Laura Ingalls starts a journal

[Laura Ingalls]

Thanks for listening. DH doesn’t need to talk about it as much as I do. It’s nice to talk about it with someone not involved.

[Frita]

Thanks for listening. DH doesn’t need to talk about it as much as I do. It’s nice to talk about it with someone not involved.

You’re welcome. I know that I sometimes just need a witness outside of myself. For me, I find the uninvolved listener is more likely to reflect than judge or give advice.

[Laura Ingalls]

Last month or so
9 days at my mom’s/camper
15 days in 3 different Airbnb’s
7 days hotel (burning my Hyatt points)

Currently enjoying the best kitchen set up we have had. Make coffee and sit on the terrace overlooking the nearby Cathedral/Church.

La Paz is nice. Just gringo like enough that our awful Spanish gets us by. Very chill and walkable for its size. I am liking it so far. Which is good since we have a monthly rental this time.

Our stay in San Diego was brief but very museum intensive. We also ended up hearing one of our favorite bands accompanied by the San Diego symphony in an outdoor theater. It was one of those cool serendipitous moments. We stumbled across and watched a big chunk of the rehearsal and then bought tickets to the concert in the evening.

Younger offspring is with us while he is on university break. Older offspring has an expired passport and a new job. He got his winter solstice gift in the form of money to help with his new washer. I feel a bit guilty or something I wish he could have come.


We have talked about where to next. No answer at this point.

I am slowly feeling less I don’t know tethered to our last location and less like I on a vacation. This nomadism thing is work figuring out how stuff works like currency conversion and riding intercity buses definitely harder than sitting in our little Midwestern house reading and doing puzzles all winter with small doses of paid employment thrown in for activity. It is stretching both of us.

[Laura Ingalls]

Adding accommodation info for my record
All Airbnb from 12-22/1/16 in LaPaz
We are continuing our stay in Mexico. We have toyed with the idea of leaving a couple of times. Then we either check the weather where the rest of our people are or price lodging in Southern California. Then we think we have it pretty good. We are leaving La Paz in a couple days for Loreto. The Baja winter continues.

We both seem to be losing a bit of weight. I don’t have a good way to measure that quantitatively. Clothes seem a bit looser. Bellies a bit firmer.

We are getting more exercise and snack less. We have a kitchen but have tried to keep the pantry minimal both to not waste and not to have to move any food when we move.

Younger offspring got a respiratory illness here and eventually gave it to both his parents. I suspect it actually might have been Covid. Anyway everyone seems fine.

Definitely some introspection going on and discussion of what we like and don’t. I as the more extrovert half of this project would like to have better, truly conversational Spanish and more English speaking encounters. DH would like better infrastructure and craft beer but is very tolerant of it’s shortcomings because he can eat amazing seafood and sit and read in the sun.

[Laura Ingalls]

The last month’s accommodations.
4 days in La Paz Airbnb
14 in Loreto Airbnb#1
1 night in Mulegé hotel
1 night in Mulege Airbnb (rented off platform directly from owner)
2 nights in Loreto hotel (had some Expedia credit to use)
8 days at Loreto Airbnb #2 (also rented directly off the platform)
1 night at Best Western in the Central Valley of CA
3 nights at our Sonoma, CA pet sitting gig

We have a rental car atm which is different. My two favorite on this list are Loreto Airbnb #2 and the house sit. This house is not big but it has a fabulous yard with Chickens, lots of outdoor seating, and a hot tub. I have also enjoyed having good knives and pans to use. The average Airbnb crap is painfully aweful at times.

I have more to share but it’s not raining atm so I am going outside

[Western Red Cedar]

It is nice to hear about your adventures in Mexico. I've done a few, month-long trips there but never made it to Baja. It is such a beautiful country, with friendly people, stunning landscapes, and delicious food. Please keep sharing when you have time.

