This is the view from the back deck of the house where I stayed my first time in Guadalajara, Jalisco in 1980. So many decades later, and I still think about it all the time. Off in the distance, the Providencia neighborhood.

I grew up in the county in North Carolina where it was quiet all the time, and not much around. This was a big change for me at age 21.

The weather in Guadalajara was so superb with occasional wild thunderstorms to break things up. I could get a lot of thinking done on that back deck. The house is still there.

The big city smelled and sounded different. People had a lot of flowers around. I could hear the strident ring of the standard Telmex desk phone all over. There was the chirp of the air brakes of the city busses, the distinctive whistles and bells of milkmen, postal service, vendors. Children screaming, babies crying, sometimes people arguing and me trying to grasp the subject.

I was so pleased to be there. I stand on the back porch of my house to this day and think of the moments on that back deck 42 years ago.

I even viewed the small things as miracles. I had my first espresso and frozen yogurt in Guadalajara. Exotic! lol.

To beat all, I ended up facing some things and liberating my inner self there.

BTW, the white dog in the photo was named Rufo.