some wins in oaxaca
It's currently the morning of my 3rd day in Oaxaca de Juárez, in what appears to have become my annual spring/summer solo trip to Mexico. I plan on posting some photos once I get around to wiping the metadata, but for now I wanted to share a few wins from the past couple days.
- My Spanish has been treating me pretty well. I have to give myself a little more credit -- I tell people I don't speak the language, but I have to remind myself that had my university offered a minor in Spanish (like the other languages), then I would have had enough credits for it. But it is extremely rusty.
- I have met some wonderful people at my hostel to hang out with. One is headed to Puerto Escondido right now so I may see him again if I choose to head there.
- With the help of pregabalin I have been able to get quality sleep and feel well rested. The first night I didn't take it and the next day was rough, but since then the low doses have treated me nicely.
- On a related note, I have not gotten sleep paralysis. It's happened in hostels more than once in my life and it's not pretty.
- I've been able to get great coffee from different shops every morning and spend a little time on my laptop.
- I've gotten to try a lot of great food and a variety of Mezcal.
- The locals, for the most part, have been warm and welcoming.
- My chronic pain hasn't been limiting. My back has been acting up a bit, which while irritating, hasn't prevented me from walking around all day or sitting on hard chairs.
- I've been able to keep my sensorimotor OCD at bay. It's ruined large swaths of my life but I'm not going to let it this time.
- Relatedly, my vocal and motor tics haven't been acting up. Interestingly enough it seems that novel environments and experiences reduce them significantly, whereas familiarity and routine cause them to become more present.
- I had quite a few drinks last night and am not really hungover today.
- I've been watching an episode of Death Note before bed each night and it's a good show.
That's a lot of wins for 2 days! On to probably Mazunte tomorrow.