Constantly we talk about what it’s like to visit the gray whale that year after year visits San Ignacio Lagoon, a place that is recognized as a whale sanctuary and is a protected area by the UNESCO World Heritage.
San Ignacio Lagoon is one of those places you need to visit to recognize its beauty: a remote place in Baja, where the wind is strong in the first quarter of the year, months when gray whales come to reproduce and have their calves in these calm waters, where the clarity allows us to see the whales and their calves approach our boats friendly before they reach the surface, to give us either a spy hop, or much more: the most extraordinary interaction in the world!
This place has a bit of magic. Perhaps it’s the history of its local inhabitants who have great respect for their lands and every life that inhabits them, as well as a deep appreciation for all who visit them and generously share their stories and anecdotes. On this occasion, we have an account from one of our visitors, who shares with us the importance of taking a break to redefine who we are, what makes us fulfilled, and the importance of recharging our energy to start anew!
It’s been just under a month since I was laid off and I wanted to talk about something not entirely job-related but absolutely critical to anyone currently looking for work.
Mike Brum
On 2/4, we boarded a plane for a long-planned trip to Gray Whale Watching in San Ignacio Lagoon, Mexico. This is one of the only places where you can interact directly with gray whales as part of their annual migration. They come down from their feeding grounds in the north to mate and give birth. While this makes for some absolutely spectacular whale watching, they also do something down there they do nowhere else – they’ll approach the boats and actively seek out direct interaction with people. This has been happening for decades and is well-documented.
We were fortunate enough to encounter some friendly whales that wanted to interact with us. It is humbling beyond words to have a 40+ foot animal come up to you, look directly into your eye and gently position themselves for some chin scratches like they were some sort of 40 ton puppy while spinning playfully beneath your boat.
So what does this all have to do with being unemployed?
First, there was the question of whether it was appropriate to go in the first place. Is this really what we should be spending money on right now? Some of the costs were non-refundable, but not everything. Questions about where to cut costs and how to properly budget are real and can be stress-inducing.
Second, I largely decided to put off serious job hunting until we returned. It didn’t make much sense to kick off a bunch of conversations with companies only to tell them I was going dark for a week and a half. Continuity and consistency is really important in those conversations and we know that competition is steep right now.
Ultimately, I needed a mental reset. I needed to recharge. I needed to be off-grid and just not worry about everything for a little while. I needed to recenter my perspective.
And it worked.
Remember to prioritize yourself (especially your mental health). This can take many forms, but find something that helps you recharge your batteries.
I want to give a shoutout to Nautilus Liveaboards, the company that took such excellent care of us during our trip. Absolutely everyone we interacted with was nothing short of superb and it definitely elevated our experience.
This season, we’ve been fortunate enough to have exceptional encounters and guests who fill our hearts with love with their stories!
Join us in this great experience with the gray whales of San Ignacio Lagoon!