It cannot get any better than this. This is it… happiness.
My romance with Alex was fantastic when we were together and utterly awkward when not. I just don’t get women! Men say what they want, women imply it. And because I am terrible at picking up clues or reading between the lines, miscommunication ensues.
Texting is also not my thing. Why would you have entire conversations by text? Just call! Anyway, Alex and I texted, and more often than not I missed what she meant. In an attempt to make things easier, I told her to talk to me as if I was a 5 year-old: simple and direct. No sarcasm, no cynicism, no subtleties. Just basic Tarzan language. It worked when we talked, but texting was a game I refused to learn.
We talked about going on a week-end escapade, in a secluded beach two hours away. After another confused text message, I thought ”fuck it” and decided to go alone. I'd prepared the usual things for a good trip. Fresh food, beers, wood logs, a bottle of red wine, weed, my harmonica, condoms (always be prepared) and sports’ gear. At the last minute, she made up her mind and joined me. Sometimes being impatient pays off!
Alex had been travelling to Baja California for the past 6 years in her badass Jeep cabriolet. During her many trips, she had discovered the desert's most hidden treasures. She took me to a little piece of paradise north of La Ventana, Playa Tecolote.
We parked on the beach, staring straight at the majestic island of Espirito Santo. The water struck me. I had never seen so many shades of blue, from turquoise to light cyan, and clearer than crystal.
We were few people spread over a 2km-long beach. And the only thing we heard beside the wind was the sound of Mexican classic songs, far in the distance. We laid down a rug and cracked two ice cold beers. The world was ours.
Being with a smart, elegant and gorgeous woman makes my desire endless. Quickly after the first beer we went inside and made passionate love, with the doors open to the sea. I wasn’t used to that level of freedom and acted paranoid at first; my time in Morocco had left some scars. I focused on the moment and tried to relax, it was a lot to take in. Alex’s perfect curves, the view, the chemistry... I was overwhelmed by beauty.
We made love until we collapsed, knocked out by hormones more pleasant than any drug. I stepped down the bed, turned around and held my head with both hands, looking in awe at a picture I wish to never forget. Alex was sleeping on her belly, naked, her pear-shaped ass popping out, in the home that I built with my own hands. And beyond her was the sea, the island and the infinite sky.
Time froze and images started flashing in my head. All I had done had led me to this moment. The people that inspired me, the time with Ibra, the Home Depot shenanigans, the friends who helped, the sweat and tears, the fears conquered, Shitty Sugar, the resistance, the escape from the cold, everything. It all came together in a moment of pure contemplation.
I witnessed in silence the accomplishment of a dream. A feeling of pride overwhelmed all my senses and tears flowed to my eyes. I exhaled deeply, smiled and thought:
“I made it! If it was to end here, I would die a happy man”
They had been playing music all afternoon and had drained their battery. No judging, I made that mistake once. The difference though is that they knew the battery would die. So when I asked her husband what the fuck were they thinking? He said with a smile: “There is always a good person nearby!”
I jump-started their car. Ten minutes later, the gentleman came back to our spot with diner. Homemade tortillas, grilled beef, a fresh salad, lime, green salsa and even gas for the fire! We popped the bottle of wine and had the most delicious improvised dinner. The moon rose red, the stars shined on us and we spent the evening smoking by the fire, and putting the world to rights.
The next morning felt surreal. Waking up next to a beautiful woman and opening the doors to that magical view. We cooked breakfast; kite surfed and chilled on the beach. I could not have wished for a better experience. To this day, the week-end with Alex in Tecolote still represents all I had ever dreamed about the van life.
For the first time, I understood and felt part of the nomadic community. The eternal wanderlust, the free spirits. All those fools who give up everything to chase their dreams. This is why we do it.
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