Speed Trials

That is where I have been since I last wrote. Angelo and I drove down to Montreal at 4am on Saturday morning to catch a flight to Mexico. I kept a diary (yeah, that old-fashioned kind with pages and ink!!) and thought it would make blogging easier upon my return. I had no idea that I would disengage so completely, and spend the days unwinding the hard coils that had tightened in me over the past few years. I wrote in my journal a lot (almost everyday) but I did not think of this blog once. Nor did I think about my job, my family, roller derby, or my diet for that matter. We had no idea of the time, and only looked at a watch for the first time on Thursday, six days after our arrival in Zipolite. It was the best vacation of my life. Perhaps the best week of my life.

Zipolite is a small-ish playa on the Pacific coast in the South of Mexico (in Oaxaca state). The small village is anchored to the beach, and we spent most of our time, ate most of our meals, and slept in posadas right on the beach.

It was hot and sunny the whole time we were there, I ate whatever felt good (fish and chicken along with the arros y frigoles I thought I’d have to live off of!!) and soaked up the sun.

Zipolite is the only nude beach in Mexico, and Ange and I went completely bare, something neither one of us had done before. It was nice, and liberating. The atmosphere was so chill, and it was always interesting to look at everyone else’s bodies. So many varied shapes and sizes, so many particularities and commonalities, it instantly made me feel more at ease with myself, with my own form and shape. I of course liked watching Angelo best of all, because he’s so fit and lean, but I was fascinated by everyone else. Those who say (regarding nude beaches) that nobody looks has obviously never been to a nude beach! It’s more acurate to say nobody gives a shit. It actually did wonders for my self esteem.

Or perhaps it was the tan I got… Why is it that skin is so much more appealing when it’s a shade or two darker? Even with SPF 60, we still managed to darken considerably.

We also spent a lot of time in hamacas, swaying softly in the breeze on the beach. Though sunny and hot as hell, it was always easy to find a cool shady spot, and I never felt overwhelmed by the heat. The moisture in the air (from the constantly crashing waves) kept my skin hydrated and I didn’t even peel at all while I was there. The climate, in a word, is perfect.

That’s probably why it’s not surprising that we met up with some fellow Canadians who have made it their retirement plan to live in Zipolite for half the year. They were also the ones who showed us where the cool bar was in town!!

So now we’re back in Ottawa, and back at work. But we’ve managed to keep some of that peace and contentment from our trip. There were no luxuries to be had in Zipolite, and we wanted for nothing. We ate well, filled our lungs, eyes, heads, souls, hearts with sights and sounds and smells of the sea and the sand, and we are, totally, relaxed.

This was more than a trip. It was a prescription. No, it was more than a prescription. It was a cure.

That is where I have been since I last wrote. Angelo and I drove down to Montreal at 4am on Saturday morning to catch a flight to Mexico. I kept a diary (yeah, that old-fashioned kind with pages and ink!!) and thought it would make blogging easier upon my return. I had no idea that I would disengage so completely, and spend the days unwinding the hard coils that had tightened in me over the past few years. I wrote in my journal a lot (almost everyday) but I did not think of this blog once. Nor did I think about my job, my family, roller derby, or my diet for that matter. We had no idea of the time, and only looked at a watch for the first time on Thursday, six days after our arrival in Zipolite. It was the best vacation of my life. Perhaps the best week of my life.

Zipolite is a small-ish playa on the Pacific coast in the South of Mexico (in Oaxaca state). The small village is anchored to the beach, and we spent most of our time, ate most of our meals, and slept in posadas right on the beach.

It was hot and sunny the whole time we were there, I ate whatever felt good (fish and chicken along with the arros y frigoles I thought I’d have to live off of!!) and soaked up the sun.

Zipolite is the only nude beach in Mexico, and Ange and I went completely bare, something neither one of us had done before. It was nice, and liberating. The atmosphere was so chill, and it was always interesting to look at everyone else’s bodies. So many varied shapes and sizes, so many particularities and commonalities, it instantly made me feel more at ease with myself, with my own form and shape. I of course liked watching Angelo best of all, because he’s so fit and lean, but I was fascinated by everyone else. Those who say (regarding nude beaches) that nobody looks has obviously never been to a nude beach! It’s more acurate to say nobody gives a shit. It actually did wonders for my self esteem.

Or perhaps it was the tan I got… Why is it that skin is so much more appealing when it’s a shade or two darker? Even with SPF 60, we still managed to darken considerably.

We also spent a lot of time in hamacas, swaying softly in the breeze on the beach. Though sunny and hot as hell, it was always easy to find a cool shady spot, and I never felt overwhelmed by the heat. The moisture in the air (from the constantly crashing waves) kept my skin hydrated and I didn’t even peel at all while I was there. The climate, in a word, is perfect.

That’s probably why it’s not surprising that we met up with some fellow Canadians who have made it their retirement plan to live in Zipolite for half the year. They were also the ones who showed us where the cool bar was in town!!

So now we’re back in Ottawa, and back at work. But we’ve managed to keep some of that peace and contentment from our trip. There were no luxuries to be had in Zipolite, and we wanted for nothing. We ate well, filled our lungs, eyes, heads, souls, hearts with sights and sounds and smells of the sea and the sand, and we are, totally, relaxed.

This was more than a trip. It was a prescription. No, it was more than a prescription. It was a cure.