What it Means to be a Freegan/ Sea to Camp-plate
So many people have asked me (and my parents) over the past six years of traveling, "How does Caleb afford to stay on the road so much?"
The answer is simple – I am very deliberate about the money I spend and where I spend it.
There were often Friday nights over the last year where Dani and I would choose to walk down to the Truckee River with a six-pack rather than meet our friends at a bar – just to save a little cash.
While working at a warehouse I was sure to always pack a lunch instead of piling into one of my coworkers' cars to spend money at Taco Bell.
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These small, but deliberate choices add up in the end and are what ultimately allow me to travel six months of the year.
And now, living near the ocean, new possibilities for saving money have opened up. Plus the ability to gain new knowledge and experiences. My current place of residence is a beautiful house only a short walk from the Pacific, and I have been gifted an opportunity to save money and hopefully provide a few tasty meals.
As we casually started packing up our campsite and counting the new bug bites that riddled our skin, Thibaud made his way over to the pick-up so we could gather around iOverlander to search for our next camp spot on one of our phones. We chose a half-promising campsite on the other side of the Peninsula that would only take a couple of hours of driving to get to. I was down with the plan, but I quickly realized that we would not be able to experience the calm, warm waters of the Gulf of California. So naturally, I suggested we stop at a small "bahía" that I had scouted out on Google Earth the night before. Everyone was down.
The answer is simple – I am very deliberate about the money I spend and where I spend it.
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| Some mussels Dani and I foraged for dinner while in Northern Mexico |
There were often Friday nights over the last year where Dani and I would choose to walk down to the Truckee River with a six-pack rather than meet our friends at a bar – just to save a little cash.
While working at a warehouse I was sure to always pack a lunch instead of piling into one of my coworkers' cars to spend money at Taco Bell.
–––––––
These small, but deliberate choices add up in the end and are what ultimately allow me to travel six months of the year.
And now, living near the ocean, new possibilities for saving money have opened up. Plus the ability to gain new knowledge and experiences. My current place of residence is a beautiful house only a short walk from the Pacific, and I have been gifted an opportunity to save money and hopefully provide a few tasty meals.
 |
| The day my speargun "La Cocinita" arrived in the mail - PUMPED |
October 22
We were all starting to really understand our group traveling dynamic and that morning started like many others.As we casually started packing up our campsite and counting the new bug bites that riddled our skin, Thibaud made his way over to the pick-up so we could gather around iOverlander to search for our next camp spot on one of our phones. We chose a half-promising campsite on the other side of the Peninsula that would only take a couple of hours of driving to get to. I was down with the plan, but I quickly realized that we would not be able to experience the calm, warm waters of the Gulf of California. So naturally, I suggested we stop at a small "bahía" that I had scouted out on Google Earth the night before. Everyone was down.
Whenever I took the lead we seemed to get to places a little faster than when following our French counterpart. (The lord blessed me with a lead foot.)
The little Toyota rumbled down the road avoiding the pot-holes and "topes" that litter Mexican highways. Before long we were pulling into a small fishing village and street signs faded to extinction. We stopped occasionally to look at some Google Earth screenshots to keep us on course.
*I need to interject here to say that taking an alternative route or a back road is nothing like in the states.
There were maybe six different spots on the three mile drive where I was certain that we were going to break my little Toyota. I'm not sure why, but things just always seem to work out. We pulled up to a beautiful secluded rock beach with reasonably good visibility.
After throwing up some beach umbrellas, we all raced towards the water to see what secrets were waiting under the surface. I stretched the band back on my spear gun and started cruising the blue waters. The sea life in this area was abundant and we all were in amazement.
NOTE: There is something about the ocean that scares the hell out of me. Throughout my travels in Canada and Alaska I found my self face-to-face with huge grizzlies; one night in Australia I even found myself surrounded by a pack of overly curious dingos (stories for another time).
