Who are you?
I am Alma Maria Rinasz, sometimes I go by the moniker La Güare, which is the Spanglicized version of the Purephechan word UARHITI which means "woman who has had a child."
Where are you from?
I am orginally from upstate New York. I moved to Mexico in 2001.
What is like to live in Mexico? Is it dangerous?
I live my life as any modern day Mexican would in a city of about one million people. I run, I take yoga, I go to the movies. I have family, friends, a support group and a therapist; I think I am a lot like most people. I don't want to sugar coat anything and say Mexico is not dangerous. But I also don't want to go along with a lot of the sensationalism that I have seen in the media. The city where I live has had its fair share of terrorific scenes, just like New York City, Washington DC and Boston. It is ironic that the State Department has issued warnings for so many Mexican cities and regions. Yet just last year Malia Obama went to Cancun on Spring Break. My short answer to the question "is Mexico dangerous?", it is just as dangerous as many places in the US have been or are today.
Why did you start your blog?
When I started this blog several years ago, I wanted an outlet; no, I needed an outlet. I was living in Leon, Guanajuato at the time and I remember feeling so very alone. I was going through an adjustment phase as a trailing spouse and finding out what being an expat is all about. Born and raised in New York moving to Mexico meant nicer weather, great colonial architecture and an opportunity to study and observe first hand Mexican culture, society, politics and idiosyncrasies. This blog is a collection of things I have done and seen while living my life in Mexico.
What do you know about getting married in Mexico?
I have helped some people get married in Mexico, my brother and his wife, as well as the fantastically talented Alison Lynne Ward. I can also tell you a little about getting divorced as I have just completed mine.
