It's rare...at least for me...to get to spend self-indulgent time away from the responsibilities and cares of my family life. As an artist I carve out time...sometimes a whole day or week...to work in my studio and that is certainly a zone where I set aside those bags of issues that I carry around, but a WEEK of schmoozing and shopping and massages with a group of women? ...it never occurred to me. So when Bee Fitzpatrick wrote and asked if I'd like to go to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico with 9 other women... most of whom I know from university days...I thought "Why would I spend all that money on myself? Why would I go to Mexico without my favorite travel partner? Why would I jump into a pool from my past and swim with people, most of whom I haven't seen in 51 years and some I don't even know?" And Peter said "Why not?" He's becoming softer and wiser in his old age.
So, on March 20th I found myself sitting at a gate at the Houston airport waiting for my past to show up. I was texting goodbyes to my family when I heard the soft (though loud) accents of New Orleans float to my ears and I was instantly transported back to a dorm suite in Boaz Hall at SMU.
This is the list from SMU: Bee Ewin Fitzpatrick, Susan Terkuhle Doss, Vail Smith Tessier, Becky McCulloch Davis, Paula Stricklin Bourland, DeeDee Oge Bufe, and ME!
And from University of Texas: Kay Key True, Laurie Teeple Wright, and Windy Withers McCaslin.
Those N.O. accents drew me over to hug Susan and Vail and Bee...and then I looked up and saw Paula and then Becky. All of those bags of home-cares were left at the gate and we laughed and shared stories and headed to Mexico...because these are the women who taught me how to seize the day and LAUGH 51 years ago in Dallas.
I guess years of travel outside the U.S. made me not surprised at all that it took a couple of hours to get out of the tiny airport at Queretero. The group flying from Dallas was only 20 minutes behind us but there was only one guy at the immigration desk for several flights, so we all gathered slowly around a growing pile of baggage. After Wendy emerged to a round of "Hoorays" we were swept off to San Miguel de Allende (SMA) in 2 white vans.
I loved the hour drive from Queretero to SMA. It's sweeping and dry with huge swaths of irrigated crops. There's also a bunch of industry popping up here and there. The stop at the bank for pesos was not only unsuccessful but disturbing, since some cards were swallowed up, so we hoped to find more money in SMA since we didn't think we'd last long on the pesos that DeeDee and I brought.
Going up and down the steep and narrow cobblestoned streets of SMA led us to a wooden door right on the sidewalk (like all of the houses in the old village) at #7 Pila Seca. The brass corncob knocker brought our new best friend Carlos Sanchez to the door... and I pause here...because walking through that door was transforming.
Stepping off the cobblestones into the cool foyer we dropped all our travel weariness and peso fears and were welcomed into a gorgeous villa with 5 opulent bedrooms with private patios and fountains, several gathering places, a pool on the main patio, a gorgeous roof garden with sweeping views, AND a staff to pamper us. Really, I'm afraid I could get used to this.
So how to decide who gets which room? Somehow we paired up and drew numbers 1-5. #1 Bee and DeeDee of course chose the master suite on the second floor with the free standing bathroom...but really, doesn't Bee deserve that room after all her work for us?...and DeeDee just lucked out. However that's not to say that there was anything wrong with the other rooms...they were all beautiful. Susan and Vail chose a the room on the first floor with all the liturgical stuff (Susan's a clergy spouse and has a brace on her soon-to-be-operated-on knee). Laurie and Kay took a suite on the second floor, Wendy and Paula...a suite up a private set of stone steps, and Becky and I landed in a cool and gorgeous room right next to the kitchen (handy) with an angel sitting on the ledge over the bed to help us sleep. I don't know if it was the angel or the babbling fountain, the ceiling fan, or my noise machine but we slept VERY well.
After settling we were drawn to the patio for cocktails and the cacophony began. Being an introvert, I enjoyed taking notes...
I only applied to one school...got in...closed the book...and had fun. I like Pinot Grigio! She was in New Orleans and she didn't CALL me? I didn't date. I was in the dorm playing cards and smoking. She puts on nipple covers because she doesn't want to look voluptuous. Here we are...10 women ...and look how we're all connected! Is this not beautiful! When you eat jicama you're losing weight while you eat. But they CAN find you if your ID is up on the screen at the bank. Not a little "wet your pants"...full on "wet your pants" And this is why your dad said "No way are you going to Tulane!" Yes! Fill it up! Paula made us all promise that she gets to die first so we can be her mourners. The debutante got pregnant and they needed a replacement.
And then Paula, who had thought ahead for all of us, brought out a bag of presents for Bee for organizing all of this for us.
Oh, Thanks!...is this a dildo? Is this a pocket for extra change? No, for a panty liner. You drink too much, you cuss too much, you have questionable morals...you're everything i ever wanted in a friend!
Though we'd had a lot of margaritas and wine and guacamole with homemade chips and jicama covered in lime and tajin powder...Carlos called us into the dining room for sea food tacos...mmmm the shrimp and garlic ones were really good. It seemed that everyone was afraid of missing something, so the conversation calmed down...a little.
I'm glad I'm not doing that job. I'm glad I'm doing the bar. Can I be in your play? I can't sing. Half the stuff I say is total bullshit. I have one more confession. Everybody talks at once...that's all you need to know. I'm eating Susan's cake. I already finished mine. I'ts all about the fun!
And that seemed true...the fun. But when someone said...I REALLY have to go to bed!... we all drifted away to our rooms...I think it was 9:30.