Fort Collins (Colorado, USA) | Hasta Luego Mexico - Day 26

While At the Art Walk, I wandered into a shop that sold traditional Amate Bark Paper Art. Unfortunately, I could not photograph the pieces inside the gallery, but I was able to outside take this picture of a piece hanging outside the shop. Amate Art pieces are handcrafted from the fiber harvested from the bark of figs or mulberry trees. This link on Etsy includes photos of the process and how the pieces are made. This page on Etsy has a nice variation of the different pieces. Unfortunately, the gallery in La Paz was overpriced, like many others. I looked at pieces similar to this one, which I love, which were 3x the price.

I am flying back to Fort Collins, Colorado, United States, this afternoon. Baja was a fantastic place to go for a month as I waited for things to align in the States. However, it is tax season, and I have several lingering issues I need to resolve pertaining to my house that I need to address in the next few weeks. So, although I wanted to keep going and was tempted to relocate to Oaxacca, Mexico, I decided to stick to my plan and return briefly to handle my pending items.

It's a beautiful afternoon here at Los Cabos International Airport. The airport is about 15 minutes north of San José del Cabo. Easily accessible via a short bus ride.

Do you believe in omens? Today, I am not feeling my return home. I know it must be done. Speaking candidly, though, my heart is simply not in it. While boarding, a lady passes out in the aisle. Those of us not on the plane are escorted back to the front of the plane while we wait for EMT. If this isn't an omen to not return to the United States, I don't know what one is. 😂

About 10 minutes later, an ambulance arrives. EMTs have a special chair that fits between the seats in the aisle of the plane. They use this chair to strap the now alert older lady to the chair. Then they carry her down the steps, where a stretcher is waiting for her. After she is safely secured, her friends and their luggage join her as they head to the hospital. The entire delay took approximately 30 minutes. 

As the plane takes off, I remember a conversation yesterday morning when I was in La Paz having breakfast at the hostel. While there, I noticed two fellow travelers, both young women, struggling with their next move. "I don't know where to go. Cozumel or Puerta Vallarta. I want to swim, but I have an ear infection. So maybe I should go to PV." says the Canadian girl. Her friend sitting across from her is from the Netherlands. She replies, "I can go anywhere in the world. I can't decide where to go. But I need somewhere warmer." I laugh to myself. This sounds all too familiar. It is a common struggle that plagues people that travel for an extended period. I encountered it in France last summer.

I look at them both and say, "You already know where you want to go and what you want to experience. You just need to listen to your heart." They both look at me like I am speaking in tongues. Finally, the Canadian girl says, "It takes time to tune in. I don't have that kind of time. I need to decide now." I laugh. From what she is saying and how she is saying, I wonder if she is caught in the trap. We frequently believe we need to be DOING, instead of allowing space to BE with our feelings. This is the trap. "What are you headed," they ask. "Me. I'm returning to Colorado. My time here is ending, and I have matters to tend to before carrying on," I say.

As I am packing up, I think back to Tony Momberg and my time in Lander, Wyoming. Tony was a private landowner that was the invited speaker at the annual conference I attended in the early 2000s. Tony was doing some innovative conservation things with his ranch. Near the end of his talk, Tony says, "It amazes me how we choose to ignore the things we already know. For example, if I have a nail to pound, instead of grabbing a hammer, I see people hesitate and pontificate other tools. Why do we choose to do this to ourselves? Grab the damn hammer and solve your problem." That has always resonated with me. I am always amazed when people ignore or won't make time for themselves. Although, I know those two women will eventually find their way through Shrödinger's Cat, you can't be everywhere and at a specific place simultaneoulsy.

When I travel, my preference is always the aisle. I love to look out the windows but there is less room versus the aisle seat. Additionally, I like the freedom of an aisle seat, such as getting up whenever I want without bothering others. However, I seldom get to see sunsets like this from the aisle. The sunset is spectacular and it consumes the entire sky without shapes on the horizon to block it.

Mexico was fantastic, but alas, it is time to part ways. I know my time in Mexico is not over yet. Oaxaca is calling my name. But, for now, it is time to return and pound a few nails!