Fiesta Mexicana at the Kennedy Center

Last night Billy and I had a wonderful time at the Kennedy Center. They hosted a Fiesta Mexicana to celebrate Mexico's Bicentennial Independence Day. Contrary to popular belief, Cinco de Mayo is not the celebration of Mexico's Independence Day. The El Grito de la Indepedencia (Cry of Independence) is held annually on Sept. 16th in honor of Mexico's Independence from the Spanish rule in 1810.

We had read about this event a few days prior, and got excited to see that the headliner band was Ozomatli, an urban Latino band from Los Angeles, which we've been following for quite a few years now. Their music is full of energy...a little salsa, hip hop, merengue, cumbia, samba and funk. The stage was set up on the the side of the Kennedy Center, and the place was packed. Best of all, this concert was completely free. That's one of the things I love about DC; there's always free events. Anyway, dancing outside in the dark with a group of people, over looking the Potomac River couldn't have made for a better Wednesday evening.

Arlington is "home" for now

I have only been away from Beaufort a little over two months, yet it seems much longer. So much has happened over the last few months that once we unpacked and got settled into our apartment it took me a couple of weeks to decompress and take it all in. It still seems surreal that we’re actually living in Arlington. Our apartment is feeling more and more like a home. Yes, it’s small, but it meets all our needs. I do miss having a house with a guest room and a yard for Dante “Dewey” to run around in, but in the grand scheme of things I don’t have room to complain.

Lately, I have been enjoying staying at home and playing tourist in my own town. How could I not be? There’s so much to do and see. I plan to keep the fire burning inside of me. I am always curious and I love to explore. No matter if I am in the finest city in the world, or the poorest little town in Brazil, I will take the time to step out of my comfort zone, venture out and learn about my surroundings and meet new people.

Once I finally get used to the idea of calling Arlington “ home “it will be time to move again. It’s just a known fact about the Foreign Service, you don’t stay somewhere for too long. Moving will become a part of our lives. Right now, there are many changes happening in our lives. There has been so much new information thrown our direction that most of the time I feel like a little fish in a big ocean of possibilities; mostly positive, but some negative too. In the meantime, I’m learning to embrace the chaos, be flexible, and to just throw myself into this new lifestyle.