the parasite invasion
I am writing Wetsuits & Spandex from Oaxaca Centro in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico. I arrived mid-November after being at Playa La Saladita, which is in Guerrero, the state just west of Oaxaca. I was there for six glorious, hot and humid weeks doing what I love - surfing. I surfed as much as I could and walked barefoot as much as I could. On the same sand where dogs roam free and where they feel it is their dog-given right to pee and poo wherever and whenever they want.
Being at La Saladita this time around reminded me of my happiest moments as a kid — my family along with the extended families by way of friendships formed over the years – would spend two weeks every summer at the Jersey Shore. We body surfed, rode the waves on rafts, ate pizza on the boardwalk, threw a ball into a big square full of colored boxes and if the ball landed on the color where we placed that quarter, our parents would win a pack(s) of cigarettes (yup…. I was one of those kids!). And where I walked barefoot back and forth to the beach from our rental. Everyday. On hot macadam. Where our feet would burn initially but then got so used to the ground’s heat by way of calluses, that it just became our normal way of being for those glorious two weeks.
Walking barefoot almost 45 years later at one of my happy places is something that brought such joy during my time in La Saladita. I walked barefoot to and from the surf school, to and from the break from the school and sometimes even barefoot along the road.
Until…. those last few days of the trip where I got bit by what I thought was a mosquito or ant and then all hell broke loose.
Why is walking barefoot on the sand, in a tropical climate with tons of dogs roaming free to do as they please -which includes using the sand as their poo and pee place - part of this story? And why is getting bit by a mosquito or ant on the foot also part of the story?
I’m glad you asked. It’s where The Parasite Invasion occurred!
Ya know, those little parasites, aka creeping eruption aka larva migrans cutanea*. They crawled their tiny-ass selves into my right foot through what started out to be a mosquito or ant bite, which led to intense itchyness. (I still don’t know what happened first. Kind of like what comes first, the chicken or egg.) Which then led to scratching those toes till the cows came home. Which led to a teeny opening on the back of my foot. Which allowed those creepy little crawlers to climb right in. I mean seriously, would you pass up a chance to be in a warm, cozy comfortable space away from the big, bad predators that want to eat you up? Nope, not me-I’d jump right in as well!
Fast forward three days when I arrived in Oaxaca. I didn’t know what was happening but knew it wasn’t good. I realized very quickly that it’s not the kind of thing that could be taken care of by a good pedicurista. My beautiful foot (which I lovingly refer to as Lola) really hurt and it all freaked me out.
I’ll spare you the details and won’t include pictures but needless to say, it wasn’t pretty. The Infectious Disease doc uttered a little ‘oohhffff’ sound after I took off my sock if this gives you any indication of what we were dealing with!
He said not to walk - so walking I did but realized my stubbornness was getting the better of me and finally listened to him and took it easy. Taking it easy is not the norm for me so this was a challenge to say the least. Picture Oaxaca and its barrios, mercados, street art, art galleries, vendors, musicians — all within walking distance yet I wasn’t able to really walk that much, so very little walking I eventually did.
It was a challenging two weeks to say the least but what could have been a real crappy few weeks turned into a healing journey.
It all led, surprisingly, to an amazing two weeks full of reflection about my life. Included was forgiveness, sadness but not regret, boundary setting –-tons of boundary setting. A release of energy and acceptance I hadn’t thought possible. A sense of freedom and happiness, yet most importantly I became fully present and deeply and truly content.
Energy started to flow more freely and allowed me to focus and center on what is important. Ageless Adventures, my renamed business name, was reborn and its mission and offerings became clearer than it had been pre-Invasion. Part of its mission is to create a space for women ages 50+ where empathy, growth, repair and connection flourish while doing active things.
I started to embrace the here-and-now. The present was right in front of me and I didn’t rush it to get to the next thing.
Making a commitment to solid training for a 1/2 Ironman (70.3) race this 2024 race season came to such focus that I know I won’t blow it off as I have done in the past. I unwittingly accepted the little bit of belly that has popped out yet I sit quietly and not in judgment knowing what I need to do to get into ‘better shape’ for my training months ahead.
Yet, the most beautiful thing happened - I accepted this body change and recognized how beautiful our aging bodies are and the inevitability of such a change. I am starting to accept my mortality and realize the time I have left here on this earth must be full of nothingness and everythingness.
I don’t want to sit idly by and let all of the ideas and contributions I believe Ageless Adventures has to go by the wayside. I have brilliantly amazing women in my life and will nourish those relationships and can’t wait to share the fruits of our labors of love with you all.
Committing to letting people go or at least letting the hold I’ve allowed them to have on me came into full view and I embraced the uncomfortable change. It takes courage to admit you’ve allowed some folks into your life who use words and actions that can make you feel small or inconsequential. While I believe no one can ‘make you feel’ anything, I do believe in the power of words and now recognize that it’s not really about us - the words of smallness are all about them and their journey to heal trauma they experience.
Oaxaca is an amazing place. It is full of artists of all kinds, markets overflowing with food, Catholic churches steeped in riches and art and yet the disparities are so prevalent that I would be remiss in not acknowledging them. I feel a deep sense of guilt and privilege, even more so than I have felt in the past. I recognize the guilt and know that it does no good to hold onto that feeling. So, I channeled being in my privilege and let the guilt go - out into the universe so she could channel it back to me in a more productive, embracing way.
I believe we are all given gifts and it’s up to us to realize them and give them a garden by which to grow and flourish.
This time around no wetsuits or spandex were involved. The only things involved were these teeny, tiny too-small to see with the naked eye parasites. All of this happened in part because of the Parasite Invasion. I don’t wish this on anyone but what I do wish and hope for is that you take the time to slow down, reflect, quiet the mind, sit with the uncomfortableness of whatever is causing the discomfort, embrace the joys of being who you are. Embrace it all. And give back to the universe the gifts that were bestowed upon you.
The parasites are gone but the gifts they gave me will remain.
Welcome to Wetsuits & Spandex - a place where we share our trials and tribulations, our highs and lows, the mundane and the exciting, the heavy and the uplifting – in our triathlon and surfing lives. And then who knows, we may just throw in other high-performance active stuff into the mix.
If you like what you read, share away. They can sign up to receive Wetsuits & Spandex at www.tri2surf.com or send an email to info@tri2surf.com
*On a serious note -Here is some information to read if you want to learn more about how to avoid getting this and how to treat it. It’s not just for folks who go to the tropics and can be really serious!
