Hello World!

My first post as a blogger. Mark the date: midnight, Saturday, April 11, 2009.

I’m writing from a funky little motel in Ajo, Arizona, where I am spending the night before crossing the border tomorrow morning on my first ever Mexican Road Trip. I am stoked beyond belief, as they say (or used to say, anyway, in my surfer-friendly hometown of Santa Cruz) to be making this trip. It was most definitely a Good Friday.

I am also very, very interested to blog out loud about the whole process of the trip for many reasons, not the least of which is wanting to be yet another voice telling the story of what is is REALLY like to be in Mexico right now. The BS spewed out by the US media 24/7 is insane and unconscionable and I want to be a voice - albeit a small, single voice - representing the other 90% of the reality of daily life in Mexico. We shall see how it goes together, eh? As always, you have my word that I will report to you the truth of what I see and experience.

As Julie Andrews used to say, let's start at the very beginning, a very good place to start...

I am on my way to Mexico. I am driving. I have never done this before and I am pretty much outta-my-skin excited about doing it now. So far it’s been great - dear friends in Santa Barbara, LA, La Jolla, and San Diego all treated me like a QUEEN and I loved every regal moment of it. Today I finally started to drive in earnest - from San Diego to Arizona - and I plan to do this from now on, as I move into areas where I don’t know people and will want to cover as many miles as possible each day during daylight hours.

My final destination is Guanajuato, where I am going to house-sit just across the street from my old haunt, the Casa de Espíritus Alegres B&B. My friend Faye is at the house now and I am eager to join her there there but also trying very hard to remember to Be Here Now and enjoy the journey, which so far has been absolutely stellar.

Number crunching: I left Santa Cruz at about 12 noon on Tuesday, April 7, and turned off the car at about 9pm tonight in Ajo, Arizona, I just worked the numbers and found that I am moving at a pace of approximately 12.5 miles an hour. Just my speed.

Tomorrow morning, thanks to a tip from friend, I will cross the border into Mexico at Lukesville/Sonoyta instead of my original plan of Nogales. This change in route is what put me in the town of Ajo tonight, which I think was a good move. The town is small and I think it may even be quaint in the light of day (I arrived after dark), my motel room cost $44, and I even have an old friend from Guanajuato who lives here now whom I hope to track down tomorrow. It’s all good and it’s all heading me in the right direction: forward.

Wow, my first post as a blogger. I feel a little exposed, and definitely