Montana Lovin

Spring is here and so are the humming birds! Watching humming birds feed has been one of Nonnie's favorite things to do since as early as I can remember. For the past three hours, we swatted fried mosquitos and got so close to the humming birds, one even landed on my hand and I almost peed myself. Here's some photos of tonight as well as the past few days.

Road to freedom

Flathead Lake

Backyard 

On the train to Essex in the observation car 

Nonnie's Big Hike 

I had to apologize in advance for spelling "whore" and Nonnie almost died laughing

Then she beat me with no remorse  

Bald eagle's nest 

Always classy, even when we don't go anywhere  

Family of deer in the backyard

I did this for an hour straight. Something about the loud ZAP that's so rewarding 

Nonnie REALLLYY wanted to fry those mosquitos

I love this lady

This one was my favorite

They don't share well. 

It's a party

"I went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in." - John Muir 

One Wish

The recent video on Gadling  is a great representation of what's real in our world right now, regardless of where we come from and what we believe in. They asked a variety of people in Jerusalem, if they had one wish, what it would be.

While in Montana with my grandparents, I've had a lot of time to just be, and consider what's important in my life and what truly isn't. I believe people are only as busy as they want to be, and we should never confuse activity with productivity. I now do what makes me happy, be with the people who matter to me, and I leave everything else behind. And I feel more fulfilled than I ever have.

I'm realizing while I'm up here, I'm on earth for a very short time, and so are the people I love most. So I've stopped worrying and even complaining about things out of my control, and I'm focusing on what's been given to me right now at this moment.

Not losing my patience with Nonnie as she asks me for the fifth time in 10 minutes if we need to go to the store for milk, or listening to my grandfather tell me the same story he told me the night before and just sitting there for an hour like it was the first time he told me; these are times when I need to be still, and cherish every moment while I still have them.

My wish is for everyone to stop and think about what's really important in life and to take advantage of it while it's still in front of them.

"You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving." - Rick Warren

The Day I Used AAA... Twice

By far, the highlight of my last couple days was building a successful fire in less than 10 minutes. I've become a total dirt bag and instead of buying a bundle of wood for $5, I walk around the other sites and take wood people leave behind. Dontjudgeme. I've been loving Oregon and being able to sit outside and journal under trees larger than life. Beauty is all around me!

I made it about ONE mile out of Newport, OR when my truck decided she had other plans (it's a she because she's moody). I made it to the side-ish of the road and called AAA and I think the lady was more interested in hearing about my road trip than being stranded on hwy 101 needing a tow truck.  Three hours and $400 later, I was on the road.

Clockwise from top left: Sea Lion Cave, Beverly State Beach, Devil's Punch Bowl, and Spencer Creek Trail 

After 12 hours of driving, my bank account being bullied, and my nose only getting snottier from a cold I somehow acquired, I put away the camping gear and pulled into a cheap hotel. When the man asked if I had AAA, I could only look at him with an exhausted smile on my face as I crammed a chocolate chip cookie into my mouth. Why yes. Yes I do. Thank you for the discount... and the extra cookie.

When life hands you lemons, give them back and eat the free cookies.

Crackers, Quinoa, and a Bottle of Wine

I was greeted in Arcata with tons of love, even from people I didn't know. I hadn't seen Megan in a few years and it was so great seeing her and also seeing her town. I have no words for this place but it's beyond anywhere I've been to before. I've never seen so much LOVE in one place. At the farmer's market, people were dancing to steel drums, I met a girl with a pet goat, and drank enough chai to last the rest of my existence. Peace, love, and all that goes with it. This is Humboldt.

Once I got into Oregon, I felt an instant feeling of freedom. Went for a walk and found a slug I think Jayme would have loved to play with, spilled two glasses of wine, and realized after 6 months of camping in Mexico and watching (and learning) how to build a fire, my execution skills were terrible. Andrew would not have been proud. By the time I got it going, I was ready for bed but had to stay up since it took me an hour to make it happen. Loser.

