For ten years, Susana Salazar, working with a treatment center specializing in psychological problems of young people, has seen a worrisome rise in types of self harm that were once studied mostly in higher-income countries such as Canada, the United States and in Europe.

Although lamented by followers of a certain U.S. president, globalism is on the rise, even on a leafy and not especially commercial street corner in Guadalajara, where Korean native Sujin Lee and Tapatio Cesar Cardenas set up the enigmatically named establishment, SSAM, four years ago and turned it into a raging success.

For the last 30 years Chris Wysock’s career as a full-time nurse involved working with the medically underserved and migrant populations in Oregon’s Williamette Valley.

Having grown up studying ballet in New York City, and with dreams of being a ballet dancer, 79-year old Suzanne Salimbene continues to take ballet classes in Ajijic, with no plans of stopping any time soon.

In a recent session, Raúl Ruiz, a lakeside psychotherapist, witnessed a patient talking about waking up in the middle of the night and, not for the first time, anguishing over the current president of the United States.

“I’m amazed at how many people in Guadalajara have never been here,” said my hiking companion, Rick, as we took our first steps along the fabled trail known locally as La Barranca de Huentitan or simply La Barranca.