The adventure I didn’t know I was looking for
I finally had a gap in the steady stream of visitors, and honestly, I was bored. So I did what any single restless expat might do: I downloaded a dating app. My thinking was simple. Meet some people in the area. Sure, many would be tourists, but it was something to do.
As anyone who’s been on these apps knows, it can quickly turn into mindless swiping… One night I couldn’t sleep, and I noticed I had a new match. As I double checked his profile before responding, it dawned on me: this person looks so familiar… And then it clicked. He was from the same town as me. I grew up with his brother. He was down in Mexico sailing, so we decided to go for a sail. One day turned into two separate week long trips.
Those weeks on the water introduced me to an amazing way of living I’d never even thought of.
At the same time, I was realizing something else: Puerto Vallarta wasn’t really my jam. It’s busy, the traffic is terrible, and I was constantly in the car trying to get to better beaches. I was undecided about where to move next, and I felt myself being drawn toward a different reality. Maybe I didn’t want to be in one place at all. I want to see the world, and there is no better way to do that than by boat.
A few days after we got off the boat, I called my friend and asked for input. What did I need to do next? How do I get on other people’s boats to hitch a ride? What training do I need? We talked it through, and I was set on making this my next adventure.
My family, of course, now definitely thought I was crazy.
First, I had to return to Canada to deal with a few things, including finding a way to earn an income remotely. He was hauling his boat out and flying home, where he also had a sailboat. So we decided to do some sail lessons over the summer to build up my experience for when I returned to Mexico to crew.
