A JOURNEY THROUGH HIGHS, LOWS, AND LETTING GO
Empower Your Living
January 1, 2026 · 9 min read
January 1, 2026 · 9 min read
November 22: I am embarking on my fourth leg of “The Journey”, although my Winnipeg friend calls it “The Pilgrimage”. I like that😍.
After almost two years of absence, I am finally returning to Mexico. I am excited and can hardly await being in one of my spiritual places again, in Baja California Sur (BCS). I’m mainly returning for the scuba diving and—hopefully—to finally snorkel with the whale sharks, the largest fish alive today, off the peninsula El Mogote in La Paz. This will be my third attempt, after heavy winds and harbor closures on my two previous trips. Will I finally be lucky enough to snorkel with these incredible creatures?
Originally, I had only planned to come for ten days, kind of a vacation within the long trip. But as I shortened my time in the USA, I decided to extend my stay in BCS and add a second visit to Loreto on the Sea of Cortez. The scenery there is absolutely breathtaking. The contrast between the rugged mountains and islands in the Bay of Loreto and the deep blue waters of the sea is simply stunning.
Loreto being another scuba diving location, I plan to spend three days underwater and book my dives with Blue Nation Baja, with whom I dived on my last trip.
Killing Time with Work—Or So I Thought
Already on my arrival day in Mexico, I get an email saying that Monday’s dive is cancelled due to heavy winds. This seems to be a very common thing here—something I wasn’t aware of. Would it have mattered in my travel planning? Maybe not. One is always smarter afterward.
My plan then is to go to a nearby beach and have a chilled day by the water. Just as I’m doing my research, I get a message from my Airbnb host saying there will be a farmers’ strike with roadblocks. I’ve experienced this before on a previous trip to Yucatán. These farmers are not kidding (my bus trip got cancelled and I had to take an expensive taxi to make it to my next destination 😳). So, no exploring the surroundings 😩.
It feels like this trip is ill-fated (I also had a long flight delay getting to BCS), but I stay positive—it will turn around.
So I take my laptop and sit in the garden of the housing complex. It looks as if my WiFi connection from the flat is working. Hurray. Unfortunately, my joy is short-lived. I move right outside my flat, hoping my laptop will pick up the signal again. No such luck. I don’t even get a connection on my cellphone anymore when I’m inside the flat.
Not even my paid eSIM is working 😳. Absolutely no connection whatsoever. It takes me almost three hours with customer service to be told that the plan they sold me doesn’t have coverage in Loreto 🤬. By now, my nerves are on edge.
And trust me, I’m not someone who needs to be online all the time. But now that the universe has given me a day off from activities, I want to make the most of it—catch up on my blog and do some travel planning. And for that, I need a functioning internet connection.
Long Wait to Get My Head Under Water
Also Tuesday and Wednesday get cancelled and I decide to book a hiking tour for Wednesday. Usually, I don’t do guided tours, but this one is rated difficult and I don’t want to get lost in the mountainous desert. I am excited to get out and have some company after three days of being stuck with my own thoughts.
One hour after the booking I get an email from the tour operator saying that there aren’t enough people for the tour. Darn! I get this answer a bit too often—one of the crappy parts of solo traveling (besides mostly paying for two when booking accommodations). Even though I understand it, it’s still extremely frustrating. A feeling of not being enough as a single person surfaces. I know it’s irrational, but I can’t help it.
Then finally, the go-ahead for exploring Loreto’s underwater world. Two jam packed dive days lie ahead. Even though I’m super excited, I’m also aware that seven dives in two days is a lot. But hey—I came here for diving, so diving it will be.
Unfortunately, visibility is mediocre at best. For obvious reasons: three days of heavy winds have stirred up the sediments in the ocean. But having my head underwater again more than makes up for not seeing much.
I find myself with great buoyancy, which is key for lower air consumption. I’m very proud of how my skills have evolved since I started scuba diving four years ago.
The last dive of day one is the shortest and darkest—it’s almost night by the time we back-roll overboard—but it’s also the most fun. We’re joined by about 20 sea lions on their evening swim, all in a very playful mood. They seem to enjoy our company as much as we enjoy theirs.
A Heartbreaking Reunion
After a rather challenging week, two days of driving are now on the agenda. I love driving, but my back hurts so much that sitting for long periods of time is absolutely counterproductive. Still, there’s no changing it—I’ll just have to bite the bullet. Luckily, I have an overnight stop in La Paz to get some rest.
