What is your idea or perception of familiar? What does the “comfort of your own home” look like to you? I know for us familiar looked a lot different seven months ago. Familiar used to be coming home through the same door, sleeping in the same spot, buying the same groceries, hugging the same people. Mexico gave us a new sense of familiar that we weren’t expecting. Familiar is the smiles and greetings from strangers. Familiar is patience as we learn a new language, and familiar is the phone in our palm for Google translate. Familiar is being open to laying our heads anywhere, and familiar is feeling safe. Familiar is not knowing the food you’re purchasing, and letting your taste buds be the judge. Familiar is being so excited about the unfamiliar, that you’ll never know familiar again. Let’s just say the comfort of our home has transitioned from four walls to a million new, way more colourful walls. We love it here.

The incredible contrast between temperature, flora and fauna that Mexico elevation reveals will make sure you never feel prepared. Whether you’re coming down a mountain into the hulk green sauna, playing hide and seek with perfect surf breaks or slowly rolling the window back up when you see a pine tree. Mexico touches your skin with different hands around every exaggerated bend.

Scrolling on my phone maps around our current location, I notice a think line I haven’t seen in awhile. I pinch, and zoom in to get a better look… a border. Guatemala awaits our arrival, but Mexico still has its strong hold on us. Chiapas could potentially be our last state if we choose to skip the eastern section. This thought throws my stomach out the car window while driving over the bridge. See ya later tummy. It feels like Mexico has warmed up to us just as much as we have to it. In the early days we questioned more and enjoyed the nervousness of our first date with a new country. We moved quickly. Now, , more comfortable with our surroundings, the language and the culture, we’re finding it hard to leave.

There have been few moments in my life where the man or woman above writing my story sprinkles in so many surprises that just existing feels animated. This was one of those moments.

Leaving a piece of our hearts in the Huasteca Potosina Region of Mexico.

Cascadas de Minas Viejas

All I see is Pines, All I smell is fuel.

Our time in Baja had to come to an end eventually. I just don’t know if we were prepared to leave its familiar essence. The peninsula brought something new around every dusty corner, the food had us saying yum at most hours of the day, and the people made  us sure of our return. We fell head first into the routine of slow motion living (something we both are not used to) and knew the time had come to either leave for something new, or start a business making tacos and building Toyotas. Sounds like a pretty good life huh? We think so too, but found ourselves en route to the TMC Baja cargo ferry in La Paz.

The best things in life are free. The best things in life don't come easy. The best things in life are shared. The best things in life wake your heart up. The best things in life are the ones you least expect.