I don’t know what happened this month. I REALLY dropped the ball on writing, blogging or generally doing anything creative. Graduate school is a complete time suck. I’m happy to say that, in addition to doing a bunch of cool stuff, I learned a lot about myself this past month.
It disheartens me to know that our time in La Paz is coming to a close. In 6 short weeks, I’ll be heading back to the states to start my cross-country cycle tour. I’ve been taking advantage of the nice weather by prioritizing diving, beach days, and weekend trips.
That being said, I do miss Monterey, and I’m excited to finally have a “home base” (…at least for a year) come August. Our time in La Paz has made me realize that I don’t want to live in Latin America permanently unless I’m also working my dream job. Over the years, I’ve discovered that traveling without a purpose is not as rewarding as you would think. Mark my words, the next time I live abroad extensively, it will be because I am pursuing my dream career… [or doing an apprenticeship to become a divemaster ;)]
I also want to confess that I miss the United States! For as much hate as some people give it, there is something really special about it.
Anyways, this is what we have been doing in La Paz:
Gray whales! These BEAUTIFUL LITTLE THINGS! We went to go see them in Puerto Chale, and they swam right up to our boat. If you’re lucky, they’ll even give you a kiss. PS I adore the barnacles on their faces.
After-dark road-trips were something that we had been afraid to do (because of the cows on the road at night). However, we finally did a trip from Los Barriles to La Paz at night and passed through rural towns on the way. (A note on Los Barriles: An expat town that is the best-kept secret of BCS. Go give it a look if you have the opportunity.) In rural towns, people light roadside alters at night to honor patron saints and those recently passed.
I watched a handful of sunsets from new heights.
…and went camping with a friend from San Francisco in Las Dunas del Mogote, BCS. Despite the wind, we managed to get a fire going. It was somehow the most romantic thing I’ve seen this year.
I did some diving in Isla Espiritu Santo and the wreck Fang Ming. The sea lions played with the bubbles from my regulator and bite my dive buddy’s face. They’re pretty aggressive, but the younger sea lions can be playful. Someone on our trip even brought dog toys to entertain the pups. (There are videos under the “ocean conservation: diving” tab on my website!)
I finished up my Advanced Open Water diver course with another wreck dive (Fang Ming again) and a deep dive in Punta Lobos! We’ve finally entered summer here so the visibility is significantly better than it was even the week before.
That girl on a bike 