A day in the life: crossing from Mexico back to the U.S.

After a short but sweet two-week stay in Baja, we decided to head back to the States. My body was telling me that it needed more time to rest and recover from surgery and that adventuring down Baja’s rough and remote backroads wasn’t in the cards for me this year. Mark and I are pretty good at rolling with the punches and pivoting when our wants and needs call for it, so we embraced the two beautiful weeks we got and left knowing we’d be back at the end of the year. Every now and again, I like to share a “day in the life” style post to paint a picture of what the reality of life on the road can look like. This particular day, when we crossed from Mexico back to the U.S., was chock-full from start to finish, so I thought it would be a good one to share.

For the fifth year in a row, we spent our last night in Baja on the same beach north of San Felipe. It’s quiet, safe, free, and an easy three-hour drive to our border crossing of choice at Los Algodones. On this particular night, in addition to Heather and Adam, whom we were traveling with, we were joined by three other Four Wheel Campers and one VW bus. It was a serendipitous opportunity to catch up with our friends Dan and Marlene and to meet the rest of the crew they were joined by. Every previous year, we had gotten on the road at dawn with a goal of crossing the border before it got too busy. On this morning, though, we couldn’t be bothered to be in a rush. We were far more interested in socializing with new friends. Luckily, someone among our neighbors was responsible enough to get their group rolling, and that gave us the motivation we needed. Our two trucks got going shortly after.

At the southern edge of Mexicali, we hopped on Highway 2 towards Los Algodones. With about thirty minutes left to reach the border, Adam and Heather pulled over after hearing a knocking noise coming from the drivetrain of their truck. Mark and Adam got right to trying to diagnose the problem, while I assessed our surroundings.

It can be hard to know at first if a vehicle issue is minor or serious, and so I always consider the possibility of needing to stay the night wherever the issue is first discovered. We were in one of the many small towns that line this particular highway, all communities serving the agriculture that dominates the landscape in this region. In years past, the idea of camping on the side of the road in a rural town in Mexico would have completely freaked me out. That was hardly the case now. I wouldn’t have been thrilled to stay the night here; it would have been noisy and we would have certainly drawn attention—but I also wouldn’t have feared for my life. While I waited for a verdict from Mark and Adam, I was feeling grateful for evolving past the unwarranted fear that we initially felt when we started traveling to Mexico.

Why we’re not afraid to travel to Mexico: our candid opinion on safety

Adam determined that his truck would be okay if driven in the 40–50 mph range and that he would prefer to try to make it to the border and then address the issue in the U.S. When we arrived in Los Algodones, we noticed a drastic decrease in visitors compared to the density of American tourists we’ve seen on the streets in years past. Los Algodones is a popular medical tourism destination with multiple dentists’ and optometrists’ offices on every block. Americans cross the border every day on foot for medical appointments and then walk back across–especially this time of year when snowbirds populate much of Arizona. The pedestrian line where people wait to cross back into the U.S. usually has hundreds of people in the queue. On this day, there were only a dozen or so folks in line. We assumed that the recent cartel violence that dominated headlines a few weeks prior was the cause for the sudden decrease in visitors. As for us, our wait in line and short inspection was an easy ten-minute affair.

After satiating our hunger and hamburger cravings at In-N-Out, we headed to the nearest NAPA Auto Parts shop, where Mark and Adam determined that the carrier bearing needed to be replaced. An hour later, with the job almost complete, Adam ran into an obstacle: he needed to find a machine shop that could press the old bearing off and the new bearing on. Calls were made to many shops around Yuma before finally finding someone who was open for business on this Saturday afternoon. Mark took Adam across town while Heather and I sat and waited in our camp chairs in the NAPA parking lot. You get the job done wherever and however you can when living on the road.

The sun was nearing the horizon by the time Adam and Heather’s truck was all put back together. I was extremely grateful to have that all behind us before dark. It meant we could head to the desert to find camp and not have to call the NAPA parking lot home for the night. All of this reminded me why it’s best to get an early start on border crossing days. It’s best in this lifestyle to expect the unexpected, and when there’s an international border crossing involved, it’s best to give yourself plenty of time to make it to a safe place to camp for the night.

It was pitch black by the time we arrived at some BLM land in the desert west of Yuma. Arriving at camp after dark isn’t ideal; it’s hard to assess your surroundings and locate the best place to park. But we’ve camped in this area before and had an idea of what we were working with, so it didn’t feel like a big deal. It was around 8 p.m. by the time we were settled and eating dinner—a long day that wasn’t over just yet.

A quick series of random events occurred when we arrived that left Mark feeling uneasy at this particular campsite. I brushed him off at first, thinking the feeling would dissipate. In hindsight, I should have been more considerate. Mark shouldn’t have had to say more than once that he would be more comfortable somewhere else. We have said for years, when it comes to the topic of safety while camping, if a place doesn’t feel right, leave. It’s that simple. If your gut is trying to tell you something, there’s no reason to ignore it and lose a night’s sleep over it, or worse, learn that your gut was onto something.

A-Z Guide to Full-Time RV Living: Bears, Bandits & Breakdowns

After dinner, we packed up and moved a couple of miles up the road, into the hills, and out of sight from the main road. Mark immediately felt better, and so did I. In short order, we got the camper set up again and crawled into bed. It was a much longer day than anticipated, but such is life on the road. Some days are simple and straightforward, others are unexpectedly long and complicated. No two days are the same. It may not always be rainbows and butterflies, but I love waking up not knowing what the day has in store. And I can always count on the road to keep things interesting.

It turned out the carrier bearing was not the issue with Adam and Heather’s truck. It was actually the U-joint that needed to be replaced. Another few hours spent in an auto parts parking lot a couple of days later solved the issue.