Mexico Day 40: The polarity of planning and presence

Balneario San Juan, Durango //

I hold my breath this morning with hope that everyone wants to sit still for the day.  Mark and I are ready for the opportunity to decompress from this very full week.  I’m relieved to learn we’re not the only ones and the decision is made first thing this morning that we’ll stay.  

The day consists of a variety of activities but the primary task at hand is figuring out our route and camping options for the days ahead.  This is the caveat of traveling in a foreign country, a great deal of time is needed for planning every next step.  We never know where we’re getting our next tank of gas, where we’re getting our next cart of groceries, where we’re finding water, where we’re doing our next load of laundry, or, most importantly, where we’re sleeping.  The amount of information at our fingertips is incredible but it also keeps us glued to our screens in an effort to make the best choices.  Living in the moment becomes more and more challenging.  

This can be the most difficult hurdle to overcome when living on the road full-time.  Constantly having to look ahead and plan our next steps leads to overwhelm and decision fatigue.  Ever since driving off the ferry in Mazatlan I’ve been having flashbacks to when we first began living on the road.  That first year left us completely exhausted.  Since then we’ve learned how to strike a good balance between planning and presence and today I’m having to remember how to put those skills back into practice.

The upside is that what we receive in exchange for all the required research is an entire education about a land we once knew nothing about.  Mexico is a huge country and I’m quickly building a mental map of its geography.  In a sense it’s like being back in school.  We do homework every night and get to go on a field trip every day.  

I expect the decision-fatigue to wax and wane as we make our way around the country.  But I do know one thing for sure, the first place we come across that we really love is going to be a place that we treat ourselves to a little mini-vacation from being in motion.


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About

We’re Mark & Michele, modern-day nomads perfecting the art of slow, full-time travel.  Our tiny home on wheels and slow-paced travel style allows us to minimize our expenses while maximizing our freedom.  May our unconventional way of life inspire you to design a life that you love.

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We're spending the winter of 2025 exploring all that mainland Mexico has to offer. To follow along on the adventure subscribe to receive a daily photo and story directly to your inbox.

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