Agua Verde, Baja California Sur // A few more campers and sailors arrive for the weekend, but it’s still as quiet and laid-back as it has been all week. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop, for the weather to turn nasty, or a group of partiers to show up, but every morning that we wake up here appears to be the start of another blissful day. Today is our fourth day at Agua Verde, making...
Agua Verde, Baja California Sur // What does it mean to be content? For me, it’s a state in which I’m not wanting for anything while simultaneously feeling profoundly grateful for what I have. The relentless desire for more (stuff, status, money, credentials, friends, etc.) seemingly fades away, and what’s left is complete satisfaction with the here and now. I would say there’s a strong...
Agua Verde, Baja California Sur // I have yet to leave the camper this morning when I hear Mark’s voice outside in the distance. He’s over at Dan’s camp, and when I turn my ear towards them, I can pick up that Mark is helping him with a solar issue that I later learn has been the bane of Dan’s Baja existence. Mark is quite knowledgeable in a variety of areas, solar power systems being one of...
Agua Verde, Baja California Sur // At the top of the morning, two of the four other campers parked on the beach here at Agua Verde depart. This “hidden gem,” that has since been discovered and seen in various YouTube videos and Instagram feeds, actually feels like a hidden gem today. Our neighbors share in our observations that the camping season is winding down and everyone is making their...
La Paz to Agua Verde // Before departing Campestre Maranatha this morning, we make sure to take advantage of every amenity available to us. We each take a hot shower, and Mark empties our toilet and disposes of all our trash. In Baja, we spend far less time at established campgrounds, and so tending to these chores is imperative while we have the opportunity. A five-hour drive is ahead of us, but...
Playa Tecolote to Maranatha RV Park // The morning air is perfectly still with calm, crystal clear water to match. There’s not a cloud in the sky, and the temperature is a perfect seventy degrees. It’s tempting to stay another day, but Mark has a dentist appointment in La Paz. Just as we’re about to drive away, a playful pod of dolphins right off the coast keeps our eyes glued to the water a few...
Playa Tecolote // It’s Sunday in Mexico. Over time, I’ve come to believe it’s the most celebrated day of the week here. In Baja especially, it appears to be the most common day for families and friends to gather and head to the beach for a day of play. We’re about a mile down the beach from the popular locale of Playa Tecolote, and all day we watch as the playa grows in population. When a...
Playa Tecolote // Starting yesterday and bleeding into today, I feel stress and despair. Twenty-four hours ago, I was elated to be arriving back in Baja. Now that we’re here, my mind has shifted gears, and I suddenly am worrying about all kinds of things that I haven’t fretted over in months. Stuff like income, taxes, our wildly unpredictable future. Big-picture stuff. It has become...
Sea of Cortez to Playa Tecolote, Baja California Sur // Even with the deep roar of the ferry’s engines right outside our door, we’re able to sleep through the night. At 7 a.m., we’re still hours away from the port, but thanks to a large island off the coast, we can already see land. I try to distract myself with activities inside the camper, but mostly I watch out the window with giddy excitement...
Mazatlán, Sinaloa to the Sea of Cortez // The day of our ferry reservation has finally arrived. We don’t need to check in at the port until 1:00 p.m., but we’re eager and ready to go by 10:30. It’s an hour drive across Mazatlán to the port, and the change in Mark’s demeanor while driving through the busy city could not be more different than when we arrived here 2.5 months ago. That first day in...
