On the Road Again

We're back in Mexico--After a great visit to Arizona (except for the part where were were stopped and asked for ID because of the MX plate on our rental), we crossed back into Mexico. Our goal had been to make Guaymas tonight, but a two-hour horse ride up through suicide pass, a late lunch with wonderful friends, a stop at the package place to collect all our stuff, stops at Whole Foods, Home Depot and a few other not-to be-missed shops, we had a late start. And as the sun set, and it became clear that headlight use is indeed optional on Mexican highways, we decided to spring for a night in a hotel.
Tomorrow we'll be back aboard--rested and excited to be home—with a few new stories to tell. If there is anything we've learned while cruising--it's that breaks from the boat are essential. It almost seems counter-intuitive. If you've spent years of effort and loads of $$ getting a boat ready—mentioning that a long weekend, or occasional vacation away is important is sure to get you mocked by friends. To most people it's sort of like suggesting dessert after spending the day at a chocolate buffet.
But time away gives you a new perspective—you get to hang out with people who don't know how fascinating it is to calculate their fridge's amp hours, or endlessly speculate about which water maker causes the least amount of grief. Instead you converse with people who may know who the celebrities on the magazine covers are but who also have an opinion on this week's world politics.
We're eager to go home again after a visit away. But it's good to be reminded that whenever you immerse yourself in just one way of looking at the world—the world becomes smaller, even when you're sailing around it.