The next destination is Cabo Pulmo—one of my heart places. I am so looking forward to being back. This is my third visit, and once again I am staying at the lovely El Encanto de Cabo Pulmo, an eclectic Mexican house with three units. This time, I am in the Casita Suite.
Unfortunately, it seems that people have discovered this magical place and are now coming in hordes. Custom-made scuba dive packages sold by European travel agencies promise ten days in Baja California Sur to see everything underwater.
The trouble with this kind of tourism is that it doesn’t just bring more people—it takes away the magic. Even though the village looks more or less the same as it did in January 2024, I deeply feel a shift in energy. Sadly, I also notice a significant decline in service at the local restaurants.
To be honest, it’s painful to witness that money has now become the dominant currency here, too.
These pictures were taken on my previous two trips.
My Nervous System Crashes
The events of the last week and the overstimulation of the entire trip are finally catching up with me. My body is drained, sleep no longer recharges my batteries, and my brain is in complete disarray. My nervous system has gone past its limits. I crash.
I’m nauseous and short of breath—there’s no way I can go diving in this condition. In the middle of the night, I cancel the next day’s dives via WhatsApp, explaining my state to the dive center. I’m heartbroken but know it’s the right decision. No response at all. Maybe they think I’m faking it.
The next morning, I can barely get out of bed. Everything takes an enormous amount of effort. My brain is in shut-down mode. Deep inside, I know that lying around will only make things worse. Feeling gloomy and sorry for myself is tempting—very tempting. But I don’t give in.
One step at a time, I make it through the day.
Finally, The Waters Are Calling
After four days of a fogged-up head and basically sitting on my private patio watching the birds, I finally feel strong enough to go diving again. Deep down, I know that getting my head underwater is the best medicine for recovery.
As I arrive at the dive center, I see my dive guide, Manuel, with whom I’ve done most of my dives in Cabo Pulmo. It’s a wonderful reunion and instantly lifts my spirits.
The dives are okay—again, visibility isn’t glorious. We see a few bull sharks, though they’re hard to catch on camera since the water is almost the same color as their bodies. Because we’re diving in a National Marine Park where fishing is prohibited, the diversity of fish is immense. Huge schools, gigantic species—it feels incredibly good to be among sea creatures again.
A Very Unpleasant Interaction
Back at the dive center, I confirm two more days of diving and feel excited to make up for some of the missed dives—and to spend more quality time with Miguel. Unfortunately, the day takes a sudden turn for the worse.
Out of the blue, a timid girl from the dive center approaches me and tells me I won’t be able to dive for the remaining two days. The owner sent her to do “the dirty job.” At first, I’m completely flabbergasted and wonder if I’ve misunderstood her.
It turns out the owner didn’t like the feedback I gave him and decided he no longer wants to serve me 😳. Initially, I hope we can have a respectful conversation between two adults to clear up what feels like an obvious misunderstanding. I’m wrong.
I grab my dive equipment and load it into my car.
I briefly try to book with another company, but then realize I’m done. Sometimes, disappointment is too devastating to fix anything. It’s better to keep the happy memories. In that moment, I realize how much my heart hurts—it feels like losing a very dear friend.
Whale Sharks or No Whale Sharks?
Final stop: La Paz. Two nights.
As I reflect on my time in BCS—a place that was once so dear to my heart—I realize this is most likely my last visit. One reason is that I’ve seen all there is to see over four trips. Another is the energetic shift I’ve felt throughout this journey, a clear sign for me to move on to new places.
Maybe you’ve already guessed it: the whale shark snorkeling trip is cancelled too. Again, due to heavy winds and a closed harbor. Three attempts with no success send a clear message—it wasn’t meant to be.
As I say goodbye to a long-cherished dream of swimming with these graceful animals, I also know this: there are other places on this planet where I will meet whale sharks 🤩.
The Bottom Line
I’ll be honest: when I embarked on this leg of the journey, I was filled with joy. Joy that, after almost two years of absence, I could finally be back in Mexico. By the end of my stay, disappointment had taken over—but I learned a lot about myself. Above all, I learned that moments of discomfort hold immense potential for growth.
When everything runs smoothly, we start believing that it should always be that way. But life—or the universe—keeps throwing obstacles in our path so we’re forced to question ourselves and our behavior. The detours we take open up new encounters and experiences, giving us the choice to take a different path.
That’s exactly what I did 💜
LET’S STAY CONNECTED
Email: barbara@empoweryourliving.com
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