Destination Paradise

Despite torrential rains, power outages, and a PDS (Particularly Dangerous Situation! according to the Weather Channel), the storms cleared up in time for an ultrasound party at the hospital at 10:30 pm. Truly, that's when my appointment was. The crew there to witness the excitement included my parents, my aunt, and both of my cousins. We had a blast. The baby looks great, and of course, the long awaited moment: we found out if we're having a boy or a girl!!!! The following are some non-gender-revealing photos: Here's a profile of our beautiful little one. And in this shot, you can see that the baby has clearly not inherited my birth trait of 6 fingers per hand and foot. Count those five healthy digits! So the big question remains: boy or girl? Of course, we're not telling you unless you really want to know. So, for those of you that are anxious to find out, click here to get the big news.

Obviously it's been forever since the last post, and here's one reason why: Yes, folks, Carlos and Amy are going to be parents by Christmas if all goes well. World, get ready... We're close to 14 weeks now, and glad about it. The first trimester was tough, between the nausea, food aversions, morning sickness, exhaustion, and frequent travel. This baby has already flown internationally 3 times and it'll probably happen a few more times before the birth, Lord willing. So, some details, since our world is dramatically different than it was in March. 1) End of March - I quit my job. This was based on several factors, including problems obtaining legal working permission in Mexico (after 6 months on the job!), awful salary/work ratio, and a massive decline in my health. It was the right choice, although it was a scary one, since no other job was lined up. 2) Beginning of April - Carlos agreed that I should spend a couple weeks in the US to regain my health, earn some g...

Then An immigrant family arrives to the US at Ellis Island Now A hopeful immigrant holds some of the paperwork needed for his spouse visa OK, recently we've decided that part of the reason this blog exists is to bring light to some of the facts, myths, and injustices in the world of US immigration because our lives have been permanently affected by them. So first, we've got to clarify what it takes to immigrate to the US. In the olden days, people could arrive to the US on a ship, full of hopes and willingness to work hard, sign their name to a register, get a medical check-up, and start a life full of promise in the US. It is no longer even remotely this simple. According to United States Citizenship and Immigration Services , there are four ways a person can immigrate to the US: Be one of the rare winners of the US State Department's Diversity Lottery . This only applies to people from certain countries (most of the world's largest ones are excluded)...

It's a good thing we took all those nice photos of the city on Sunday, because right now it looks completely different. Monterrey got slammed with a surprise windstorm on Tuesday. No rain, hail, or precipitation. Just 75 mph winds and so much dust that the city's air-pollution detectors hit 10 times the danger level before they finally clogged and shut down. The city maintains its claim that there was no indication this was about to happen, so people like me and Carlos just went about our normal lives (or "Spring Break") until it became clear we were in the middle of some near-apocalypse. The power got knocked out to nearly the entire city around 10 am. Then the cell towers went down, too. Carlos and I decided to go to the local shopping center (it's like a half-mile away and approximately 10 weeks old) to pick up some essential groceries. That's when we realized it was probably not the smartest move, as the outer perimeter of the mall had already susta...

We've lived here for nearly 6 months. It was about time we got out and saw the best it has to offer people when they're not busy working. See the pretty photos here . We got started in the Macroplaza, which is pretty easy to do because it's huge. Here is the Palacio de Gobierno, the State Capitol building. Apparently important stuff goes on in here. I just like it because it's one of few really elaborate older buildings in the city. (1860s I think) Then we wandered around the Macroplaza a bit more, and tried to get a shot of us with the Cerro de la Silla in the background, a shot we've been needing for a long time. This is the mountain that best represents Monterrey, due to its unique saddle-like shape. We walked over to the Plaza Morelos, which is a gigantic pedestrian thoroughfare lined with shops. The shopping choices themselves aren't that spectacular, but the concept is pretty fun. Plenty of street vendors selling wrestling masks and Playboy bunny outfits, ...

We haven't posted it on here, but I think it's time to explain some things, like: Why we left the US last summer Why I had to return alone to Chicago for Christmas Why we came to Mexico after the Barcelona adventure Why we seem to be wandering with no country home Why Canada has been thrown around as an option Some of you know some details, others not much. So here goes. When Carlos was a fresh middle school graduate, he was pretty happy in Monterrey. He was getting top grades at his technology school, dreaming of a future involving electronics, adventure, and travel to Japan. Like many middle- and upper-class families in Monterrey, his family frequently made trips over the Mexico-US border to shop, and those were the extent of his intentions in the US. But then, family strife caused his mother to decide take Carlos and his siblings to Chicago and live with a relative. Despite their anger and protests, Carlos and his siblings spent several months in Chicago and then the ...

We are truly privileged to live in one of Mexico's most modern cities, only three hours from the US border. I just never fully understood how much until this past weekend. Carlos' mother and sister made their final departure from the US last week. They purchased a 98 Ford Explorer to bring down with them, and Carlos' cousin drove it straight from Chicago to our house. After staying with us for two nights, his cousin flew back to Chicago and Carlos graciously volunteered to drive his mom, sister, and visiting aunt all the way down to Guadalajara, where they were planning to settle. And so we set out at 5:30 am last Saturday morning. We swung around the mountains and were in the nearby city of Saltillo by sunrise. From there, it was an eye-opening journey (for me) into rural, desolate Mexico. For about 8 hours, Carlos drove down the two-lane highways through Zacatecas, a state seemingly populated mostly by cactus and dust. In the small villages we passed, shelter consis...