Exile, you say?
This blog was born from moving to the my partner’s tiny hometown, in the mountains of Oaxaca, Mexico, just 7 weeks after having our first baby. We were forced to move due to my partner’s (unjust, in my humble opinion) deportation, which was like an exile sentence for us both (plus for our daughter, by default). It was born of my despair and outrage at being stuck in a small town that we both hated and not knowing what to do with myself. (I now live in a different small town that I like, but that is not without its own challenges.) It was born of my dire need to figure myself out all over again in a totally different context with new roles. It was born of my desperation to communicate when I felt so isolated- both by location and by new motherhood.
What’s it about?
This blog is my sounding board, to talk about all things converging in my Mexican/gringuita world, such as: ongoing cultural adjustment, Oaxacan customs, US imperialism, parenting in your non-native land, linguistic absurdities, working and teaching, ever-changing identity, having solidarity, the terrors of bureaucracy, universal humanity, and most importantly, remembering to laugh at myself. This blog carries me on my constant journey to fit into my own skin no matter where I am, to enjoy whatever life hands me, and to suffer and cry with gusto when I need it, too.
Who is this multicultural family that you speak of?
I am a world-travelling, bourbon-drinking, gourmet-vegetarian-cooking, card-playing, social-butterflying, loud-talking woman from Louisville, Kentucky. I’m a mama with a full-time job teaching English. I live in Puerto Escondido, a small town on the coast of Oaxaca, Mexico, with my partner and our two kids.
Conan is my partner from Juquila, Oaxaca, Mexico, not from Ireland, as his name would imply. He lived in the U.S., in Kentucky and southern Indiana, for 10 years- for most of his adult life. He is a “retired” construction worker currently persuing his career in stay-at-home-dad-hood.
Lucia is our daughter, born in Louisville, Kentucky, in June 2012, just 7 weeks before we moved to Mexico. Khalil Michael is our newest addition, born in March 2015 here in Puerto Escondido.
Paulina is Conan’s mom, who is often an important figure in this blog (and certainly in our life!), who generously put us up in her house for a year and is a great mother-in-law.
Gracias por leer / Thanks for reading!!
xoxoxo,
Julia
![P20-12-13_17.17[1]](https://exiletomexico.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/p20-12-13_17-171.jpg)
Family brunch adventure for my birthday
Lucia and Emma (her would-be big brother), peas in a pod
Khalil in a high chair! Khalil and Lucia
exile to mexico 
I can’t remember if I’ve left a message before, but I want to tell you how much I love your blog! I came across it through your mom sharing it on Facebook. My husband is from southern small town Mexico and we have two kids together; we’ve been together for ten years. I too am from the Midwest-Indianapolis.There are so many of your anecdotes that I can relate to even though I’ve only visited Mexico. It makes my heart sing to see a reflection of my experiences (and ours as a family) in your blog posts. And although our change of status story is a little different than yours – my husband self deported for 7 months while I held down the fort here and my kids were in school – there is a secret part of me that would have loved to live with him in Mexico for a short while and still daydream about how I might be able to make that happen some day.
Please keep sharing and I’ll keep reading! 🙂
Thanks so much for reading and for your lovely comment! So nice to hear others can relate! Maybe you can pop in down here next time you guys come down for a visit- where is your husband from?
Take care!
My husband is from Tabasco, not too far from Oaxaca. We are visiting through the holidays! Actually I am planning to apply to a summer study abroad program in Oaxaca through local university. Insitituto Cultural Oaxaca? Familiar with it? Program allows me to bring one of my children – the over 10 one. Super excited! Keeping our fingers crossed!
Cool! I’m not familiar with that Instituto but I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you! Good luck!