Tales from the Yucatan Jungle: Life in a Mayan Village

Where would you go if you needed to get away from it all? What would happen if you never came back? Your life would change forever as it does for Kristine Ellingson in Mexico. She left her life in the U.S. and moved to the vibrant land of the ancient Maya. Kristine Ellingson was a successful American jewelry designer with two grown children and a marriage on the rocks. Because she needed some time to find direction and meaning in her life, Kristine left her home in Oregon for a trip to Yucatan that she believed would be a stopover on her way to Portugal. Much to her surprise, her stop in Yucatan was not only longer than expected, it was permanent. She found that taking a leap of faith can lead to a life full of adventure and meaning. Join Kristine as she recounts her journey in finding a new home and family in a peaceful village near the Mayan ruins of Uxmal. From Spanish flash cards to falling in love with a Mayan hotel desk clerk, a transformation occurs both with Kristine and the village. In spite of being an outsider and looking nothing like the Mayas—she is tall and blonde—she is accepted by the village and becomes an integral part of their community. Kristine creates multiple businesses in her village, fusing two cultures, two beliefs, two ways of life. Twenty years later, and still married to the Mayan hotel clerk who is now her business partner, Kristine shares her real life stories of love, pain, loss, and learning Overcoming the typical expat story of frustration with another culture, Tales from the Yucatan Jungle: Life in a Mayan Village brings two worlds together and shares glimpses into a sacred, rich Mayan way of life. Kristine allows readers to glimpse a world seldom seen by tourists. Some of the experiences she shares are: • Being brought back from the brink of blood poisoning death with the help of a “curandero” (a traditional healer)