Free wheeling life

I tried to work in Cafe Otto, which was great for the first hour once you got over people watching and wondering what everyone else was so busy typing on their laptops. Were they just messaging their friends or were they drafting the next cult screenplay?

Then various other self employed friends started drifting in. I made a retreat to the local library. Wow, I had forgotten about libraries. Free books! Brilliant idea. Then as I settled into a slightly wobbly chair and tried to ignore the stickiness of the table, I was joined by a lonely old woman who wanted to chat about the paper she was reading.

Next week Maya starts nursery and then I can get down to work in my desk at home, making my own coffee. So far I'm feeling guilty for the fact that I dont seem to feel any guilt leaving my daughter in the care of someone else. Its all I hear about, the guilt of working mothers. Frankly I think a professional with years of experience will be far better than my shambolic attempts at figuring out what a toddler would like to do today.

Aren't lists one of life's great satisfactions. I still like to have a reporter's notebook by my laptop into which i add and cross off lists all day. I have the list of things i need, people I must see, forgotten plans, and of course work scribblings. So here is a list I have of all the upsides and downsides of freelancing.

Good

I'm currently sitting in a swimming costume and sarong, typing in the garden, ready to jump in the paddling pool when Maya wakes
Being able to wear jumpers on a cool day, all day (whereas in an office you have to dress like its summer all year thanks to stupid air conditioning)
Making yourself a tasty lunch and a proper coffee (nasty filter coffee sat around in the office for hours)
Having your 'own office', away from other people's typing, loud phone calls and mindless small talk 
Having a break mid afternoon for a swim in an empty pool
Talking to yourself without having to worry about concerned colleagues
Playing music while you work
Deciding the hours you work that fit around your life, rather than the other way round

Bad

Forgetting how to put a decent outfit together...
Eating too much
Going loopy spending too much time alone

A friend said that her freelance friends got together and organised their own office christmas party, complete with bowling and a night out. I think that's brilliant. Perhaps we could also give eachother appraisal meetings where we tell eachother what a great job we are doing, give each other promotions and tips on how to improve our presentation

The Things I Miss

I have worked in an office for over 10 years and so it feels very strange to find myself outside of that comfortable structure for the first time since I messed around in the music world post-uni.

I am asked often what it is I miss about Mexico now i'm back in London. So here you go:

The fish tacos from Tres Galeones 

Late night deep conversation with friends over mescal at Covadonga cantina, Colonia Roma

Covadonga Cantina: this became our local

Walking around Colonia Roma or Condessa with the sun on your back past the faded crumbling grandeur of buildings hiding galleries, parties and secret gardens.

The hipsters in Mexico City look exactly like those in London (NY and Berlin too..) so in Colonia Roma, sitting having a mescal you could be in Dalston but there is sunshine and blue skies

Lying in the hammock reading while Maya has her afternoon nap

Mango, pinapple, papaya, melon.......melting on your lips and dripping down your fingers

Cactus of all different shapes and sizes punctuating the landscape, framed with blue mountains

The positivity and unpretentiousness of the creative scene in Mexico City. It is a much smaller creative world than in London, somehow giving you that confidence in limitless possibilities.

Being warmly absorbed into the ever growing Montes de Oca family

Watching whales from the coast, hummingbirds drinking nectar by your feet, eagles and vultures circling the blue domed sky

Being able to wear a dress and sandals all day, not having to carry layers of clothes

Buying beautiful, colourful and inspiring textiles





What I missed about London when i was in Mexico

My friends within cycling distances

Discussing life with people who have known you for years through the best and the worst

Flat whites. Tasty vegetarian food (vegetarian in mexico was bacon)

Pubs and friends' gigs very nearby. Taking my box of records to play at a pub

Amazing parks within walking distance, the canal,and playgrounds that arent right next to a large smelly dual road (I saw one in the middle of a motorway in Mexico!)

Spring blossom confetti falling over the clean and smooth pavements

Knowing where your meat comes from

Music, music, music. Even hip places in Mexico had terrible music

My bookclub, watching movies at home on our projector