The stress, work, decisions, etc. are finally behind us! Is it “all done” in the PNW? Absolutely not! We got WAY more accomplished than either of us thought was possible. We are in a WAY better position for the eventual “real move” to Mexico (not just the year-and-a-half-plus-and-counting accidental Mexpat experience). We pushed to both physical and mental exhaustion, and then ran for the border.
The Basha did virtually ALL of the driving to get us to the border (and home). We had a car FULL of stuff – stuff that we weren’t willing to wait until…dunno when…to eventually have in Mexico. That car full of stuff could, potentially, cause trouble at the border. It was all OUR household stuff, but without proof of the cost and age (i.e. it is USED and has been for a long time) we *could* get pulled over at the crossing and have an “assessed tax” slapped on. Typically the “assessed tax” is some large number that a border agent makes up. We were nervous. So we got up at oh-dark-thirty to get to the crossing early.
As we waited for our turn, we counted three agents at the crossing lane. It was early, they were drinking coffee. They barely looked up at us as we crossed. No asking for papers, no “what is in your car?”, nothing. Barely recognition of us passing through. PHEW!!! The relief was physically noticeable. We both started breathing and smiling – we were HOME in Mexico! From the border we headed south to our first stop back in Mexico – San Felipe – for a WEEK!!
San Felipe is a quiet, fishing town. We’ve visited multiple times and really love the laid back vibe. We spend a lot of time just sitting, watching the waves. Our fave place is the Palapa Restaurant – truly a palapa on the beach, located inside Victor’s RV camping. Good food, cold beer, relaxed atmosphere and mostly inattentive staff.
The BIG thrill on our first day in San Felipe was spotting whales in the bay as we waited for check-in time at our rental! The Basha spotted them first, and we watched them moving north up the bay. 🤩
With all the fishing in San Felipe it is no secret that we at RIDICULOUS amounts of shrimp! Tacos, grilled, ceviche, burritos – anything shrimp was on our menu!
San Felipe is known, not just for fishing, but also for off-road, dune riding on dirt bikes, RAV’s and quads. We saw LOTS of people out in the dunes in front of our rental. Sunset was a popular time for racing up and down the dunes.
By the end of a week of doing nothing but eat, stare at/bob in the waves, sleep, and eat more, it was time to go home. We thought about a leisurely drive – coupla days here, coupla days there – and chose to just get back home quickly. It is a LONG drive from San Felipe to San Ignacio (about 8 hours of driving – not including stops). The Basha was an incredible pilot, and we were in another one of our favorite towns well before sunset. We relaxed in the zocolo, had a glass of wine, and waited for Taqueria Lupita – the ONLY place we have EVER had dinner while visiting San Ignacio – to open.
Beautiful, well preserved mission. 
Zocolo canopy at sunset 
Best tacos!!
One more day of getting up early, no breakfast (until we stopped in Mulege), and driving 8 hours with a purpose. Next stop, home. We pulled off in Mulege to get some breakfast and were disappointed that the taco stand that we discovered on our last visit (Cazuela Molcajete) was not yet open. A bit of perseverance paid great dividends – again! We found Taqueria Los Pelatos and dined on excellent tacos camarones a la plancha – grilled shrimp tacos. Yes, for breakfast!
The remainder of the drive was just a slog to get home. Seeing the bay as we crested our last hill was like a drink of cool water after a long, dry hike. I felt so happy to see the water, the city, the now-familiar sights of our (accidental) new home.
One of the best things about getting home is being able to enjoy the sunset on our balcony. And we brought home a favored personal item… The Gordie! This is a silver martini shaker with beautiful 2oz. silver, stemmed glasses that I received from my late grand-dad, Gordon. Every cocktail served from this set reminds me of him, and I always feel like he is with us, having a “light tipple”!
Bare feet, cosmoPOMitans (we can get pomegranate juice here WAY more easily than cranberry – so we pivoted our cocktail habits!), sunset and city lights. This is why we chose to make Mexico our home. Our stint back in the PNW, and our drive back down, has really reinforced that we made the right decision. So happy to be home. 💖💖