Fiesta de Trace! 9 Años!

Mom, Alex y Trace Last Day of School Day 2016

'Tis The Season - Adios Sayulita! This Time For Good?

It's that time of year.  Time for "goodbyes". Sayulita has been emptying out for the last couple months ahead of the heat, humidity and rain.  One asks the standard questions about what are they doing for the summer, whether or not they are headed out to avoid the heat or attempt to take advantage of the short school break.  Very often it is time to say goodbye for good.  Early summer marks the end of "Adventures" for many people who come to Sayulita.  Sometimes it is because it is time to adventure somewhere else, sometimes the departure date was always part of the plan, sometimes Sayulita just wasn't a good fit.  People leave and don't return.  This town has a short memory.  It has to.  People who you said "adios" to last week will be total strangers to someone who will come in to begin their own Adventure or new lives here in just a few months.

I've always lived in a place with that sort of life.  Starting in college, then a small Vermont resort town then Park City for close to two decades.  People come, people go.  That is just the way it was.  It might be dependent on the school year or seasons but the changing of faces was the constant.  Sayulita is no different.  I tend to notice and engage the people who are "here" more than those just passing through.  Those people who are more real to me.  Those who are making a difference, settling down, starting businesses, building homes, having children, building community.  Those who may see our family as similar to themselves in those respects.  Each year you can always pick out the fakers.  Those who say they are staying for the long haul, how they will "save Sayulita" or who try to be the "funnest"or "coolest" but who will always be burned out by spring break and be quickly forgotten.  The ones who try to reinvent themselves and be something they are not or can't live up to.  They always move on.  Though it isn't fair to those coming to Sayulita who are good people, I don't always have the emotional energy to build quality relationships and see those people off each year at this time.  I know it is a crappy attitude but it can be exhausting year after year.  If it happens, it happens.  If it doesn't then that is ok too.

It goes both ways sometimes.  I have been introduced to people who have recently arrived but have immediately not made their "social cut" just because of a group I may or may not be associated with.   They just don't have the time in their short adventure to venture outside a particular group they hope to be part of.  Kind of like speed dating I would guess.  That's ok.  I figure they will be gone soon anyway.  I remember being looked at that way when we first arrived too.  People thinking to themselves, "Short timer.  They'll be gone by the time it rains again."

In the last 5 years, I've seen some great people come and go in this town getting choked up to see many of them pack up and head out.  I am also happy to say that I have seen several great people/families stay, build businesses, homes and know that they will likely be around for the long term.  Creating some good community foundations and relationships for the future.  Everyone has their own way to try and make it work if they think this is for them.  Encouraging for sure.

This year has been different in a way too.  Yes, I've seen a lot of one or two year folks pick up and go but I've seen many of the people who were here before us pick up and go too.  People who I always considered "part" of this town.  No, not "best friends" but town is not necessarily better for them leaving either.  Life is like that though.  Opportunities elsewhere, change of plans, plans not working out etc.  Crazy to think that I counted about 20 people I know heading out this year for good.

Living in what some consider "Paradise" is not all that it is cracked up to be sometimes.  The "Paradise Paradox" as this article calls it.  It may be an article referring to ski towns but it could apply to places like Sayulita too.  To be here or anywhere like this long term you have to have a plan, thick skin, be able to roll with relationships coming and going, lots of failures and hopefully have some sort of support system(though not necessarily financial).  If not you can really get down on things and may be considering heading down the road earlier than you thought.  We are fortunate.  Ashely and I are accustomed to this sort of lifestyle and can roll with it easier than some.  The kid's social friends are stable and they hardly even notice the things that we do but understand the comings and goings all the same.

So, as we wrap up the school year we will sadly say "Adios" to more friends but in another few months there will be another influx of folks arriving and the return of those who are just away for the summer.  One constant for sure, Sayulita does attract some really good people.  As soon as you get down that friends have left, new people arrive.  Like I said, "Sayulita has a short memory".  It can attract some really freaky people too but that is what makes Sayulita continually interesting as well right?  "Keep Sayulita Strange" as they say.