WHAT ARE THE CHANCES…

The plan was simple: drive down, stay for two months, focus on searching for a job without distractions, and return to the U.S. with a more stable future in sight.

The reality? Well… plans change.

The drive itself was an adventure. I worked Uber Eats and DoorDash along the way, sleeping in my car at night with my two dogs—Kassi, my little Chihuahua mix who sheds like it’s her full-time job, and Kira, my Weimaraner-Doberman mix who sheds less but still enough to get me banned from the lavandería (more on that another time).

I tried to keep my expenses low, which meant getting creative. I did as much research as I could before the trip, but some things you just learn on the road. Like how showering turned out to be easier (and cheaper) than expected. Hotels weren’t in the budget, and I knew that van lifers often use Planet Fitness for their workouts and showers. I had a membership for years, but when I was trying to cut expenses last year, “much to my scale’s disappointment,” it had to go.

However, they offer free one-day trials at different locations. Turns out, if you have multiple email addresses and select a different gym each time… well, you get the idea. Another hot shower awaits.

But not everything was that easy. Unexpected delays at the border, an impromptu overnight stay in a McDonald’s parking lot in Mexico, and adjusting to new road rules turned my carefully planned trip into something a bit more chaotic. By the time I arrived at my Airbnb in Morelia, I was a day late and several dollars short.

My life has been full of What are the chances? moments. If something can happen, it probably will—to me. But that pendulum swings both ways. I’ve had my fair share of mishaps, but I’ve also been lucky enough to find kindness when I needed it most.

Take Valentine’s Day, for example.

I arrived in Morelia in November and I miss my family like crazy, so getting through my first solo holiday season wasn’t easy. Sitting on the patio of a restaurant I had been wanting to try, I was enjoying my meal and watching the town center come alive. The cathedral was glowing, couples and families were laughing, and for the first time in a while, I started to feel a little out of place.

Then, suddenly, I heard my name being shouted from across the patio.

I looked up to see a friend from my building. He was out with his girlfriend and another couple I had spent time with on several occasions. They were all dressed up, obviously out enjoying their Valentine’s evening together, but they still stopped right there on the sidewalk, waving and calling out to me.

Every head on the patio turned to see who they were talking to. And when people realized it was me, I got warm smiles and nods—acknowledgment that, in that moment, I wasn’t just some stranger eating alone.

I could do nothing but laugh. With a shout of my own, I thanked them and wished them a Happy Valentine’s Day as well. That moment stuck with me for the rest of the night. Actually, I’m smiling now just writing about it.

It was in that moment that I realized… I may be eating dinner by myself, but I am not alone.

What Comes Next ?

I’ve made some wonderful friends in the past three months, and I look forward to meeting more. I don’t know exactly what the future holds, but I do know this: I’ll keep sharing the journey—the good, the bad, and the ridiculous.

So stick around, because if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that the unexpected is always right around the corner.

What are the chances…? Well, let’s find out together.