One of the first things I noticed in Guadalajara was all the OXXOs.

They were everywhere, making me feel right at home since I could walk in and transport myself right back to the Midwest, as if I were standing in the candy aisle of the local Casey’s trying to decide between a Nestle’s Crunch or a Snickers. The only thing missing was the gas pumps.

As I got immune to the OXXOs, I started noticing all the tall shoes that women seemed to be wearing. Shoes with five and six inch heels that showed up in the windows of the formal wear shops that were almost as common as OXXOs. 

But that also showed up on the feet of women doing nothing more than a little grocery shopping or watching their toddlers at soccer practice.  

Shoes that screamed sprained ankle and that would have sent me toppling and racing back home for my flip flops after about two minutes. 

These days it’s farmacias that I’ve been noticing. 

We have a new one opening in our neighborhood. Taking up the space of a former women’s wear shop that went out of business.

I can’t help but wonder if it won’t meet the same fate. It’s the sixth drug store in a three-block radius. Turn a couple corners and you’ll find six or seven more. The available choices for someone feeling a little under the weather are as boggling to me as the candy aisle in OXXO.

I just don’t get it. This seems to be a healthy country, with bikers filling the streets on Sundays, plenty of people who walk regularly, and vitamin C handed out free in daily doses.

I’ve had my share of runny noses and sinus headaches, but nothing that would make me think that I should never stray more than a few steps away from a farmacia. 

Unless, of course, it all has something to do with those high heeled shoes. 

I guess no one wants to walk far for that Ace bandage.