I grew up in rural Minnesota and spent the last decade traveling the world. Sometimes I would find odd jobs abroad, and other times i would run out of money, return home, save money for a few months and then hit the road again. Sometimes I would convince my friends to come and I would plan out the entire trip for everyone.

Five continents and 47 countries later I have found some amazing place and Oaxaca is my favorite. Partially because it has so much to offer and partially because of my own experiences my first time there.

My Oaxaca story starts in early 2018 when I was traveling in Mexico and somewhere between Tulum and Mexico City my wallet and phone were stolen. I had no way to access my money or contact anyone so with my final pesos of emergency money, I took a bus from Mexico City to Oaxaca City. From Oaxaca I hitchhiked in the general direction of the coast(no phone means no maps) My thinking was at least I could bathe myself in the Ocean and sleep on the beach. I was already a fan of hitchhiking but had never had to do it out of necessity. I was blown away by the kindness and generosity of the Mexican people. Often times I would be picked up by the first car that passed and most people would offer me food or a beer. One family picked me up even though they didn’t have space in their car. After I recounted to them my experiences they offered me a place to sleep in their home, food to eat and a job at the slaughterhouse they owned. I was tempted to be taken care of but ultimately decided a slaughterhouse in the Mexican heat would be too much for me. My journey took me through the picturesque mountains of San Jose del Pacifico before I spent my first night on the beach in Zipolite. The next day I hitched up the coast to Puerto Escondido. There I sat on the beach until I eventually found a job at a beach cafe which offered accommodation, meals and about $1/hr pay. I spent several weeks in Puerto saving money and doing odd jobs until I had enough money to get back to Fort Lauderdale where I had a flight booked months in advance to take me to Barcelona and I could stop at the bank. On my way out of town I was saying my goodbyes and I couldn’t help but feel eternally grateful for this experience where I arrived with absolutely nothing and left with some of my fondest travel memories.

I returned several times to Oaxaca since then staying for a few weeks or a few months at a time. Now I want to share this magical place with others through my tour that mimics my hitchhiking journey.