The Forest is my Friend

View over Patzcuaro lake from the Bosque

Living out here in the forest is good for a person in general and I'm gradually discovering the ways, day by day... Firstly it has made me feel so much more CAPABLE. One of my best friends back home, Charl, always sees me getting out of stuff I don't like doing by pretending I'm not good at it and therefore someone will do it for me, this includes but is definitely not limited to: washing up, carrying stuff, turning on an oven (!)... She is the only one who doesn't let me get away with it by insisting that I NEED TO LEARN. She is so right and nothing like this experience out here in the Bosque has made me realise that more. As you are forced to do all this stuff, not just for yourself but for other people, you grow more confident in your own abilities and instincts and therefore feel more capable. I've realised that I actually prefer this feeling to feeling dependent on others...

Another way this forest has been good for me is in terms of my FEARS. Out here, I have realised that I am pretty much scared of everything!!! Ghosts, murderers, fire, falling down, dropping things, injuring myself, getting dirty... Basically, anything that anyone could possibly be scared of I have somehow thought of first and am already worrying about! I always thought I was a little fearless viking but being out here has definitely shown me otherwise! My biggest issue here has been the forest at night. It is VERY dark (especially on a cloudy night when there is no moonlight) as there are no lights here and so we use torches to make our ways back to our cabanas from either dinner or hanging out at the Casita. This involves walking through the pitch-black forest, more often than not - ALONE. My first night I was PETRIFIED by the thought of this and insisted my room mates walked back with me. My second night I conquered my fear to some extent by repeating over and over to myself the comforting mantra , 'The Forest is my Friend', as advised by Shaya. Gradually I felt more and more confident being out here in the forest and recognising that there was definitely NOTHING (human or otherwise) lurking behind any of the trees at night... However, for the past 2 nights I've been sleeping in the cabana alone and so Judith and Miriam have kindly walked me back both nights so I wouldn't have to face both the walk and the empty cabana as a double-scary-whammy. I'm confident that my childish fears will soon subside, I'm twenty-frickin-three so they better!

Brian left on Saturday whilst Shaya, Alejandra and Aaron left on Sunday. Some of the other volunteers went away for their days off but I decided I wanted to stay here at the Bosque and enjoy my time off without rushing about. Judith and Miriam, two super friendly and sweet German girls, have been here so it's been nice getting to spend some time with them. We hung out on Sunday night by the fire of the lodge, playing guitar and making animal balloons. Another thing I like about this place! I feel like my life here is so much more innocent and simple! No need for raves and debauchery for entertainment... Simple pleasures. Sunday night is when the rain started... It was so stormy and there was even occasional bouts of hail! The rain hasn't really stopped since...

Yesterday we were going to go to Tzintzuntzuan, another town in Michoacan to see some ruins but the weather was so horribly cold and rainy! So for most of the day we chilled by the fire and read instead... And then when we got hungry we hitchhiked in to Patzcuaro (with some policemen hahaha) to go to a German restaurant (the girls were food homesick) and ate enough meat for a week's supply! Last night we hung out by the fire again and the girls introduced me to a delicious Bolivian drink which is hot, spiced milk and vodka! Absolutely perfect end to my day!

Although today is also my day off, I am working on the vlog a bit more because I want to post it by the end of tomorrow!

Hasta luego!
A xx