The Civic Se Va!

The weekend passed so quickly. If you've never been to Maryland's Renaissance Festival, you should check it out. It's only held between August and October, but earlier in the season, it's too warm for me to really enjoy it, unlike now, when there's a healthy dose of autumn in the air. The changing, falling leaves also suit the event. We saw an acrobatics show, joust, and "Fight School" (a comedic lesson in medieval weaponry and sparring technique) and ate turkey legs, things on sticks, and oyster shooters. Add in some wine, beer, and tons of things to buy, and you have the makings of a really good time!

Haircuts, some shopping, and visiting with family. It left little time for anything else, even getting the car ready to go.

Today my car, or what we call a privately-owned vehicle (POV),  began its journey to Mexico. I had hoped to be able to make a trip to drop off some recycling and things to throw away this morning but no dice since the guys who came to pick it up called precisely at 8 a.m. and arrived shortly thereafter. I couldn't help but appreciate the punctuality.

I did a quick final pass through the car to ensure that everything was out of it. You can't ship personal items in the car since we're only allotted a certain amount of weight for our non-POV personal goods and adding an extra few-hundred pounds wouldn't be fair. It would probably throw all sorts of weight calculations out of whack, too if every vehicle is suddenly 20% heavier than it should be -- no messing with physics! Of course, there's also the obvious risk that you'll never see the items again either. So, as asked, the car is mostly bare (save a spare tire, etc.). It has about a quarter tank of gas, which is the maximum allowable.

Here's a picture of the plateless, "naked" car, a few days shy of 7 years old:

At 7 years old, my car wouldn't have been allowed to go last year. Only cars 5 years old and younger could be imported into Mexico. They changed that rule in the last year so that cars 10 years old and younger could be imported. Thanks, Mexico!

They loaded it on a flatbed truck. From here it'll go to Brownsville, Texas and eventually make its way, across land, to Mexico City. Years ago, you could actually drive your vehicle to Mexico City if you wanted -- I even know someone who did; however, there are now restrictions on non-essential travel to much of Mexico and so we are barred from driving to post. Google Maps tells me it's about 2,500 miles (37 hours) to drive from here to there, something I'm not keen on doing anyhow.

Hoping to see the car again in a few weeks.

Just Under Three Months Until Christmas, Too!

In sorting through some of my digital clutter, I came across photos from Mexico City during Christmas season last year.

These first photos are from Antara Polanco, an upscale shopping center in the Polanco section of Mexico City. It's the kind of place you stop by to pick up a Coach bag or Armani suit. It's also the kind of place that produces fake snow to create a festive, holiday atmosphere -- it sounds cheesy, but it's a lot of fun, especially when this is the closest you're coming to snow.

 

 

This next one is from a Christmas tree in the HSBC tower beside the El Ángel de la Independencia (The Angel of Independence), also known as El Ángel (the Angel). I asked a security guard one day whether I could take a picture of it. He refused. Thankfully the ones at night are nicer.

This last one is alongside Paseo de la Reforma, Mexico City's grand avenue, by the National Auditorium. There's always something interesting to see on Reforma. I can't wait to see what's there this year.

On the Move!

Just 6 days to go until we touch down in Mexico City!

The movers came yesterday, so everything I don't plan to carry via suitcase is gone already. There's still a ton of stuff in the house since none of the furniture is going, but it's amazing how reduced clutter and another major task crossed off the list really brings down the stress levels. A comparatively empty house makes the impending move all the more surreal and yet all the more real.

Before shipping the car early next week and actually heading out, we're going to pack the weekend full of things we can't do while gone. First up is Renaissance Festival, a jolly good step into the past to enjoy shows, a joust, food on a stick, and medieval libation. Then it's home to visit the family to bid farewell one last time before leaving. Somewhere in there is hair cuts and getting the car ready to go. Busy!