it's all over but the conjugating...

Never knowing who will cross your path is one of life's most unpredictable gifts. And as fate would have it, I write my last post from San Cristobal about someone I met here. Her name is Español.

I was passing the afternoon in the dark corner of a cantina when she entered. The old man sitting next to me watched as I took notice of her. I could smell the scent of Mezcal on his breath as he leaned in close and whispered the word, enamorarse. To-fall-in-love-with. We both sat admiring her beauty as he explained in broken english why I must first fall in love with her if I ever hope to discover the depths of her soul.

A month has passed since that day.  However, like most cross-cultural relationships it began with passionate promise but as the days turned to weeks the questions about our future together started to erode even the best of intentions.

I look back and realize that I never fully appreciated her complexity. Her mixed signals and irregular behavior only added tension to our relationship. My interest in her was (and still is) genuine. But I will admit. I wasn't the most attentive novio, boyfriend, at times. Emotions ran high. One day I thought I knew her for years -the next- it was as if we were meeting for the first time.

Tomorrow- I catch a bus for the Pacific Coast. But it's ok, she will be fine without me. I only wish I could say the same. I trust years from now, only fond memories of her will remain.

Memories incapable of translation.