Having never heard of this place before or knowing anyone who’s been here, thanks to a simple Google search of ‘surf towns in Mexico’, I was able to discover my fifth residency in the nomad life and couldn’t be more impressed.
It’s funny when you pick a new destination because majority of your decision is made based off of what other people think. So needless to say, when I started reading up on Sayulita I was instantly sold and knew this was where I wanted to be. Every travel blog quoted surf, yoga, hippie vibes, and a chill Mexican culture that allows you to immerse yourself with the locals.
I’m obviously not the first person to discover this town, but I think as Americans when we decide to travel to Mexico, we tend to choose areas like Cancun, Playa Del Carmen, Cabo San Lucas, and now where everyone and their mother has been, Tulum.
But anyway, coming from Tamarindo Costa Rica where I truly felt at home and had to leave behind a community that felt like family, I was pumped to land in my new destination and experience the Mexican culture.
I arrived to Sayulita around midnight, so apart from stopping in the convenient store across the street to get some water, I still had no idea what the town looked like. One lovely surprise was discovering the king bed in my Air Bnb. Instantly brought things to a whole new level after having slept in a twin bed for the past three months with a mattress that felt equivalent to a concrete floor.
So when I woke up Sunday morning, what do you think the first thing I did was? If you know me this is an easy answer… COFFEE! First person I saw on the street I asked where the best café was, and he pointed me in the direction to Café El Espresso. As I walked through the streets for my first time, I was able to see what this place was all about. Vibrant colors, cobble stone streets, and a buzzing town. I was IN LOVE and my heart was literally smiling.
Typically when I arrive in a new destination I like to sort out four things: coffee, gym, surf, and Wi-Fi. So once I was done with my americano, which I have to say was BOMB, I found the local gym and got myself set up with a monthly membership. Then I hit up the surf shop to rent a board and soon discovered that Sayulita is long board heaven. Having just surfed in Santa Teresa where the waves were absolutely massive and I completely got my ass kicked, this was a nice calm change up. The last thing on the check list was to do a Wi-Fi test with my Dad. Knowing I have to rely on good internet speed for work, I always like to do a Zoom call with him to make sure he can see and hear me okay. And sure enough, the Zoom test worked PERFECT.
Now fast forward three weeks of living here, and I must say I’ve become quite fond of my daily routine. I wake up from a deep sleep in my king bed, hit the gym, go for a surf, get a fresh squeezed juice from the local stand where I can now order everything in Spanish, and catch the sunset each night. Not a shabby life I’ll tell ya! And it gets even better. My Mom comes to visit me this Friday! It’s been four months since I’ve seen my Mom, and as most of you know, my Mom is my all-time BFF. I can’t wait to take her to my favorite local spots, spend time with her on her birthday, do some shopping at the cute boutiques, and make new travel memories together.
More to come on my time with Mom, but for now I just need to make sure the driver I found from Facebook who speaks no English picks her up safely from the airport. When I translated his message to English, he said he’ll be in a green shirt and black pants with a sign that says ‘Kathleen’, which all sounds very promising to me! See you soon Mom!
