2-21-08 [Back in Colorado]

I miss Baja. That's something to start off with. I miss the warm desert speckeld with cacti, the lizzards basking in the radiant sun. Though I only saw a few, I knew there were pleanty.

I miss the ocean, and waking up to it every morning, alongside Maria's heavy breathing. I miss having the temptation to skinny dip at night, but the water was to chilly, I often forgot the idea anyway.

I miss my host family and I miss playing basketball with my friends, and kids I didn't know. I really miss having to threaten myself, that if I threw my T.P in the toilett, I would have to fish it out.

Last, I miss the van rides where I constantly smelled other peoples feet, and me getting car sick, where I also took a picture alongside my sun-set shaded puke.

One thing I don't miss though is San Diego water. I'm a truly spoiled gal, used to drinking nothing but pure water from Colorado.

2-12-08 (last nature walk)

I needed to stop. Not because I am tired or thirsty, or even injured. But because I have found a little nook that is one of the most amazing sights I have seen here yet, in catavina. Lots of moderatly sized boulders piled on one atop of another, allow me to have little sight towards the direction I have come from. I'm ok with that, because it leaves me no where to look but towards my unknown destination.

I now see a humming bird not only 6 feet away, a white butterfly in the distance and a cricket at my feet. I have never experienced nature quite like this before. Walking by myself in a place that I was only here for a couple of nights, not to long ago, I feel like I know it like the back of my sister's hand. Not very well, but I am determained to get to know it more.

My feet are getting hot. I have socks on now. Simply because I stepped on a long sharply pointed needle of a diamond choya. I wanted to yell for help, but I kept walking to find a rock to perch my reckless foot. After pulling out the two needles, so painfully inserted in my foot, I kept walking. Away from that damn rock, on which lay my blood covered needles lay.

The mixture between wind and sun put my leg in pure agoney. I bitch a lot, I know, but it wont stop hurting. I wish that I never vowed to myself to never take any type of pain killing medicine unless 100% necessary. The vow is a mixture of my hypocondriact tendencies, and the death of Travis.

It's probably getting near 11 o'clock and I need to keep walking to find the materials I need to make my gift. I know what I'm making, for who and why, but I'm not going to tell you, simply because we aren't allowed to tell anyone. And for that my friend, I'm going to keep walking, southeast I believe.

2-7-08 (Home stay reflection)

My home-stays are now over with which leaves me wanting to be back at that temporary home, while I also take a sigh of relief. My family was lovely, I couldn’t ask for a better family. My host sister, Alex, was really chill. At the same time, very shy. I wish I had gotten to know her better. She loves Fall Out Boy. That is something we have in common, although she is far more interested in them than me. Her room was very much like mine, which helped me feel right at home as soon as I walked in. Antonio, my host brother is a very chill dude. Really nice as well. He’s also known as Tonito. Bety, my host mom was a very sweet woman who knew how to prepare very filling meals. She has quite the humor as well. Last but not least, Antonio, my host dad. He is a very intelligant man, with lots of duties, therefor I didn’t see him as much as I may have wanted too. But that’s ok, because what he is doing is helping out the community that he loves very much, that I too have grown to love like my own.

Was this a big culture change for me to stay with this family for three consecutive nights? Not really. I eat mexican food at my house a good bit of the time, and their house is not much different from others I have seen in Colorado. The only thing that is really different, would be having to throw my t.p in the trash, but I have already gotten used to that from having to do that in Laguna San Ignacio.

Was the language a barrier to get to know my family? Nope, every single member of the family spoke fluient english. It was nice, but then again it would have been cool to be challenged by a only spanish speaking family.

It’s nice to be back in the pallapas and to be around my other friends again. It’s fun to swap stories with my fellow peers, and to laugh about each other’s awkward stories.

1-31-08 (Bahia de los Angeles)

At first when I woke up this morning, I had no clue where I was. This was because I was so comforatble, I thought I was in my own bed, back home. But then my hearing kicked in and I could hear the waves crashing only 20 feet away. “Oh I’m in Baja” is what I thought. I rolled back over, put my head back in my sleeping bag and was asleep within the next couple of minutes.

It’s really nice, waking up, with the sun in your face. The best way to wake up really. Once the sun is up, you’re wide awake with it.

Seeing this landscape for the first time is a bit overwhelming, but it’s super cool. Every day when I wake up I am super greatful. To be with this group full of amazing people. To see many beautiful things that I may never see again.

Tide pools are amazing. I don’t know how I could have lived my life so long not even knowing what they were. Everything about them excites me, even just a couple of rocks, piled one atop of another.

1-20-08 (mid-trip reflections)

Hola amigos! I must start off with saying that my glasses tan is starting to become pretty wicked. Or really gross.

I love being surrounded in this culture that I have never really experienced before. I plan on coming back, just fyi. I must say, for only being here for about a week I have experienced a lot. I have become closer to my fellow explorers. I have gotten a cold, I’m much better now. I have thrown up. I have gotten stuck in a shower for 15 minutes. I have tripped and fell. I am part of the polar bear club. I am ‘mama koala’. I have experienced the best sea food ever. I ate fish tacos for the first time. I have been surrounded by whales for the first time [and I won’t allow it to be the last time]. I have been in a boat. I have been away from home for the longest time, and it’s nice.

I can say right now I need to drink more water.

To end this, I will say that I am very thankful that I was able to go on this trip and I can’t wait to see all of you when I get back