Arachnophobia

Today, I, Sarah Benz, am admitting to myself and the entire world (or just the handful of people who read this blog) that I am petrified of spiders. Small spiders I can handle. Big, hairy, long-legged, super fast, Mexican spiders? Not a fan.

Yesterday I was cleaning the house, moving some things around and getting my clothes re-organized. We have been searching for a dresser for me to put my things in since I got down here but it's been kind of an afterthought most of the time, I wasn't in a rush and I had my stuff laid out nicely on a blanket, no big deal. As I'm moving my clothes a HUGE spider runs from under my bag into a pile of shorts. I lose it. Like screaming at the top of my lungs, ready to start crying, almost run out of the house, lose it. Now I have to go through all of my clothes to find this spider. I get the chair from the table and the broom and begin using the handle to flip over and shake out all of my clothes. I see the giant one more time and again scream like a little girl but then, after going through everything, he's gone. At this point I have no idea what I'm going to do, it's a good 6+ hours until Cristian gets off work and I can't just casually hang out at the house knowing that there is a spider waiting for the right moment to attack. I check to see if the neighbors home so he can help me, no dice. I put on my sandals for optimal squishing and then after going through everything and not seeing him, I decide to suck it up and go about my day. I am getting ready to change the sheets on the bed and when I pick up the top sheet, he falls out of the sheet onto the floor. YEP, THE SPIDER WAS IN MY BED!!!!!!!!!!!  With cat-like reflexes I stomp on him. It took me two hours and one corona (at 11 am) to calm down. And now, if a dust bunny happens to blow by me and I see it in my peripheral, I scream.

Needless to say, see below picture of my new dresser. No freaking way were my clothes going back on the floor. There are guys around town that haul dressers, tables and chairs around on a little cart and you just stop them on the street and negotiate a price. We're going to stain it eventually but for now, it's perfect. Anything is better than the floor.

#1 reason I should have never started a blog . . .

Here we are, more than a month since my last post. I had a feeling this would happen. Okay, let me recap what I have been doing the last month. It really hasn't been that exciting. I remember when people asked me in the past how things were going and I'd be all snarky and say "oh you know, living the dream".  Well, I can say that now and truly mean it. It's been a fantastic couple of months. I found out that most of the "stuff" I had at home, material things, I don't need or miss.

My family - mom, dad, and grandpa, arrived in Playa on February 2nd, my sister on the 6th. Spent a lot of time with them, I introduced Em to scuba diving (she was a natural), we both got to try Fly boarding for the first time (check it out on Youtube, incredible) and she spent a couple of nights at our house, sleeping in the hammock.  Been working on my tan, reading lots of books, and trying to improve my Spanish. I do a great job at learning slang words, I'm sure that will be helpful when I get a job. Tomorrow I'm diving in Cozumel (my favorite) for the first time this year. And Wednesday is a big day, I have a job interview!!

I'm interviewing at the Royal Resorts for a concierge position. I'd work with about 15-20 families a week, helping them make reservations, plan day trips, etc. Basically, planning their vacation for them. I truly enjoy planning and organizing so I think I would love the job. In the winter the majority of the guests are American/Canadian so my lack of Spanish won't be a huge issue, until the summer time when the majority of the guests are Mexican tourists. But I have time to learn. The application process for obtaining a work visa recently changed so I have to return to the states to interview at a Mexican consulate in my home country. If they like me, I get a work visa and can make some money and stay here for a year or more. My plan is to fly back to Minneapolis at the end of this month and go to the consulate in St. Paul, since we don't have one in DSM.

Aside from the job interview and my family being here, I haven't really been up to much. Getting used to life in a different country. Here are some pictures, courtesy of my sister, the family photographer.

La Cueva del Chango para desayuno

La hamaca!

Fly boarding!

Mi familia

Pelusa, mi gato!