Mexico Mexico - Jenny Chen, 26, Oaxaca, 11 April 2016 #2

[Lilibet]

Ok, I am still spending excessive amounts of time thinking about Jenny, so here are some more thoughts I've been kicking around. lolI was rereading Jenny's weibo entry where she writes about the movie "Wild". She was so excited after seeing the movie. When she got home that night after seeing the movie, she started searching for information on "long distance backpack hiking". She was interested in starting with the Mt. Rainier Wonderland Trail, for practice. Her research found that it would take 12 hours to complete, with 12 hour days of climbing. It excited her to think of being in nature, and temporarily leaving "human civilization". She wrote this on Christmas day, 2014. http://weibo.com/p/1001603792644416397855?mod=zwenzhang (her writings after the photo is where she talks of Wild. In Chinese, so use google translate if you want to read)So I think she was, as Lilibet wrote, "losing herself" in Mexico. Maybe she was doing this instead of the Wonderland Trail, as I don't see anything she's written about doing that. She was excited to be cut loose, travel alone, be away from her life in Seattle. We hear she did keep touch with her family, so I think in contrast to what she said about leaving civilization behind, it was more about leaving life in Seattle behind, at least for a while. Maybe...just a thought. I would like to know when she and JR made the plan that they would meet up in Cancun, and what Jenny's reaction to it was. Was it planned before she left, as part of her itinerary, or did JR make the decision to go when Jenny was already into her trip? Was the idea to meet in Cancun a welcome idea to her?What if it was not her idea, but JR's, and she was not totally keen on the idea, but was going along with it. I feel like maybe she wouldn't have been eager to enjoy Cancun staying in a hotel with JR. Staying in a hotel and sharing Mexico with JR wouldn't have been keeping with the style in which she was wanting to explore Mexico. I've come to think that something bad did really happen to her on her way to Cancun, though.The fact that she has not been in touch with her family (as far as we know, anyway) is what keeps me from feeling like she ran away on purpose.

BBM


Thanks for posting more information about Jenny's fascination with the movie "Wild." When we discussed it in June, I couldn't and still can't access the weibo link on my iPad. I think you meant she calculated she could hike the Wonderland trail in 12 days of 12 hours hiking. It's a difficult trail, and I can't imagine anyone thinking that hiking for 12 hours each day is reasonable. She seemed to have an inflated view of her stamina, which seems manic to me, as we've discussed before. Here's trail info:

The Wonderland Trail (WT) is 93 miles (150kms) long and encircles Mount Rainier. It is a strenuous hike with lots of elevation gain and loss, through lowland forests and valleys and into high alpine and sub-alpine areas.Perhaps the biggest aspect in planning to hike the Wonderland Trail is you knowing your hiking skills, abilities and habits. Rangers cannot tell you that. Nobody knows your skill level better than you. This is important when laying the foundation for your trip... selecting the proper distance between campsites. Do you live and hike primarily in mountainous terrain and climates, or lower elevation areas? Hiking on flat terrain for 93 miles is far easier than having to climb up three thousand feet with a full pack day, after day, after day. This sounds like something that should not have to be stated, but we often see hikers going beyond their skill level. This usually leads to injury, illness, misery and an early end to a long-planned trip.


https://www.nps.gov/mora/planyourvisit/the-wonderland-trail.htm

 

[GigTu]

About the "communicating via email" approach..... Maybe she used text messaging and email as alternate forms of communication. She seems to have been somewhat distant in person-to-person communications, and relied on technology to keep in touch with people. She could have been so angry she didn't want to talk for days, and when ready she still needed a buffer... It's rumored by JR that she's stubborn so I can imagine it. Maybe she wanted to say her piece but didn't want to be interrupted. It could be a thousand reasons, and I don't think it's entirely unreasonable for HER personality. I don't think it's a flag that their marriage was in jeopardy. In fact, I think Jenny was a very selfish person who felt her needs were more important than her partner's. They dated a long time before marrying, and JR knew what he was getting into, and he did it anyway.

 

[Lilibet]

About the "communicating via email" approach..... Maybe she used text messaging and email as alternate forms of communication. She seems to have been somewhat distant in person-to-person communications, and relied on technology to keep in touch with people. She could have been so angry she didn't want to talk for days, and when ready she still needed a buffer... It's rumored by JR that she's stubborn so I can imagine it. Maybe she wanted to say her piece but didn't want to be interrupted. It could be a thousand reasons, and I don't think it's entirely unreasonable for HER personality. I don't think it's a flag that their marriage was in jeopardy. In fact, I think Jenny was a very selfish person who felt her needs were more important than her partner's. They dated a long time before marrying, and JR knew what he was getting into, and he did it anyway.

I think you're responding to the link I posted in my reply to slowpoke. I had to delete it when I went to edit and add trail information...because WS formatting decided to be wonky. Here it is again.

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/sh...axaca-11-April-2016-1&p=12641050#post12641050

In the meantime you've expanded on your original post, and I agree with you. I don't think the email necessarily indicates anything about their marriage. But I do think it's possible that their marriage was in jeopardy from Jenny's point of view. You don't go off on a three month trip with fairly minimal contact with your husband if you're marriage is solid IMO.

