Mexico Day 3: Meet Josh, Darci & Hannah

I don’t know that we could have settled back into our Baja way of life any more quickly or easily.  It all feels so natural at this point.  Being in Baja, in a sense, feels like coming home.  An extraordinary sunrise ushers us into Thanksgiving day and I’m feeling more grateful than ever to have made it to Baja in time to share the holiday with friends.  

Since this is just the beginning of what I hope to be many weeks traveling alongside Josh, Darci & Hannah, I’d love to take this opportunity to introduce you to one of the coolest and most unique families I’ve ever met.

In 2023 we showed up at a ranch deep in the Baja backcountry that offers campsites.  We had no idea what to expect and were pushed outside our comfort zone when we learned that we’d be camping in tight quarters among other travelers.  We had no choice but to get to know our neighbors whose walls were an arm’s length from our own.  Little did we know at the time but fate was working its magic.  

The rig to our left happened to be the same kind of truck camper as ours which made for a great ice breaker.  The Four Wheel Camper was home to Josh & Darci, their toddler Hannah and their puppy Ellie.  We got to talking and I was wildly impressed to learn that the four of them live full-time in their truck camper.  We ended up staying several days longer at the ranch than intended because of how quickly we all hit it off.  After parting ways and exchanging numbers, Darci & I stayed in touch for the next ten months.  Our instincts told us we would enjoy traveling together and so we made a point to connect in Baja when we all returned at the end of the year.  Those instincts were spot on.  We spent the following two and a half months traveling around Baja together as though we were lifelong friends who had been traveling companions for years.  

Josh, Darci & Hannah are now living out their Pan-American highway dream.  This past summer they drove to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, the northernmost point of North America.  From Baja, they will continue driving south for the next 1-2 years until they reach the southernmost tip of South America.  The fact that our paths aligned for this segment of their adventure has me brimming with gratitude.  

During our beachside Thanksgiving dinner I asked the three of them to guess where they might be for Thanksgiving in 2025.  Darci and Hannah guessed Peru while Josh guessed the Patagonia region of Argentina.  We’re going to miss them dearly but look forward to cheering them on as they take on the adventure of a lifetime.

Living on the road is sometimes perceived as a lonely way of life.  For us, it has actually been the catalyst for forging some of our closest friendships.  Mark and I both struggled to make friends when we lived in a house.  The road provides us the opportunity to meet like-minded people that we never otherwise would have met.  There’s something about being true to yourself and living the life you love that attracts those doing the same thing.  This has been one of the sweetest and most unexpected lessons that life on the road has taught us so far.

Interested in camping in Baja?
Check out our Baja Camping Guide!