Solo Travel in Mexico - When being alone got dark

The majority of my Mexico travels have been absolutely amazing; but it’s not all sunshine and fairy tales… I've been through some pretty intense things in my life, but never has it felt this dark - being alone, with no community, can be very daunting.

My plan was to stay in La Paz. There's a marina there I could integrate with, and my idea was to get on the net and try to crew in the Sea of Cortez through the summer.

A few days after I arrived, I met up with one guy who was looking for someone fairly long term. It seemed fitting, since moving around at that point was becoming overwhelming. After meeting him, I decided it didn't feel like a safe choice.

Then came days in bed with massive anxiety, debilitating. Dissapointed about sailing, processing the whole car thing, still needing to finish the repair… Alone again. I was unsure where to go or what to do. I couldn't spend $100 a night on Airbnbs, and rent was very expensive too. What the hell am I doing here? I think I have to go home. So that became the plan - get the suspension and tires done and drive home.

Even that felt impossible. Putting my bags in the car felt impossible.

I found an amazing mechanic for my repairs. Super thorough, very kind, and he promised it would be done the same day. He showed me the damage and where he was ordering the parts, then worked until 9:00 p.m to keep his commitment - so thankful!

I was relieved. But my anxiety hadn't subsided. I couldn't eat, I was throwing up, and I couldn't think. Eff'ing terrible.

Three days before my Airbnb was up, I woke up and took Ruby for a walk. Something had shifted. I didn’t want to go home. I knew it wouldn't be what's best for me long term, and I decided I wasn't giving up.

I started searching for something on the Pacific side. Glamping-type housing. La Ventana. Todos Santos. Everything was super expensive. I checked Hostelworld and found barely anything, and the same deal on price.

I did find some reasonably priced apartments, but the parking wasn't secure. After everything that had happened with my car, I couldn't compromise on that.

One day before I had to be out, I looked at a few more places and came back feeling defeated. There's GOT to be something out there, I told myself, and I got back on my laptop. The first search brought up Baljalla. This is perfect! How was this not showing up the whole time?

I called them, and I could go the very next day. Relief. 🙌🏼