July 9, 2021
Leaving again?
Just home from Chicago two days, we left for a short vacation in Puerto Peñasco, Mexico, on the Sea of Cortez. It is definitely one of my favorite places, and easily my favorite beach.
Rumors of COVID-19 were spreading when we were there in March 2020. We had joined our daughter and her two boys and a neighbor couple with three children and his mother. Mike and I had considered extending our stay at that time, but the cool, windy weather dissuaded us.
On the highway back to the States, we received a call from friends warning us that the border would be closing. We hunkered down at home the rest of the year.
It was fitting that we returned to Mexico in 2021 with the same group of people, celebrating our survival of the pandemic.
The good, the bad, and the . . .
Mike and I have been away from home more than 10 weeks this year. It has been a study in contrasts.
When Arizona was offering its perfect spring weather, we were awaiting our granddaughter in the cold, gray, wetness of Chicago. When we returned to that city a short time later, we enjoyed Chicago’s perfect spring and avoided the record-breaking heat of Arizona’s early summer.
We put 6000 miles on the car in addition to air flight miles. We ate and slept poorly and well, mourned the deceased, and celebrated life with friends and family. Rarely alone, I looked forward to some isolation.
Exhausted
No longer do I return from a trip ready to unpack, refresh the laundry, and be prepared to go the next day. It takes days to re-acclimate. Having only two days, I trudged through the steps to prepare for the trip south.
I can’t emphasize enough how much we love Rocky Point. But it was late June, meaning hot and humid. The house, situated perfectly on the beach, was cramped for 11 people ranging in ages from 2 to 70. And it seemed there were at least 12 different dietary needs. Mowgli wanted to live in the water, but the older teens remained on the couch glued to their phones.
On the last day, God spoke: there was a snake on the beach.
If you know me, you know I can never return. In addition, driving home, Mike got pulled over for speeding. If you know that part of Mexico, you know a speeding stop is inevitable but frustrating.
The relief of dry heat was obvious as we proceeded north, stopping at the McDonald’s in Gila Bend. I indulged in chicken nuggets to celebrate.
It’s a dry heat
Arriving home, I unpacked and collapsed into the recliner. It took a few days to complete the laundry. And more days to get my body to feel . . . well. The stress of travel leaves me with exhaustion, chills, agitation, poor appetite, and poor other bodily functions.
It is good to be home.