Even in those those sketchy situations I was able to keep a level head and handle the situation, but there is something different about the ocean. It is so much harder for me to keep my cool while under the water. I'm not quite sure what it is – whether it's the alien and unfamiliar landscape or possibly the fact that while in the water I am 100% out of my element. I guess that is a reason to pursue spearfishing and surfing – lets get uncomfortable, bby! Haha I'm such a weenie...
–––––––
It didn't take long for me to catch a reasonably sized "cabrilla" and swim it to shore. I was able to shoot the fish in about 5-6 meters of water (that's not too deep, but hey I'm still a rookie.)
Another fun fact about my dear friend Thibaud is that this fine fellow loves to cook. In fact, Thibaud is an aspiring chef and hopes to be opening a French-Mexican fusion restaurant in Puerto Vallarta within the next couple of years! So if you ever find yourself in that tourist trap of an area, be sure to look him up!
Anyway, traveling with an aspiring chef is a magical experience for any dirtbag traveller such as my self. Less than an hour in the water fishing, a few minutes of gutting, and next thing I knew I found myself sitting in a camping chair watching the most delicious and fresh, sea-to-plate fish tacos come to life. BOOM. Dirtbag heaven.
These are the moments that make all the hard work and saving worthwhile. Although it may sound cliché, Drake got it right in "The Motto" – you only live once. How each day is spent is how we all will remember our lives; not by the money that we spent during those days. Eight hour days in the office or eight hour days on the beach.
The little Toyota rumbled down the road avoiding the pot-holes and "topes" that litter Mexican highways. Before long we were pulling into a small fishing village and street signs faded to extinction. We stopped occasionally to look at some Google Earth screenshots to keep us on course.
*I need to interject here to say that taking an alternative route or a back road is nothing like in the states.
There were maybe six different spots on the three mile drive where I was certain that we were going to break my little Toyota. I'm not sure why, but things just always seem to work out. We pulled up to a beautiful secluded rock beach with reasonably good visibility.
After throwing up some beach umbrellas, we all raced towards the water to see what secrets were waiting under the surface. I stretched the band back on my spear gun and started cruising the blue waters. The sea life in this area was abundant and we all were in amazement.
 |
| GoPros are cool |
Even in those those sketchy situations I was able to keep a level head and handle the situation, but there is something different about the ocean. It is so much harder for me to keep my cool while under the water. I'm not quite sure what it is – whether it's the alien and unfamiliar landscape or possibly the fact that while in the water I am 100% out of my element. I guess that is a reason to pursue spearfishing and surfing – lets get uncomfortable, bby! Haha I'm such a weenie...
–––––––
It didn't take long for me to catch a reasonably sized "cabrilla" and swim it to shore. I was able to shoot the fish in about 5-6 meters of water (that's not too deep, but hey I'm still a rookie.)
Another fun fact about my dear friend Thibaud is that this fine fellow loves to cook. In fact, Thibaud is an aspiring chef and hopes to be opening a French-Mexican fusion restaurant in Puerto Vallarta within the next couple of years! So if you ever find yourself in that tourist trap of an area, be sure to look him up!
Anyway, traveling with an aspiring chef is a magical experience for any dirtbag traveller such as my self. Less than an hour in the water fishing, a few minutes of gutting, and next thing I knew I found myself sitting in a camping chair watching the most delicious and fresh, sea-to-plate fish tacos come to life. BOOM. Dirtbag heaven.
 |
| The Fish, The Dirtbag, and The Frenchy |
These are the moments that make all the hard work and saving worthwhile. Although it may sound cliché, Drake got it right in "The Motto" – you only live once. How each day is spent is how we all will remember our lives; not by the money that we spent during those days. Eight hour days in the office or eight hour days on the beach.
Haha the rest of that day was as "tranquilo" as they come. We ate some more "mariscos" for dinner that night and offered a local security guard $5 bucks to allow us to camp in an oceanside parking lot under his watch. The sunset was really nice that evening. I don't see myself getting tired of watching the sun fall behind the Pacific anytime soon.
Hasta la próxima ves!
Hasta la próxima ves!
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