Lisa Hamm-Greenawalt

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