On an uphill climb

First things first, "Mexico mom" as a blog is not dead, but is in need of a major face change to match the major changes in my life in recent months.



A quick update:

• I moved to Kansas at the end of July with Oliver and moved in with my folks.


• Jaime is still in Mexico awaiting an interview for his US visa.


• My first week here I landed a job teaching middle school Spanish at a very diverse public school (more black students than whites) in the middle of a Kansas field on the edge of town.


• We went to visit Jaime for 5 days at the end of September. A wonderful, wonderful trip!


• Oliver turned two years old on October 11.

The most frustrating part of my life right now is the waiting for Jaime's visa. I played around with the idea of quitting my job at semester and heading back to Mexico once we knew he wouldn't get his visa by Christmas, but we decided to stick it out and see how long it will take to get his visa. It was a tough decision to make, but I'm now certain that it was the right one. If he doesn't get his visa this school year, It will mean 10 months of separation but at least I won't have any regrets about quitting my job at a difficult time.

When we first moved here I had high hopes that he'd be here before Christmas. However, in mid-November I called around to our congressman's office, the Catholic Charities and the National Visa Center and found out that it was unlikely that he'd get his interview before Christmas as we had hoped. At that point, I become an emotional wreck. This week, having made the decision to stay and tough it out, I'm feeling entirely more positive about my job, and life in general.

Truthfully, however, I know I'm still an emotional yo-yo, so if you're a friend and you have the chance, drop me a line. I'd love to hear from you! And, by the way, any ideas for a new name to this blog?