Santa Cruz and Sonoma Coast

I'm writing from the Co-Op in Gualala, where I've been greeted by every person who walks by. While sitting here at the window, drinking my vanilla latte, a homeless man walked by, stopped to make sure he got my attention, smiled, waved, and kept walking. Before here, the lady at the fair trade gift store, gave me a tour of the entire shop with stories about where everything came from. Apparently when your town population is under 200, a tourist is the highlight of any day.

 I stayed in Sonoma County last night after spending two days with Mike in Santa Cruz. Surfed both days and thought my life was over when I mistook a seal for a shark. Other than that, the cold water was bearable and the waves were pretty fun! Photos below are of 26th street where I had the better of two days surfing and Mike putting air in my tires which pretty much captured his personality at it's finest.

The drive up through Sonoma was so pretty, it was hard to keep my eyes on the road. From lush trees near Samuel Taylor, to the Tule Elk Reserve at Pt. Reyes, over steep cliffs through Sonoma Coast State Park, I'm overwhelmed with the beauty of this coast! 

"I thank you God for this most amazing day, for the leaping greenly spirits of trees, and for the blue dream of sky and for everything which is natural, which is infinite, which is yes." - E.E. Cummings 

On the Road Again...

And it feels so good! I just spent a week between Kernville and the Toulomne and had the chance to get into some really awesome endeavors.

The first few days were spent on the Kern and Andrew and I crashed the guide school where we met a lot of good people and Andrew got to catch up with all his buddies at Kern River Outfitters.

After that, we headed up to the Toulomne and got into some serious back packing. I told Andrew had that been our first date, we wouldn't be dating anymore. It was a pretty full on but once we arrived at Flinstone Camp, we immediately forgot about the 6 hours of hiking through snow, bush whacking, and steep downhill terrain into the gorge. Pretty epic scenery and well worth the sore joints.

Heading north today to jump into some more cold water with Mr. Michael Voors. If I get out of Santa Cruz alive, you'll hear back here shortly.

Mexico Photo Book

Snapshots, quotes and good memories. Enjoy!

 

 Click here to view this photo book larger

Mexico Wrap Up

I've been home for two weeks and have been taking my sweet time posting the last four weeks of our trip. So the cliff note version is this: Mark and Andrew fished for crocodiles, we went to a funeral and wedding in the same weekend, and finished the trip at the Copper Canyons which are said to be 6 times larger than the Grand Canyon and the part of the trip I looked most forward to.

Before all the craziness, we stopped at Chacala for endless hours of cards, backgammon, beach volleyball, stray dog lovin, and down time.

So here we go. Yes, this actually happened. Mark spotted a crocodile and pulled over, told Andrew to get the fishing pole, then God knows why, but he casted and CAUGHT THE CROCODILE. It was probably 8-10 feet and it was splashed around like crazy until Andrew broke the line. What were they thinking? We never know with them.

Once we pulled up to Jose's house (for the second time since October), he told me his father passed away the night before and the funeral was in an hour. The coolest thing about that funeral was the burial. The family buried him there (cement and all) instead of leaving it for the cemetery officials to handle.

At the burial, the widow of Jose's dad told us her son was to be married the following day and we were invited. It was awesome for two reasons. The first because the same group of people we saw mourning on Saturday were in celebration on Sunday. The second because they invited us the day before the wedding unlike American weddings where you can't show up unless you have an invite. That family is the most loving, giving, gracious group of people I'll ever meet.

From Aticama, we headed to El Fuerte for the beginning of our week in the Copper Canyons. El Fuerte is an old Spanish Colonial town and it holds a lot of beautiful history. From there, we took the train to Creel and at one of the stops, Tarahumara Indians come up to the train to sell their baskets made of pine and apple empanadas.

In Creel, we ventured for a family hike to a 900 foot waterfall and a view that reminded me a lot of Yosemite. We walked down and hung at the water pool at the bottom, then hiked up and around the rim. We bought some Pinole and souvenirs then headed back to Divisadero where all the views were.

