Monday was already sort of pre planned based on the soccer game being suspended from the night before but I also had a few things to do so it was more laid back than some of the other days.

The soccer game started at 10am and it begin at 0-0 with no time played; based on what we were told the night before, the game was going to restart with Denmark leading 1-0 and 25 minutes having been played. However, this was not the case and so I digress. Around the 35th minute, Denmark scored to again take a 1-0 lead. This game mattered because if Denmark won, they would advance. A draw or an Australian win meant Australia would advance. The game was pretty good – lots of chances from both sides but I felt that Denmark held the edge in chances (and obviously in score). However, there were some dirty plays which affected the moods of both teams but I felt that Denmark got more frustrated and inevitably, Australia finally scored – with 1 minute left to play. It was a great goal and followed some drama from a Danish player going down in front of the Australia net – he stayed on the ground although he wasn’t hurt, the ball moved to the opposite side of the field, and Australia scored to have the game end in a 1-1 draw and so they advanced. Compared to Sunday, the crowd was just a fraction – maybe 1,000 compared to 25,000 the night before so it was definitely much more quiet than it could have been. All in all, a good game.

After that, I got some work done and then Victor and I went and threw for an hour up by where Jose bought his house. Nice spot with a good view of the city – the grass space we threw on was a bit weird – it felt like they have just thrown some sod on top of a parking lot but there was a good crosswind so we got to work on our wind throws quite a bit.

After that, we headed for a Malaki UFC practice which lasted around 3 hours. Before the practice, there was some excitement as Victor’s car got stuck in some mud. Just after we pushed him out, Alejandro pulled up and proceeded to get stuck as well. Needless to say, both of their cars were covered in mud so after practice, we headed out to a car wash to get Victor’s car cleaned up. Well, that was quite the experience. Not only are the car washes in Queretaro much cheaper than Canada ($4 compared to $10) but they also wash your car for you while you wait. I thought that was neat as it created jobs for people where there normally wouldn’t be one (at least not that I’ve seen in Canada really).

After the car wash, we headed out for some food and I got my first taste of Pozole, which is a traditional soup passed on from the Aztecs. The pozole was delicious (and not as spicy as I was expecting – or maybe I was just better handling the spice than I expected) and I also had some enchiladas which were also delicious.

The third day was busy but a nice break compared to some of the other days of my trip. It’s always nice when you can do such a variety of activities and end the day with some delicious food!

I will be flying back to Canada on Monday after having spent 10 days in Queretaro and truly one of the most incredible experiences of my life. However, there’s been a lot to absorb so I’ve been asking myself what do I do with all of the new knowledge and perspective I’ve gained? I will blog about the other days of my trip – for now the pictures will have to do as I have a lot of reflecting to do before I put some more thoughts down in words.

I went searching for a few quotes which would try to put into words how I am feeling and found some great ones:

People who look through keyholes are apt to get the idea that most things are keyhole shaped.

The more you lose yourself in something bigger than yourself, the more energy you will have.

The mind has exactly the same power as the hands; not merely to grasp the world, but to change it.

There’s an alternative.  There’s always a third way, and it’s not a combination of the other two ways.  It’s a different way.

A man travels the world in search of what he needs and returns home to find it.

I know that this trip has changed my life forever. It’s helped me appreciate a few major things: we work too much in Canada, we don’t spend enough time with our friends + family, we don’t appreciate the history of our country as much as we should and there is so much food that is bad for us.

I know that I can make some changes right away. Others will take a bit of an adjustment. I’m not afraid of change. I’ve had the worst and the best happen to me in my life and I’ve come out stronger for it; however, that doesn’t make it easy to change. It just means I’m willing to.

I appreciate all the energy + support you have all shown me for going on this trip. I truly feel blessed and know that I have made some great friends. As Victor’s mom said, I now have a second house – in Queretaro, Mexico.

I look forward to catching up with you and telling you all about this trip. And I now look forward to hearing more about your trips as well – it’s something I didn’t give much credit to before; but that’s changed.

Thinking of you all,
Rob