My Own Sense of Community Grows from the San Juan Cosala Disaster

When Kelly and I bought our house here in San Juan Cosala, by Lake Chapala, a year and a half ago, I wasn't at all sure I wanted to be in Mexico. We had been living for close to ten years in an unusual small town in Colorado -- Crestone -- and I loved being so deeply a part of the community there. I'm such a people person, once I turn off my computer anyway!

We've talked and talked about what to do... bi-locational lifestyle? Not so hot if you want to live a reasonably tranquil and ecological lifestyle, let alone all the logistics involved in living with dogs and cats and in loving to garden. Add a Rottweiler puppy to the mix, as we did recently, and two homes are suddenly much more problematic.

So we decided a while back not to decide anything till we had lived here for at least two years. We still own land in Crestone, we get back there regularly, and we stay in touch. But when we got back here in July from a long trip to the US, I realized that if I was going to give the Lake Chapala area a fair trial, I needed to work at connecting more here.

So I've been doing that, making new friends amongst both foreigners and Mexicans. There's a great monthly brunch gathering of mostly foreign women who live along the west end of Lake Chapala, at a restaurant or coffee house, where we have a chance to share. I'm online with other friends, and get to potlucks sometimes.

When the big storm hit San Juan Cosala the other day, with all the damage I've been blogging about, our phone started buzzing. Lupita, who had lived in our house when we were away, wanted to check and be sure we were okay. Sally, who will be living above us when her family's new house is finished, called to touch base. Linda, a close friend in another Lakeside town, checked on us. Maria from El Limon called. I called my neighbor Rosie, my friend Paula who could also give me news of Brenda, Brian and Anne Marie, and others.

One day recently, as we were walking around San Juan Cosala, we ran into several of the above. When we stopped by the Cultural Center on the Plaza, there were Leticia and Verena, Mexican and German respectively, involved with the aid efforts going on:

It's beginning to feel more like home to me, disaster and all.