A Year Ago: ¡Olé!

Early March 2019 had us in Mexico! Coincident with Tammy’s birthday week was a work-related trip to a manufacturing facility outside of Guadalajara. As luck would have it, Jacob’s spring break from Georgetown was the same week. Another special piece of that week was the fact that our brother Braulio agreed to join us (by bus all the way from Vera Cruz!) After not having seen him since he left the US for his daughter’s Quinceañera, there were hugs and tears all around. We stayed in Guadalajara for a few days at historic Hotel Morales. While Tammy managed the business portion of the schedule, Jacob, Braulio and myself toured the beautiful old city center, had afternoon cocktails at the legendary Cantina La Fuente, visited the magnificent Jardín Botánico and sent photos of selected beautiful flowers to Tammy’s Mom, Dorothy, for her birthday on March 5th.

In mid February / early March, Tammy had been asked to come up with her proposal of what would be required to course-correct a major organization of the company that she works for. She, of course, was ready with actionable suggestions… and her manifesto, once shared, led to an interview. Scheduled for one of our Guadalajara walking tour afternoons, undistracted by tourism and general merriment, she slipped into a booth at a quiet Chinese tea house Jacob had found, and had what we all hoped was a good conversation…

Later that night was Tammy’s birthday (the 6th), and we shared a truly incredible dinner, and together devoured a gigantic Tomahawk steak and a pyrotechnic-laden dessert offering Tammy ‘felicidades’ in a chocolatey font. To be in such a beautiful location, wrapped in the enjoyment of being together and the anticipation of future possibilities was quite simply, electric.

Who else do we know in Mexico near Guadalajara? Hope! Our very own Esperanza had very very recently landed in her newly built townhouse in a lovely development in Ajijic Oeste, and was somehow willing to have us as her first visitors. The visit featured a fully-grown, but very much still-a-puppy Chumley, travels to various villages and cantinas around Lake Chapala, and opportunities for Hope and Jacob to conspire in favor of more wine. Lots of fun! …and I was looking forward to spending the next couple of weeks staying with Hope and ‘helping her get settled’. (NB — this is a bit like saying that we’ll ‘go to Lamps for 1 to let the traffic clear’)

When all was said and done, Braulio headed back to Vera Cruz, Jacob returned to Georgetown in DC, I was looking forward to spending the next couple of weeks staying with Hope, ‘helping her get settled’. Tammy boarded her plane to Chicago with a new directive in hand.

We were headed to Finland!