 

[rosesfromangels]

Most people wouldn't leave their spouse for three months to go adventuring, but we have no idea what their arrangement was. But, it does tend to reinforce my niggling speculation she might very well be intentionally hiding. That would actually be a great outcome, considering the alternatives.

 

[GigTu]

I guess what I meant was, from my perspective, everything was Jenny's way. Maybe she wasn't in love with him the way he was her, maybe she was. We don't know. But from my standpoint, JR has stood by her side while she has been a free spirit. Maybe that's something he really loves about her, and something he didn't try to control. I doubt he could have anyway. Who knows. She seems caring and kind, but definitely a free spirit who put a lot of weight on inner spirituality and how things made her 'feel'.

 

[slowpoke]

Lilibet, I also cannot see the weibo posts from my ipad, yet can on my desktop. Wonder why that is.

GigTu, yes, I had said before that I thought maybe theirs might have been a green card marriage, or they were separated, living apart before she left on this trip. I just read another post of hers that reinforced these thoughts. This is very curious, because we know she got married Oct 2013. This post is dated 11-21-2014, so she was married over a year at this time. Most of the post is in Chinese, so maybe I'm misunderstanding. She says she's working at the bank, and writes of men flirting with her there. Google translate says "20 year old male", but Bing translates as "men some 20 years older than me" who flirt with her, so I'm not sure which she meant. However, she then says people here in the US don't think anything of a 20 -30 age gap, just as long as they are over 18 years of age. Then she writes that she wondered (and this part was in English, so her exact words): "are you sick？why would man that he knows I am much much younger than him , but he still firt with me and invite me to have a date?"

Doesn't that seem an odd thing to write when she herself is married to someone that fits in that category?

Here's the link, for those who can view it. Online translators aren't that great for understanding what she is saying, exactly. It's titled King Kelly, and I guess is writings reflections of life after viewing it:
http://weibo.com/p/1001603779175457674130?mod=zwenzhang

I can't remember if I posted about this before. Apologies, if I have.

 

[GigTu]

I don't think it's weird, except that her husband is older, albeit not that much. Also, she knew him 8 years before they married so they kind of aged together and maybe he didn't seem tons older. I for one don't think it was a green card marriage.

Maybe she was just trying to wrap her head around it this old man hitting on a young woman. Maybe she was "secretly" flattered and wanted to talk about it. Maybe it just creeped her out. I get hit on all the time, usually by fat, old guys. It used to gross me out, now I'm kind of bitter in my reaction in that I simply don't respond at all. Not even a blink. I just walk on. Maybe that sort of attention was new to Jenny, and she was still navigating her own feelings about it.Again, her communication seems to be via technology, whereas you or I might pick up the phone. *shrugs*

 

[DexterMorgan]

I think Jonathan got fed up with her once she had given up her job and decided to be a free spirit traveller on his dime while bills were due.

So he probably made some "I Don't Care " decisions that he may now regret.

He also probably knew she was mentally different and he probably tried to help her throughout the years.

But we all know someone that decided to live a carefree vagrant homeless lifestyle and we couldn't do anything about it after turning blue in the face over and over again.

This means that you can preach to a person everytime. But if their minds are made up then you can only pray for them and wish them the best.

Idk.

 

[rosesfromangels]

Something has really been bothering me about her choice to go to Mexico. Why Mexico? Except for certain spots in the Middle East, she probably couldn't have chosen a more dangerous place to go backpacking. It was almost like suicide by cop.

Why? Why Mexico?
Something still isn't adding up here people.
Double hinky meter alert keeps going off.
This isn't as it appears.

 

[Lilibet]

JR has been told the police will act within the week. Due to their history he has his doubts and will meet with them to to force them to act.Has anyone kept count of the times he's posted something similar? It must be depressing. I don't know how you force police to act though.




https://www.facebook.com/groups/helpfindjenny/permalink/686640084844372/

 

[Lilibet]

Something has really been bothering me about her choice to go to Mexico. Why Mexico? Except for certain spots in the Middle East, she probably couldn't have chosen a more dangerous place to go backpacking. It was almost like suicide by cop.

Why? Why Mexico?
Something still isn't adding up here people.
Double hinky meter alert keeps going off.
This isn't as it appears.

Why Mexico? The obvious reasons: Mexico is close. It has better weather than Seattle. It's cheap and exotic. Jenny wants to face her fears.



But those won't work if this isn't as it appears. Now you've done it, rascally roses...you're pulling me back in and making me use my poor tired brain again. :banghead: :gaah: :hills:


But you know I'll bite. Here are some less obvious double hinky reasons:


Romance: She has a boyfriend in Mexico she met online.


Crime: She wants to experience the danger of smuggling drugs.


Suicide: She has a death wish and wants to go out in an exotic, dramatic way.


Escape: She found out things about him after they married that impact her financially and upset her ethically and she wants out.


