Happiness Only Real When Shared

"Happiness Is Only Real When Shared" - Probably most of you remember those words written by Christopher McCandless on some page of some book somewhere in the middle of nowhere in Alaska. If you haven’t then please stop reading this post, go back and watch ‘Into the Wild’ movie. 
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2k-oo2TT-0)

In your life you always need to choose between different options. Should I eat chocolate bar or mushroom soup, should I wear suit or hoody, should I read a book or go to the party or simply should I stay at one place and meet new people or travel somewhere else. Sometimes you can have both but it is not that easy. In most cases you need to decide for one option. Whatever it is you always gain something and loose something in the same time. This is how it is. Life is an art of making decisions.

When I came to Mexico I knew I have 3 weeks of holidays starting one week just after my arrival. The problem was that if I decide to travel somewhere I would be back just few days before Christmas. Why this might be a problem? Well, this means that for whole Christmas time I will be completely alone in new location, and frankly speaking that would suck. However temptation of going to South America was too big so I booked tickets and went to Peru, Bolivia and Chile. Good choice, wasn’t it? 

Well I definitely don't regret this decision however as I wrote before every decision has got some pros and cons. South America was one of the best travel experience in my whole life but the cost was that when I came back to Xalapa I was almost completely alone. Pfff… being alone in Mexico for Christmas, what can be bad in that? Well… all depends what kind of person are you and how do you spend your Christmas. For me December is my favorite month. In Poland on 6th of December Santa Claus is bringing gifts to kids (nice start of the month, isn’t it), then on 21st of December I have my birthday so this is a time I was always spending with my friends in Krakow, then on 24th starts Christmas Eve when the whole family is meeting together (have a dinner together - at least 12 dishes on the table, telling wishes, giving each other small gifts, etc.) and all this is followed by 2 days of Christmas time. On 26th of December I have my Name’s day (polish tradition) which also means some gifts and visits from the members of family. And then of course is New Year’s Eve so another day to have a good time with friends. And this is how it was for at least last 10 years. But not this year. 

This year I was in Xalapa. I didn’t know almost anybody so my Birthday I spent alone, away from my friends. I tried to cheer up myself so went to the cinema to watch second part of Hobbit. December in Xalapa was terrible. In apartment there was no heating (as in whole Mexico I guess), it was raining all the time, it was misty and cold outside so not so tempting to go out to the city and what’s worse Christmas time Mexicans are spending at homes with their families so chances to meet someone were reduced. On New Year’s Eve I went to Veracruz, to see some fireworks on the beach and to have some fun during an open air concert in the city as I am get used to in Poland. At least this is what I was expecting… Reality was very different. As it seems New Year’s Eve in Mexico is time to spend with family and friends so when I got to the city center of Veracruz it was absolutely quiet. No parties, no concert, few people and almost no fireworks at all!!! I swear that in small village in Poland where I live, every year for New Year’ Eve we have more fireworks than in Veracruz.

December passed and the Sun slowly arrived to Xalapa. Days became longer, people were starting to go out and I stared to meet new people and having good time. Ilu came back from Christmas break that she had in Chicago with her family so finally there was someone to speak with at the apartment. :) Every next day was better and better. I went to visit Xico, Coatepec, Puebla and spent a week in Mexico City, city that is so big, diversified and colorful, the biggest city in the World as they are saying. I guess there is something in it. However this World seems to be really small because I met there my 2 friends from Poland! I haven’t seen them for couple of years and we met again during home party in Mexico City. I had definitely a lot of fun in that city leaving just after Lucha Libre show (Mexican wrestling) was over. Then spent some time in Xalapa and at the end of my staying in Mexico I gave another chance to Veracruz. I went there for Carnival, one of the biggest in the World and this time Mexicans showed me truly what it means: ‘Latin spirit’.