Leaving the US and driving this far into Mexico has been quite the experience. It's been especially hitting me here in La Paz as locals and travelers alike express excitement and incredulity that I drove a 68 year old truck all the way here from the PNW. I'm sure some would doubt I actually had were it not for my Washington state license plate.
This old Dodge has been my daily driver for 6 years now and she has my confidence. There was never any question in my mind that she could do this trip. At least, not enough to keep me from forging ahead! But, as I see other overlanders here I am reminded just how rare it is to travel so far in a vintage vehicle. I think the oldest overland vehicles I have seen thus far on this trip have been a 70's VW bus and an 80's Toyota Troopy. Of course, lots of VW Westys of all their production years. But, virtually every other overland traveler I've seen has been rolling in vans and trucks no older than 2005.
I've been parked on the Malecon here in La Paz for the last few days now. it's the first time of my entire Baja trip that I've been spending nights in a downtown area. So, it's been my first time to have so much Hella based interaction with locals. It's been just like when I spend days at Ocean Beach in San Francisco or Golden Gardens in Seattle. Except with a language barrier, but that doesn't keep anyone from enjoying the experience. My 'MEGUSTA' license plate is a huge hit and has featured in dozens of people's selfies since I got here.
All of this, combined with having reached the southern terminus of my Baja trip, has really been moving for me. It's so true that you don't know the extent of what you're capable of until you push far beyond your comfort zones. And it often takes seeing the reaction of someone new to your story to be reminded yourself of the magnitude of what you've accomplished. It's been almost seven years since I was given this idea and purpose in a dream. It seemed like an impossible task at that time and it wasn't easy to keep taking the baby steps that ultimately brought it to fruition. It is profoundly moving to find myself actually living it now. I really have a hard time believing it sometimes! Especially when taking into account that the birth of this idea arose from the most painful period of my adult life.
For those of you reading this who are currently mired in grief or pain and feeling a million miles from any state of serenity or gratitude, I want to encourage you to have faith. I know how hopeless and excruciating loss can be and we never get to know how long our recovery journey will take, nor what that path will be. It takes tremendous faith and willingness to be vulnerable in order to reinvent your life and purpose. It is not an easy road, but I promise you it will be worth the effort. The dreams you have are not fantasy. They are your inspired core desire nudging you toward your purpose. Don't write them off as crazy. At least hear them out and give it thought. There's not much you can't accomplish if you're willing to commit your heart and mind to it. Yes, it's going to take time, perhaps years like it has for me. But, no matter what you choose to do, those years will pass anyway and you never get them back. Time is some of the most valuable capital you possess. Make it count.
Photo from the Baja Divide Trail between Bahia de los Angeles and El Arco, Baja California, Mexico 🇲🇽
