Back to the Beach in Puerto Escondido
Travel plans get incepted into you on a random wave of inspiration and, although sometimes they seem crazy, farfetched or risky, you know if they’ll happen or not the moment they cross your mind. Here I am in Puerto Escondido and, while I do consider myself extremely fortunate to be here, looking back at how it transpired, it was a snap decision that I never looked back on, even though it wasn’t for another two months that my plane took off.
This Mexico trip transpired in my mind as my European trip from Sept – Nov was winding down and the reality of a rainy Vancouver winter spent in the clutches of a covid lockdown was dawning on me. It’s not the Nov, Dec winter that worried me. That winter has lights, (clandestine) holiday parties, good food, cozy movies and Christmas morning to look forward to. As always, I wanted my cake and I definitely wanted to eat it.
And just with that taught alone, Puerto Escondido became a thought that had that iron feeling that it’s going through. To solidify it, a few friends decided to have a bday in Costa Rica just after New Year’s Eve so I even had a crew to kick things off with! On top of that, yet another travel friend of mine decided to send it to Puerto with me!
As more stars aligned, my good friend that I met while taking pictures on a beautiful cliff on the side of a highway in the middle of nowhere in Vietnam was returning to Mexico the same weekend I was planning to arrive. He was planning to return because he had married a Mexican woman and was sadly about to divorce. His roots were strong enough though that, even without the marriage, that had become his home. I knew there would be some sad moments and deep talks that would be required, but I also knew my boy would get back on his feet in no time.
And I was pumped!
So just like that, I had NYE, a few days skiing in Whistler with my sister, and I was off! Passed through San Diego for a few days to see another friend because it was on the way, had my 10 days of bday debauchery in Costa Rica, spent a night with an old romance in Mexico City and then finally boarded my flight with my two friends to Puerto Escondido!
And here I am! I’ve since bought myself a motorcycle and got very comfortable with the lay of the land. I’m taking surf lessons in the morning, plugging my laptop in at a coffeeshop across the street from the beach during the day, and enjoying every evening whether we’re chilling, working or partying. To say my buddy is back on his feet would be an understatement and all I can say is… On that evening in Europe when this thought crossed my mind, I never had a doubt!