Revenge: She wants to lead JR on a wild goose chase...kind of like she enjoys putting her cold feet on his vulnerable stomach, according to her couchsurfing profile. Torture the guy.


All of the above?


Your turn, roses. And it better be good!

 

[Sjm_qc]

JR has been told the police will act within the week. Due to their history he has his doubts and will meet with them to to force them to act.Has anyone kept count of the times he's posted something similar? It must be depressing. I don't know how you force police to act though.




https://www.facebook.com/groups/helpfindjenny/permalink/686640084844372/

I stopped keeping count (and following closely) because there were/are more "updates" about things that were "going to happen", than actual reports of actual action .

Why Mexico? The obvious reasons: Mexico is close. It has better weather than Seattle. It's cheap and exotic. Jenny wants to face her fears.

I think this is why. And Jenny may have quite simply underestimated the possible dangers or blithely ignored them in her search for adventure. While there are many warnings about travel in Mexico, there are also hundreds (maybe thousands) of accounts of people her age backpacking all over Central & South America & having some pretty wild adventures without apparently coming to any harm.

Put yourself in the mind of a 20-something who wants to travel & have "adventures": what are you going to pay the most attention to? The tales of adventure? Or the danger warnings? There's always a temptation to see/hear what one wants to, & ignore the discordant elements, as well as the "well I'll be careful/it won't happen to me" mindset.

At Jenny's age I'd have gone for the adventure, without heeding the possible danger, and indeed did so, more than once -

 

[DexterMorgan]

I stopped keeping count (and following closely) because there were/are more "updates" about things that were "going to happen", than actual reports of actual action .




I think this is why. And Jenny may have quite simply underestimated the possible dangers or blithely ignored them in her search for adventure. While there are many warnings about travel in Mexico, there are also hundreds (maybe thousands) of accounts of people her age backpacking all over Central & South America & having some pretty wild adventures without apparently coming to any harm.

Put yourself in the mind of a 20-something who wants to travel & have "adventures": what are you going to pay the most attention to? The tales of adventure? Or the danger warnings? There's always a temptation to see/hear what one wants to, & ignore the discordant elements, as well as the "well I'll be careful/it won't happen to me" mindset.

At Jenny's age I'd have gone for the adventure, without heeding the possible danger, and indeed did so, more than once -

Facing fears is one thing. But catching a ride with strangers and begging strangers to let you spend the night with them in a seedy country is just crazy.

 

[GigTu]

She was purposefully tempting fate. Maybe she felt invincible, or overestimated her negotiation powers for all settings.

 

[Sjm_qc]

Facing fears is one thing. But catching a ride with strangers and begging strangers to let you spend the night with them in a seedy country is just crazy.

And that's where she may have come adrift, IMO. I think (speculation only) that she may have been missing/unaware of/unable to interprete various cultural and/or societal "cues" which might have moderated her actions, or caused her to think twice about some of her choices...

 

[Tssiemer]

It's easy to disappear in Mexico.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[rosesfromangels]

Why Mexico? The obvious reasons: Mexico is close. It has better weather than Seattle. It's cheap and exotic. Jenny wants to face her fears.



But those won't work if this isn't as it appears. Now you've done it, rascally roses...you're pulling me back in and making me use my poor tired brain again. :banghead: :gaah: :hills:


But you know I'll bite. Here are some less obvious double hinky reasons:


Romance: She has a boyfriend in Mexico she met online.


Crime: She wants to experience the danger of smuggling drugs.


Suicide: She has a death wish and wants to go out in an exotic, dramatic way.


Escape: She found out things about him after they married that impact her financially and upset her ethically and she wants out.


Revenge: She wants to lead JR on a wild goose chase...kind of like she enjoys putting her cold feet on his vulnerable stomach, according to her couchsurfing profile. Torture the guy.


All of the above?


Your turn, roses. And it better be good!

I have long wondered about drugs. I am not accusing this victim of anything, just wondering if drugs are somehow involved. Speculation only.

 

[cougarbrian]

Tired of following this case - JR's comments and updates are "Always a week out" I'd be broke on the streets of Mexico looking for my missing wife - especially with no kids in the picture - I wouldn't be able to sit still. I would imagine that it would be pretty easy for "jenny" to be back in china with her family especially since her family is not posting AT ALL in the groups.

 

[JerseyGirl]

It's easy to disappear in Mexico.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm beginning to think that's what she wanted to do.

I still can't get over the fact that she didn't do a backpacking trip across the USA instead of Mexico. She was in the process of obtaining USA citizenship so it would have been a great way to learn more about our country and the language. She did want to visit New York City so why go the New York City via Mexico and Cuba??

 

[Lilibet]

I have long wondered about drugs. I am not accusing this victim of anything, just wondering if drugs are somehow involved. Speculation only.

Interesting. Is there anything in particular that causes you to wonder about drugs? I understand you're just wondering and not accusing.

My thought when I listed that possibility wasn't so much about the drugs themselves but more the excitement of taking a risk smuggling and perhaps making easy money. Who's going to suspect a quirky little Chinese gal? But this is not at the top of my list. Escape and revenge are more likely to me at this point...subject to change, of course.