A girl can get lost under these deep city lights

And if you’re me then you can bet money it will happen.

Wednesday night I attended the Robert Scoble & Gary Vaynerchuk D.C. Bash in Dupont. It was great catching up with people I hadn’t seen in weeks and meeting new ones. The free wine was also a plus!

Ended the night having dinner with my friend Dre and decided to walk home from Dupont. Sounds simple. As I leave the restaurant I realized I had 3 text messages from A.L who I had seen earlier at the bash. I always love talking to A.L. (and via text included) and the text conversation began. Before I knew it I had arrived to the national monument! I had been so engrossed in my text conversation that I didn’t realize I had been walking in the opposite direction.

I start to panic. I tell myself I am not lost because I know exactly where I am. However, it doesn’t help because I have no idea how I am going to get home with no cash on me. It’s too far for me to walk home at this point, and too late for me to even try that if I did it is just asking for a rape or a mugging.

I start walking home in 3 inch heels keeping my eyes open for a bus, metro stop or ATM machine. I don’t come across any of those items, and decide to try my luck with a cab. Someone was looking out for me, or I must have been a very smooth talker because the first cab I hailed agreed to take me home.

I made it home that night with just enough time to wake up my roommate and tell her all about my night. =) She’s going to return the favor one night.

Told CM

This morning at work I told CM about my ADHD. I hope he doesn't use that against me.

It isn't information I share with many people especially people at work. It's information I am still trying to understand and don't need for others to pass judgement or label me.

You don’t look Hispanic

Nothing offends me more than when someone says to me "You don't look Hispanic" or "Well, you're not really Hispanic".   

When I was younger I would think "WTF, I look like my family (which still lives in Mexico) what am I supposed to look like?" or "Que no me ven el nopal en la frente?" Today, I tell myself it is out of ignorance, and try my best to educate him/her that we (Hispanic/Latinos) are not a race and that Latin America is made up of different cultures. 

Although I don't agree with the comment that I don't look Hispanic, I can understand why some people would say it.  Thanks to TV many have the idea that Hispanics/Latinos are short, dark and poor.  I'm 5'6", white skin that doesn't tan, strong facial features and naturally light hair (I dye it black) and think I look just as Hispanic/Latino as Jennifer Lopez, George Lopez or as the man I use to buy my burritos at lunch from his lonchera.  

The comment I don't understand and take an even bigger offense is when people say I am not a real Hispanic or act like one.  Hmmm.... how am I supposed to act?

Submissive?

Maybe bring tamales for everyone in the office?

Or as a hot tamale and use my sexuality to get by?

Fat chance I am or will ever be any of the above!

The funny thing about all this is I spent the majority of my childhood in Mexico, and spoke no English when I started school in the states (ni una groceria sabia decir en Ingles).  

Yet I'm not a real Hispanic/Latino.  

Nadie se va casar con una mujer que no lava trastes - No one will marry a girl who doesn't wash dishes

"Nadie se va querer casar con una mujer que no sabe lavar trastes." That was my mother telling me no one would marry me if I didn't know how to wash dishes.  This was her attempt to get me to do chores.  It failed.  I don't know exactly how old I was when she said this, but I couldn't have been more than 13.  

Even at that age I knew I didn't want to be a housewife and I told my mother "no voy a ir a la universidad para ser criada.  Cuando me case me voy a casar con un hombre que busca una esposa no una criada." Just as I told my mother that day, I went to college, received my degree and still look to marry a man who wants to marry a partner not a maid.  

Today I am 27 years old living in DC, educated and single.  I am almost 3000 miles away from my parents wishing I knew how to cook like my mother, fix a car like my father, was as funny as my sister V., as tech savvy as my brother J. and as passionate and gifted as my brother B.  

I still don't wash dishes.