Auntie Ann

Hello Friends,

In my last post  I mentioned I had some stuff going on that have prevented me from posting as often as I normally do. Something happened with my family and it has taken me a while before I felt comfortable talking about it.

You see, a few days after Christmas my Aunt died unexpectedly. I thought about not saying anything because I don't want anyone to feel bad or sorry for me, but I want to be honest with you guys and myself- and I felt like I was cheating if I left it out. I am not asking for sympathy, but rather I would like to celebrate my aunt by telling a little bit about who she was and why I loved her so much.

My Auntie Ann moved to Mexico (Rosarita Beach) when her daughter (my cousin) was very young. She loved the ocean and had a beautiful white house right on the water.

My favorite memories of her to this day are actually when I used to go down to Mexico and stay with her for a week or two in the summer. She would pick me up in San Diego and then drive me back to her house in Rosarita, where we would change into pajamas, sit in her bed, and stay up until 2 in the morning talking to each other. I would bring pictures of my friends and "boyfriends" and tell her stories about all of them. Then she would tell me stories about her life. I remember always thinking it was so fun to have an adult who totally understood me and that could stay up so late talking to me...then the best part was that we would sleep in late the next day and do it all over again!

My Auntie Ann was amazing because she would always encourage me to try new things and be a strong person. There was one trip in particular where she would take me to a different restaurant every night and suggest that I try something new on the menu like ostrich mole, green-sauce on an egg enchilada, or a coconut with chili powder and lime juice- yummy!

She also pushed me to step outside of my comfort zone and had me stay with a family in Mexico for the day. I will never forget how nice that family was; they didn't speak any English (and I didn't speak any Spanish) but they welcomed me with open arms and made me feel safe and comfortable in their home.

Besides being a great Aunt to me, Auntie Ann was the most caring person I have ever met- even to animals. In fact, she loved animals so much that she would rescue dogs off the streets in Mexico (if you have ever been you know there are A LOT), fix them up at the vet and even take some of them home. I would always laugh because when my family would go visit her she would have a HUGE tub of dogfood sitting outside of her house so all of the hungry, stray dogs in Mexico would have food :)


I will miss my Auntie Ann dearly and will always cherish the memories of her white house in Mexico, the starfish all over the sand, trying (and loving) new food, late nights of talking, encouraging phone calls after college, and how she was kind to every single person in her life.

Do you guys have any memories you would like to share about loved ones who have died?