Exit Strategy
The trip from Austin, Texas, to Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico, had been a long time in the planning. With impeccable clarity destiny was revealing itself rapidly. The concept had become undeniably obvious; the project in Austin, Texas, was dissolving. With military precision the exit strategy that began in March became undoubtedly the most significant part of a successful transition. A tentative calendar was established by August and included travel to Winter Solstice Festival in San Marcos la Laguna at Lake Atitlán, Guatemala. The original plan was to return to Austin, Texas, USA, and continue with the Amansala Retreat project. However, the shadow cast by key roles had skewed distantly from the initial vision. August came and went, and by the middle of September 2022 the journey had been laid out. We were now working with finite details.
Continuing preparation involved verifying travel itineraries, lodging and work projects. Travel passes from Austin, Texas, USA were purchased, hostels and home rentals were confirmed, and flights were scheduled and airfare paid.
CLOSING THE DOOR
The final closing of the door to the RV took place on December 12, 2022, at approximately 10:25PM CST. The plan had completed exactly as expected after months of analysis which included estimating precisely the avenue particular involved participants would take.
OPENING ANOTHER DOOR
Diane (Monterrey, Mexico) was more than receptive upon our arrival to Monterrey. The apartment we rented was quite humble although very accommodating. It has everything as described in the listing, and everything we needed. The apartment was across the street from the university and only a few blocks away from the plaza where we also found everything we needed or wanted including a phone SIM and coffee shop.
THE FREEDOM JOURNEY
We stayed at the apartment in Monterrey for two nights. One day was spent traveling to Monterrey, so that day cannot be included in time spent in Monterrey, nor can the third day as we had to be at the airport before 6:00AM. That provided one day to explore Monterrey, which I can definitively say was at least 5 days too short. Another five days could have been a starting point to experience the culture. The next time a visit to Monterrey is scheduled it will include at least five days to explore the city and culture.
The afternoon before having to leave Jos flagged a taxi and scheduled a ride to the airport at 5:00AM – which I thought would be less than probable. However, the driver provided his direct contact number and promised he would be at the apartment at 5:00AM the following morning. As I set my alarm for 4:00AM, I had questioned that had this driver not arrived how we would get to the airport within the required schedule. When the schedule time rolled around my phone rang. It was the driver with whom we scheduled the previous afternoon. This brought me an entirely new perspective to my perception.
CATCH THE FLIGHT
The trip to the airport was quick and uneventful. Jos and I arrived within the window time and we each went to our respective boarding areas. For me the flight to San Jose del Cabo was now less than two hours away. I would soon meet another travel partner and continue the journey.
