Today I sit in Los Barriles, Baja, Mexico. Exactly where I sat 1 year ago today. It is no new news that our compass appears not just broken but totally deranged, leading us back here and not south to Central America where we were sure you would find us about now. There have been a lot of memorable moments and lessons learned from these last 426 days on the road~ not the least of which is that life is uncertain.

Stories remain. Of our time in Guatemala and, of course, the long trip northward. Those are coming. But first we went back, back through our beloved mainland Mexico, intent on getting to Baja to surprise Ken & Wendy when they hit La Ventana for their annual vacation. Surprise them we did, along with many of our followers who were waiting for stories of Central America. We had deliberately kept our location quiet from most, the downside of a life lived on line being that everyone is aware of your location at all times.

In spite of our compass most recently pointing north, the lessons of the road remain steady and sure. Even as we relish the ever changing scenery viewed from our tiny house on wheels, in the end it is just as likely to be the people we remember most.

On our trip north we ended up in some familiar places. We reconnected with those we had met on the way south in San Cristobal and San Miguel. We finally met a couple from Oregon we have been cyber stalking for over 1 1/2 years in the unexpected locale of old town Mazatlan. And last week we spent a most enjoyable hour chatting with Don & Donna, a super active and inspirational kayaking couple we first met in Vizcaino nearly 13 months ago.

We joyfully experienced some new scenes, continuing to relish in the colonial hill towns of central Mexico and especially coming to love Zacatecas, in spite of nearly freezing temperatures at 8000ft.

This next month is about work. We came back to Los Barriles for several reasons to be revealed soon enough, but mostly because this little town on the beach won our hearts last year and we knew it would be a perfect spot to focus on getting a few projects dealt with in a comfortable setting.

We are in no way giving up on the dream of driving to Patagonia. Although several factors weigh in on changes to our latest plans, we will get there. The main lesson learned is that the road is not a straight line. And while plans are wonderful, the ability to flow with the circumstances and adjust to a new reality is what makes this life so meaningful.

And so, for now we slip into a familiar routine. Morning coconut chasing on the beach with Aspen, breakfast, yoga, work. A long lunch overlooking the sea. More work. More beach walks. Happy hour in the rocking chairs along the shoreline, dinner, perhaps a movie in the park. We already have plans for happy hour with Jan & Judy, two lovely ladies from Oregon we met last year. Jim will, once again, be fishing with Bill next door and his pup Ryder, and Bill & Linda, our latest back door neighbors have a dinner planned. It is comfortable here. A routine, and yet different than our life in the past.

We love this nomadic life. Madly. Widely. Deeply. Although our location puts us nowhere near where we thought we would be, in the end our goal was not just to drive the Pan American highway. The goal was, and still is, to become location independent. To be where we want, when we want rather than live a life where so many of our hours are determined by someone else.

Stay tuned. Not only for more stories to come from this life lived on the road, but also for still more changes coming up. But now, happy hour and those rocking chairs are calling.