Hello and Hola. 

Let me introduce myself ... in case you don't know me. My name is Ann Hazard and I've spent most of my life vacationing, traveling, writing and living in Baja. I've written four books and (way too) many articles about this most magical, untamed peninsula located 20 miles from where I now sit, in San Diego. Actually, let me clarify. The "way too" many articles ... that was all my fault. I wrote so, so, so many articles on tourism that I burned myself out! If I am tempted to do this again, please smack me upside the head!!! Remind me that I don't fish and I'm not a Cabo person. I am an old hippy artist. I'm moving to Todos Santos ... where surfers, artists and metaphysical types coexist in harmony with the local Mexicans. This is where I belong! 

I left Baja in 2009. Now it's 2014 and I am aching to be back. Correction. I am moving back! I'm single now. I'm 61 and I live alone with two remarkable Miniature Schnauzers, Rokko and Romo. These dogs, my "boys," will be sharing this new adventure, this new chapter in my life. They're a bit freaked out. The house is mostly dismantled. We switched from a snazzy 2012 Lexus to a 2007 4-door Wrangler. Much of our furniture and all our houseplants are gone. I tell the dogs daily that we are a family and we are never going to live apart. But they don't quite get it yet. I am neither of their first mother. I got each at seven months of age, a year apart, so they have reason to be concerned that I might leave them. But they can relax. I won't. Ever. They don't know it yet but they are going to fall instantly in love with Todos Santos. We aren't city types, my boys and I. We need space---big open skies, wild towering mountains that edge down to empty beaches with no leashes---somewhere we can breathe, bark and play without bothering anyone. 

We leave next Friday, the day after Gayle's 29th birthday. Gayle is my daughter and the love of my life! Well, Lennox (her son who's seven months old) and Mike (her husband) are right up there. They are hippies, artists and surfers, so they can't wait to come down and spend some serious time. Gayle is already thinking Presidents Day weekend! Debbie, my bff, is driving down Baja with me and the boys and spending a couple of weeks (this trip). She's bringing her eight month old Chihuahua, Zorito. He and Romo are bffs as well. Rokko, being the oldest at two and a half, is the alpha, the head honcho and my soul mate. He is my best-ever dog and Romo is his awesome, cuddly, goofy sidekick. I am blessed to be heading off on this greatest adventure of my life with this crew. 

That's mostly it for today. I just realized I can upload photos from my phone. Yay!!! So....

Meet Rokko. He keeps a watchful eye on me lately, making sure I don't sneak off and disappear....

 This is Romo, still a puppy at 19 months. Also a bit concerned....

 Gayle and Lennox at Thanksgiving in Buena Vista.

 Mike releasing Olive Ridley Turtles in Buena Vista at Thanksgiving.

 I took this while Mike was surfing at Cerritos Beach just south of Todos Santos. The water here is light blue. You can see fish swimming through the breaking waves. There is no kelp. The water and air hover around 80 degrees, and the surf. Oh yeah.... It rocks.

 Mike and Lennox on Vicente's (formerly my dad's) boat, the Dottie B II at Thanksgiving.

 Deb and I flew off to Baja Sur on five days' notice in early November. I woke up one morning and had a need to go NOW like I'd never had before. Was this crazy idea of moving back to Baja meant to be? I was alone and I wanted to be very sure it was "right." I read a book by a local Todos Santos author, Elizabeth Day called "Living with Gusto." That brought me around immediately. It catapulted me into a whole new head-space and put me in the right mood. What were the signs? Well, first thing after landing in Cabo, we got a free upgrade to a Mexican Porsche (it's a Camaro). Next there was the complementary upgrade to a mini-suite at Hotel California. The perfect house for me, my family and special friends was next. It wasn't even one I'd picked out online. Finally, a cheap first class upgrade on the fight home. Yeah, baby. Like my friend Judy says, when things are right, a thousand angels line up and make it so....