I did it! I made it to and from Maestro on my own. Aside from nearly getting off the first combi too soon, the trip was a pretty smooth one. I felt triumphant when I finally marched my gringa self into the Maestro, and I completely ignored the heads that turned my way.

I’m sure my presence seemed odd: I being the only white person I had seen since I left our house let alone in the store, I being a woman, by myself, in a remote mega hardware store, knowing exactly where to find the garden department, being completely comfortable with being out of place.

Why the sudden confidence? I just had been marveling the fact that I had mastered a foreign country’s (crazy) transportation system when, as if waiting for my arrival, Outkast greeted me on the store’s sound system. I felt as though they were throwing me a party. “Alright alright alright alright alright alright alright…ok now ladies! (YEAH!)”

That shout-out was for me.

The 5-hour excursion turned out to be worth it: Maestro had a whole collection of herb starters that I bought for my class. I also found some seeds to replace some of the veggie seeds that were stolen. Alright alright alright…we’re back in business!