We spent a couple of weeks in San Miguel getting to know the town better, finding some edge of town places to stretch our legs, get the kids in Spanish school, find them some friends and activities, and look for a place to live. Most days were pretty full.

The smooth stone sidewalks, alongside the bumpy cobblestone roads.

After three weeks in the AirBnB it was time to pack up and go. Two weeks earlier we were sure we’d rent a house for a few months, but after looking at a handful of rentals we decided it just wasn’t for us. If we were going to move to San Miguel it’d have to be to our own place. We went out and looked at… let me see if I can count how many houses we looked at. One, two… Yep, two. We found one in the San Antonio neighborhood that we’d zeroed in on, and we were actually the first people to view it. Workers were still in the house finishing up a few things, and a videographer was busy shooting a video for the ad that would never get posted online. We knew it when we saw it.

In Mexico, if you make a full price offer, that’s basically it. It’s yours. We were happy with the price (considerably less than a 2015 40′ catamaran) and the location. We were happy that it was empty, too. A good majority of the homes down here come furnished. Which, judging by the photos online, seems to mean that the people moving just don’t want to deal with the loads of crap they have in the house.

Anyway, we made the full price offer and a couple hours later we were signing papers. It takes about a month for the government to handle its side of things, so our closing date was set for the end of the month, and we were left with a decision. Waste money to rent another AirBnB, or spend it on a couple weeks visiting family. So off we went.

We flew from Querétaro to Dallas, and split off. I went to Portland, while the rest of the family went to Minnesota.

It may be March, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t still a few Christmas presents to gather up. Let’s just say it’s been a weird few months.

I’ve only recently discovered La Cocina in Portland, and I could not wait to get back here. Their Enchilada Mineras is one of the greatest gifts I’ve ever given my taste buds. Fun night out (well, early evening) with Grammy, Aunt Beth, and Aunt Johnnie.

It was a quick visit of just a few days, but it was enough to get all her errands run, have a couple of fun outings, and lift everyone’s spirits. The kinds of things we just couldn’t do enough of the last couple of years.

I then flew off again and caught up with everyone in Minnesota. It’s March. In Minnesota. So it takes a bit of extra effort to get out and find fun things to do. The struggle is real for bowling alley owners. You can see it in the shoes.

This is the only photo of any family member that was taken on this visit. Say hello to Charlotte.

Ouest and I would go out for a walk most days, and to try and spice it up we’d hold little photo competitions. We really tried, but came up mostly empty-handed. Again, it’s March.

Always a nice view from the grill. That last patch of ice would be gone in the next couple of days.

It was the last weekend that Afton Alps would be open this year, and you could tell they had to work hard to make sure there was a few inches of ice left on a few of the runs for us to scrape our way down. Do you think they scaled back the lift ticket prices, though?

Conditions might have sucked, but it didn’t keep us from having a great day.

I have to laugh at myself a little over the “ski” outfit that I manage to scrounge up.

With the ice gone, I asked for some Polar Plunge volunteers. Only one hand went up alongside mine. Ouest never lets me go it alone.

And just like that, our quick trip to the States was over. We rented another house for a week (that’s the rental below, not ours), and prepared to close on our new house and take possession the next day. That would leave us five days to make it habitable, which for us meant just a handful of things were absolutely necessary. We needed mattresses, sheets, and pillows. We needed… no, really, I guess that’s about it. There was an old dented fridge with a door that wouldn’t stay closed left out in the garage (we’d be very thankful in the coming weeks that we didn’t ask them to haul that away), but other than that there are no appliances. There is hot water. And really, that’s about all. It’s just an empty house, and we each have one suitcase to move in with.