ON MY WAY!

Being homeless has it's challenges. For one, you live out of a backpack...or in my case, three. Second, you're never really sure where you're gonna lay your head at night. Luckily for me, I've got great friends and family that let me crash when I need to. I'd like to send BIG THANKS out to Amy and Laura for letting me crash on their couches and to my parents for giving me a room of my own. Thanks goes out to my brother for dropping me at the border in order for me to get this third leg underway. I'M ON MY WAY!...

...Or so I thought. We drive down to the border at the Otay crossing and I'm thinking, "No worries. It'll be a snap to cross the border and then I'll just get in a taxi and head straight to the airport". Well, you'd think it'd be easy. I mean, I know pretty much where to go if I was to cross where the I-5 ends, but it turns out the Otay crossing was a completely different story.

My brother and I turn off at the last US exit where we quickly realize we have NO idea where to go. So we drive around a bit, heading towards what looks like a pedestrian crossing...only for it to turn out to be some sort of industrial truck storage or something. So, I say, we gotta go ask someone. (How did I not do my homework and look up the street I need to be on?!)

We quickly find ourselves at the AM/PM gas station. I head into the mini-mart and as I'm waiting in line to ask the clerk for directions (she's taking FOREVER btw!)...I turn to the guy behind me in line and ask him if he knows where I can cross. He very kindly explains how to get there (twice). I thank him and head out of the mini-mart and hop back in the truck. GREAT! NOW, I'M ON MY WAY!

We start backing out of our parking space and my friendly directions guy comes out of the mini-mart waving me down. He says he's crossing the border and if I want he can drop me at the airport. I take a milli-second and think, "Hmmm...he could be an axe-murderer", but I turn to my brother and ask him what he thinks, and he says, "Go for it". Bob, my directions guy, explains he's going that way anyway and it's really no trouble. So...I accept the offer and soon my stuff is in the back of Bob's pickup. I waved goodbye to my brother one last time while pointing to the back license plate meaning for him to memorize the number....Come on people! (and Bob, please don't take offense) I'm a traveler, I never said I was stupid! LOOKS LIKE I'M ON MY WAY!

Por Supuesto! Turns out Bob is a really great, sweet guy who saw an opportunity to do something nice for someone else. I was prime to accept his kindness...and starting off my trip trusting someone I just met...I can't think of a better way to have begun the third leg of my year of travel. Thanks Bob for your kindness, generosity, and your trust!

By the way...turns out Bob referees soccer down at Ocean Beach for the Peninsula Womens Soccer League (PWSL) in which I played. We both thought the other looked familiar after we talked for a bit. Small World, huh?!

AND NOW......I'M ON MY WAY!!!
Outside the door of the Tijuana International Airport.
These gals actually use the megaphones to hunt down missing passengers or announce flights taking off. I think it's rather smart.
El Zocalo en Mexico (D.F.)
Me in the Zocalo.
I must be in Latin America...I'm on a bus! This was I think the first time a trovador (guitarist/singer) came onto the bus to play for tips. He was good too!
Piramide del Sol! Back in Teotihuacan 8 years after the first time!
At the top of piramide del sol looking out at piramide de la luna. (which they no longer let you climb all the way to the top)
Abuelita y mamasita who cooked my lunch today. They even let me try a fresh tortilla with some home made mole prior to my meal.
I'm a GIANT next to these women!!
Upon our return from Teotihuacan, there was a celebration of something going on in the zocalo. Something about Day of the Mules and Corpus Cristi...All I know is all the kids were dressed up in indigenous outfits and that has something to do with it. How sweet are these kids?!?!

La Catedral en el Zocalo.

More from Mexico to come!!! Stay tuned!