I was exhausted. Sweat slowly dripped down my brow and my cotton tank top stuck to my body like damp armor. We had been traveling the dusty roads of Toluca, Mexico for hours. The view from my window gradually transformed from a lively scene inhabited by merchants selling traditional goods and wayside fare, dejected dogs abandoned of their owners, and derelict roadside eateries, to a rugged path surrounded by palm trees and hanging vines fighting free from dense tropical foliage. A subtle breeze teased the stuffy air as the local-filled bus crawled rhythmically along the cavernous road—a whisper of fresh air and tropical rainwater stroking my face through the open window.
We entered Ixtapan in the evening; the air was heavy and the sky was smeared in watery hues of salmon-pink and orange by the heavy sun retreating to the mountains. Leo, my boyfriend at the time, squeezed my hand as we departed the bus. We had left Queretaro after a short visit with Leo’s brother and six hours later, after a transfer in Toluca, we had found our way to the homeland of his mother, his grandparents, and centuries of his ancestors—Ixtapan. We fell into the back of a beat up taxicab that would take us to his ailing grandfather’s home.
As we rattled past each house and pasture, I could feel centuries of ancestry seeping through every pore of the land. From the moist dirt clinging to the bottom of maize roots, to the storied houses abounding with children—the joys and sorrows of their parents, grandparents, and great grandparents were preserved in the bumps, the cracks, and the splinters of the walls and land.
We pulled up to a small cluster of houses a few miles down the road, and made our way to the house where Leo’s huge extended family was waiting. I was greeted with warm hugs and kisses by so many uncles, aunts, and cousins that it was hard for me to distinguish how Leo was related to everyone. It didn’t seem to matter how they were all connected; they were family and welcomed me to their home like I was one of their own.
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