DW and I are also adjusting to the nomad lifestyle and the underlying work it requires. We've settled in one place for a couple weeks and slowed down, which helps a lot. I love the small, quirky moments that pop up with life on the road. At lunch today the server brought our bill and I asked if they take cards, or only cash. She just said yes and walked away. My fault for a confusing question in the first place. DW started laughing at me and we shared multiple laughs later over that interaction.

[Laura Ingalls]

The Baja was wonderful. The weather was fantastic though the water temps were getting too cold for me at the end. I love the combo of desert and ocean together.

I went to a Spanish-English conversation group in Loreto. It was fun. I later ran into one of the Gringo participants and had a nice conversation in English. There was a younger Mexican man ( 20’s). His family owned one of the gazzilon handicrafts stores. The last day I bought a shirt from his mom that his aunt made. I was just about ready to leave and in walks Gabriel.

Lots of the styles of travel and some pretty ERE compatible.

[Frita]

I’ve been following along as you update. Would you repeat or go elsewhere next winter? What have you learned to optimize using AirBNB (It seems to be your preferred lodging option.)? Did you bus, fly, or drive?

[Laura Ingalls]

I would go back to the Baja in a heartbeat. However, I am not convinced that we would go back so soon.

We flew to Cabo from CA. We mostly walked. We did two long distance bus rides on Aguila which was great (Cabo to LaPaz and LaPaz to Loreto.). We also used Uber a couple times in Cabo and LaPaz. In LaPaz cell service can be spotty which makes using and Uber to get back a bit dicey. We also use a cab for a couple beach outings in LaPaz and to airport in Loreto. We also did a two day car rental to go to Mulegé. This could have been done cheaper by riding the bus but the beaches around there are the real draw.

I would Airbnb again, but Loreto would also be suited to getting a hotel for a couple of days and finding a place once you arrived

[Frita]

Thanks, I appreciate the field notes from a fellow middle-aged empty nester. We did some Cabo and San José de Cabo (kite festival) vacations in ours 30s. Like you, I enjoyed the desert and ocean combination. Driving and camping the Baja always sounded wonderful, though it probably it’s not very safe and my spouse struggles that amount of flexibility. Just to clarify on not wanting to return too soon, were you feeling burned out or just ready to mix it up?

Kick-around travel has changed with the internet and cell phones. Then there are the differences in travel as one ages and between partners to navigate. I suspect this will continue to shift too. (I know you did not have to worry about leaving a place, lovely.) Retirement change of location is different than vacation too. As you can probably tell, I am still trying to wrap my head around it and negotiate it with my spouse. Your posts help to shape some of my thoughts.

[Laura Ingalls]

Accommodations in the last month
10 days at housesit
10 days at my mom’s
5 days paid hotel
2 point hotel nights
1 hostel night
1 day at my in laws

Frita I felt safe everywhere generally way more worried about twisting my ankle on a whole in the sidewalk than any sketchy people. People from everywhere in all sorts of camping setups boondocking or paying $100 peso for a camping spot. Gas was expensive though.

[Laura Ingalls]

Last month by accommodation type
2 more day at in laws
1 day at DS’s dorm
11-12 days at my mom’s
4 paid hotel nights
4 point hotel nights
6 camping at the state park

Our next big travel project is hiking (or attempting to) the Camino.


Earlier this month we turned the eclipse into a weeklong Mark Twain, Missouri Botanical Garden, and Bourbon Trail junket. Both kids joined us for two days and then we watched the eclipse together and then they head back to their respective situations and we continued on.

I have finally made some headway on the “tooth project” or getting an implant on tooth 13. I have had four appointments this month to work on this and I got the implant placed on 4-19-2024. That was turned into a weeklong camping with the camper outing. I have a follow up in to check on healing and then will get a crown placed this Fall. Traveling 120 miles has been a pain but has saved me probably $1500-1700 even after mileage. If I was working full time I would have probably just spent the money. The flexibility of retirement is good.