Sixteen days ago I rushed through the last day at work to close the  months business before  leaving. The Final packing started at  10 PM and went on until well after midnight, and I had to leave by 4:30 AM to get to our starting point in Hollywood Hills. All of the basics were covered, and everything needed to get the well used Range Rover and well used owner through two weeks of off-roading was accounted for. Water, gas cans, tent, sleeping bag, spares, tools, emergency food, extra flashlights, tarps, etc. all found their way  into the three  storage bins, securely strapped in the back of the Rover. Although almost every material item was used during the trip, there were a few pieces of extra baggage that should have been left behind. If you go, here are a few important things to forget.

First, leave behind any item that you have to worry about damaging or losing because you can be guaranteed that dust, dirt, and rocks will be everywhere after the first day, and in the constant  100+  degree heat you will drop and misplace things on a regular basis. Whether your favorite hat, or camera, or vehicle; if you bring it make sure that you don’t spend your time worrying about it instead of enjoying Baja.

Second, leave your entire concept of how to live life behind and learn to appreciate Baja and the people on their own terms. Although it’s only minutes from downtown San Diego, the whole  concept of life in Baja is very different from what we have learned in the US and Europe. Miles and miles of rugged barren land has a very special beauty, entirely different from lush green forests of the  Rockies or Alps. Up on a cliff the solitary cactus struggles to grow between the smallest crack in the rock, its single blossom reminding you that even in the barren land there is a determination to create and perpetuate life. Tiny restaurants that you would never consider eating in at home are the best in town, and serve absolutely wonderful food, whether basic tacos and burritos, or platters heaped with varieties of local fresh fish caught just that afternoon. Baja is close, but it’s a world away.

Third, and most important, leave your problems and sense of urgencies at home.  Two nights in a row I woke up having nightmares about what was going on at the office, and for the first three days I had an unexplained desire to rush through whatever I was doing. In a more traditional holiday trip the constant flurry  of activities and travel schedules will mask pent-up frustrations and anxiety that are meant to be forgotten. But in Baja, the solitude, open landscape, and slower pace leaves this extra unwanted baggage fully exposed, just as the barren landscape reveals the beauty of that single flowering cactus.