Our last days in Divisadero were what I'd been waiting 6 months to do. Andrew and I started our Mexican journey in September and slept either in the van, or tent. Spending our last nights watching the sun rise and set over the canyon from a hotel room was quite the finale to our trip.

I read the book "Born to Run" a few years ago and since then had become obsessed with the idea of visiting these canyons. Over 60,000 Tarahumara Indians live in the canyons and run with sandals made of old tires. They run 60-100 miles per day. They are shy people and you wouldn't know a house unless you were sitting right on top of one. They trade corn for wool and live on the most basic amenities. Most of them don't speak Spanish; they have their own language. Their smiles are contagious and cheeks are permanently rosy from the cold air. Their energy is spread throughout the canyons and hiking through them was an unforgettable experience.

It was bittersweet leaving Mexico yet some memories will never leave me such as mangy dogs, topes and pot holes, military check points, dirt roads, "todo derecho," and the music - so loud... why so loud? I already feel homesick for that ugly beautiful country, but when I saw Jayme running down the driveway screaming for her Bebba, I was happy to be home. In the end, there's no place like home and until I get another itch, memories of Mexico and the company of family will keep me happy.

Parasites and Paradise

After the surf went from this photo to flat, we decided it was time to head north. I caught some kind of bug which we all debated between Dengue, the flu, or maybe just a parasite but either way, I'm glad the days of lying on the bathroom floor are over.

We had a fun last day decorating Pols with all the sunscreen Zinka sent us, and I left with memories of the funny things Pols says:

Pols: "Hey Angie, what's the necklace you're wearing?"
Andrew: "It's a Nami Nami, the river god of the Zambezi" (he goes on to tell Pols the history of it.)
Pols: "Hm... I reckon that's crap"

Dave: "I come from a land down under"
Pols: "Yeah Dad that's great, but I come from a land of tacos and I want to eat one right now, so let's go" 

Becca: "My stomach hurts"
Pols: "Well, if you eat the salsa, make sure to put the toilet paper in the freezer so it's cold on your bum" 

Pols: "Mmm... This taco is orgasmic!"
Becca: "Do you even know what that means?"
Pols: "Yeah I googled it last night"

I love this kid!!! 

On our way up to meet the parentals, we stopped at a couple beautiful beaches. Kiwi Dave taught me how to make salsa so I put that to practice with a fish Andrew so proudly speared. The rest of those two days were spent playing on a wide open, empty beach. The first was La Peñita and the second night was just north or it. On the road to Puerto Vallarta, you can veer left off the main highway and this is what you'll find.

It's a good thing I was paying attention and wasn't on auto pilot like I usually am when driving because the road to Arroyo Seco was out to get me.

We made it to Puerto Vallarta, picked up Mark and Nancy and headed to Sayulita where a beautiful hill side house awaited us along with a ton of down time. That first night, Nancy made soup and just the smell of thyme trickling into my room made me think of home (mostly Christmas). She also makes a mean Choffee (hot chocolate and coffee).

It's so nice having them here because there's nothing better than family, really. It also means we're closer to coming home! I woke up Valentine's Day to find pajamas from Nancy (she bought us matching ones :), and Andrew was the most excited because that meant I could get rid of my "party pants" which everyone hates.

The only moment I've hated so far, was hearing a loud explosion in the kitchen. Mark and I were outside reading and when we heard it, both our hearts stopped. We ran in to find Andrew and Nancy catching their breath after the oven exploded. Luckily, they were both okay. Mark said an extra prayer of thanks before dinner that night and I think I hugged Andrew and Nancy about 20 times - so thankful!

Groms, Kooks, and Creepers

Pascuales.
Big, heavy, hollow, fast, did I say heavy yet?

This wave is not for me but I've enjoyed watching Andrew and 10 year old "Pols" and his friend Alan.
Where Pol's name originated:
Rolando
Rollie Pollie
Pols

Yes, that's right, two 10 year olds surf this wave and I want nothing to do with it unless it's small (still throws me on my ass).

