Mexico Day 134: The end

San Felipe, Baja California to Arizona  //

At 5 a.m., our alarm sounds. There are still millions of stars in the sky and there’s not a trace of daylight on the horizon. It’s border crossing day, and it’s time to head 2.5 hours north to the city of Mexicali.  

Today’s crossing back to the US involves a task we’ve never had to do before which is to cancel our Temporary Vehicle Import Permit (TIP) upon exiting the country.  Because the entire Baja peninsula is a “free zone” and does not require a TIP, all of our previous travels to Mexico have not needed this permit.  So this morning, before returning to the States, we need to locate the Banjercito office from where we obtained our TIP.  It’s because of this step that this morning we’re feeling a bit apprehensive about how smooth today’s border crossing is going to be.

When we entered Mexico, finding the Banjercito was simple. Immediately after arriving at the border and receiving our entrance inspection, we parked and walked to the nearby office. Doing this in reverse, however, is tricky. For the last few days, we studied satellite imagery and asked people on forums about how to get there. We have a rough idea of how to do so, but according to Google Maps, that means driving the wrong way down a one-way road, towards the Mexico port of entry. On our way to Mexicali I keep my fingers and toes crossed that we won’t have to exit the US, return to Mexico in order to access the Banjercito, and then exit the US again.  

At 8:30, we arrive in Mexicali and soon find ourselves in a long line of cars waiting to enter the US. Before making any rash decisions, we study the satellite imagery once again. It appears as though it is necessary for us to wait in the US return line in order to access the turn towards the Mexico port of entry. It is not only confusing but also a bit of a bummer that this means we’ll be waiting in line today twice. After an hour’s wait, we arrive at our turn and are relieved to see a road with two-way traffic, though the sign that reads “authorized vehicles only” doesn’t make us feel warm and fuzzy. With relief, we pull into the Banjercito parking lot and successfully cancel our TIP, earning us a receipt for the $300 deposit that will be credited back to our bank account.  

Upon exiting back onto the highway, we drive to the end of the line, make a U-turn, and get back in line for the US port of entry. Four lanes of traffic slowly inch their way towards the border booths for over an hour leaving plenty of time for us to feel the nerves that come with wondering how easy or complicated our exit process is going to be. Our previous crossings back to the US have involved a string of questions followed by an inspection. Only once before have we been sent on to the dreaded secondary inspection, where some vehicles are completely unloaded and thoroughly searched. We got lucky in that instance with a light inspection, but we have friends who have had every item removed from their truck and haphazardly piled among other vehicles going through the same process.  I begin to sweat as I consider the possibility of a long line of questioning and a subsequent search.  

Mark pulls up to the booth and hands the border agent our passports. We’re expecting the first question to be “where did you go?” While waiting in line, we hashed out the most honest yet concise response we could come up with, which was that we traveled through 17 states and went as far south as Oaxaca.  We assume this answer will only provoke more interrogative questions, but today is different. Mark is asked “do you have anything to declare?” “No,” he responds. The agent hands our passports back to Mark and says “have a nice day.” Just like that, we’re back in the US.

In a bit of shock, we point east and head for Arizona.  

The first thought that comes to my mind as we pull away from Mexico is that I can now officially say that after 4.5 months, neither of us was murdered,  we were never robbed, never carjacked, never scammed, never bribed. When I close my eyes and search my brain for a negative experience, I recall the hours upon hours spent in the passenger seat, waving and smiling at people on the street every time we drove through a town in an effort to gauge whether a place felt welcoming or unsafe. That thought exercise leads to a slideshow in my mind of smiling faces that never failed to wave back. Men and women, old and young. Nothing but kindness.  

In 134 days, we drove over 6,000 miles, through 17 states. We camped at 54 different locations spanning numerous ecosystems from desert to alpine forest and jungle to rain forest.   We camped on the Pacific coast, the Sea of Cortez, as low as sea level and as high as 10,000’. We slept near an active volcano and at the most breathtaking hot springs we’ve ever laid eyes on. We survived the grip of a rip current and an encounter with the cartel. We made new friends and forged life-long bonds with others.  

It’s easy to distill a trip like this down to the highlights. Those are the talking points that everyone who’s interested will want to hear about. But for me, the discomfort I embraced, the fears I faced, and the uncertainty that I befriended are all at the core of what I’ll take away from this trip. Those are the things that facilitate personal growth that I’d never otherwise be able to cultivate. You can’t learn what you’re capable of until you push up against what you perceive to be the edge. And then when the edge isn’t where you thought it was, you’re met with the courage and confidence to do so much more than you ever thought was possible.  

Travel for us is not about crossing items off a bucket list. It’s a method by which we enrich our lives from the inside out. The trip may be over, but I expect the lessons, insights, and perspective shift to continue to bring value to our lives for a long time to come.    

To everyone that’s been following along since November, thank you so much for being here. Reading your comments (and even running into some of you in person) has been awesome. This concludes our daily posts. Stay tuned for our return to weekly posts about all things full-time travel and unconventional living.

This post wouldn’t be complete without a few of the highlights from this epic road-trip…