I've become quite fond of Pols, who is Kiwi Dave's son (the guy we're staying with). Dave is from New Zealand, married a Mexican and Pols is fluent in both languages.
Right out of a nap, Pols will stumble sleepily over to his bow and arrow, and when he's bored with that he'll come over to me and say in his kiwi accent, "Boom Boom Becca, do you want to go surfin' board ridin' or body wompin'?" Every day, he paints his face a different color with all 8 Zinkas we gave him.

Top: Pols, Andrew and Alan (10 years old!)
Bottom Left: Pols playfully snaking Andrew
Mid Right: Andrew being selective
Bottom Right: Pols and his war paint 

The rips here are unreal and they don't take long to sweep you out. The other day, Pols and I were swimming when I heard the whistle blow and I looked to the beach to see Pol's 16 year old brother sprinting towards the water with the other two life guards. I looked out and saw two guys being swept out to sea so I yelled at Pols to go in, then sprinted my way over to the guys
...on a full stomach and rum 'n coke. Fail.

I swam out to Juna (Pol's brother) and he told me to grab the guys arm and this guy just had a look of terror on his face when I told him we had to go "abajo" because two set waves were about to hit us.
I'd never been gripped onto so tightly.

Once we got them in, they told me it'd been 6 years since going to the beach and they weren't the best swimmers (ya think?) The lifeguard Carlos and I gave them a quick lesson on swimming out of rips and I tried not to throw up.
Don't want to waste a good rum n' coke.

I never realized some people don't know how to swim in the ocean (thank you, Mom for teaching me about rips at a young age!)

The thing about rips here, is they're super wide so it takes awhile to swim out of them. On my evening "body wompin'" session with Mr. Pols that same day, he got swept out super quick and I swam after him. Somehow, he scorpioned his little body out of it and passed right by me. By the time I got out, we were both exhausted but laughing about the irony of me saving someone from a rip earlier, then being taken away myself. Humility at it's finest as the ocean reminded me of it's unpredictable nature.

Top: Mexican fisherman, Dave and Pols
Bottom: Creepers watching me take photos, Lifeguards Simon and Carlos

I haven't left a quote or Bible verse at the end of my recent blogs so I'll leave you with one of each! Hasta luego amigos.

"If people concentrated on the really important things in life, there'd be a shortage of fishing poles."
-Doug Larson

"Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds." - Matthew 6:25-26 MSG

Saladita and Nexpa II

Not much to report since the last post. I love Mexico more every day, I've become obsessed with pelicans and the ice cream in Michoacan, and I can still eat tacos for every meal.

So we spent Christmas in Saladita with some small but fun surf (good thing for long boards). I fell in love with a puppy we named "mini mange" and the camping was pretty epic - secluded, quiet, clean and the perfect place to spend a mellow Christmas.

We made our way back to our beloved, Nexpa. A piece of my heart has been left there permanently and it was bittersweet to leave after a month. Some of the highlights included sunrise beach runs, coffee and journal time, choco-banana smoothies, learning to do a legit bottom turn, watching whales jump  every day, and cooking on the disco over the fire. It was also fun to see so many girls in the water. About 10 girls from Canada showed up and with the few of us already there, we took over the line up.

Andrew thinks I have way too many journals and he might be right just by looking at that stack. Between the book on top and my Bible on the bottom, four journals might need to be slimmed down to one this year. Although, realistically I'll probably acquire one more for good measure. Five is my lucky number after all.

We're posted up in Pascuales for a few weeks until heading north to Aticama again. The lady we stayed with on the way down passed away recently so we'll be paying a visit there for a week with Andrew's parents before heading to the Copper Canyons (so stoked for this). Probably won't have much more to post before then. I'm still living the dream and don't want to wake up!

The film crew from Forge made an awesome video of the boys kayaking in Tlapacoyan so you can see what these crazy boys got themselves into. Not nerve racking at all... Cascada