One Year on Steemit!!!

Just over a year ago we logged into Steemit.com for the first time using this account with two intentions: telling our story and making some money. At the time we were broke, we had a house we were renting that we honestly could barely afford, our grocery budget was nearly non-existant and things were all around just tough. We had a few things going for us though, like our freedom and our story.

To those who have followed and supported us for this past year, thanks!

We came to Mexico on the run from the US government for cannabis related crimes in an especially corrupt area. When it became clear they were interested in making an example out of us, we decided to make one out of ourselves and we did what no one would have expected. Plenty of people skip state on charges, not many go to Mexico and blog about it once they get there.

But we made a plan from the beginning that this would be where we would end up, at all costs even if we had to walk across with nothing in the desert, the least desirable and horrible option. It’s pretty sad when being homeless in Mexico is much more appealing than being in prison in the states, but it’s the predicament we were in. We’re still on the run, by the way, just now doing better financially so we can even begin to consider handling that on any sort of level.

But we took a chance and started sharing our story with the hopes of making money and it worked out better than we expected, to be completely honest.

“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity”

I heard this one recently and liked it so much I wrote it down, then I drew it today(shown above). It rang so true because I’m constantly told how lucky I am, but I’m not sure most people understand what’s necessary to make luck happen. It’s not something that comes from nowhere, it’s the universes way of tipping those who have been working their asses off. Luck often comes after a long string of shitty events.

At the end of the day our journey to the border and eventually to Acapulco was an intermingling of those three things. We took the opportunity to try a different way of fighting the system, spent months preparing and had the good luck to pull it off without too many issues, our main concern being the border crossing and traveling to it. We showed up here with no money, but in our truck we had ourselves, our dog and much of our belongings which really isn’t nothing when you really look at it. We also had a friend who cared enough to help us start over, something we’ll be forever grateful to.

Our journey has been one of people telling us no. We’re crazy, we should be doing things differently, ect. We should have planned more, we shouldn’t have gotten arrested, we shouldn’t go to Mexico on the run. We’ve found there’s a lot of value in exploring what people tell you not to do. Like moving to Detroit, my father told me he expected me to get killed doing what we planned to there. When we were there living in that hood, we were laughing at my Dad and how foolish he was. He would have loved it there had he just given it a chance. Of all the places in the United States I miss, I seriously ACHE for Detroit sometimes.

There’s a certain value I’ve found to sticking to your guns that I’ve only learned of recently. I started this journey in many ways six years ago and found that when I started to wake up and stand up, I got resistance… from everyone including those I loved most and I quickly became estranged from those I said I would ALWAYS stay in contact with. As I started to fight for myself, they all fought me on even the smallest things. This caused me to leave much of my family behind and honestly, while it hurts me in many ways I’m better for it. It sucks knowing I was raised by crappy childish people, but on another hand I’m glad I’m aware of it and accepting it.

So I started standing up and quickly only saw the bad side of it which is often what scares people away from big changes like the ones I was facing in those years. We’re promised a light at the end of the tunnel but when everyone we love is at war with us, life is tough no matter how free your mind is. With the help of my partner, I was able to work through some of these challenges without giving up totally. As I woke up to the problems of the government I was also waking up to the issues in my family and it started to hurt, a lot.

And even since moving here we have faced much adversity from all sorts of people. Still facing old arguments on why we shouldn’t do things the way we are, we kept going. Don’t share your story, they said. Don’t make waves. Lay low. Go along to get along. Things would have been easier had we rolled over and relented on certain issues, but now as I see our future form before us I’m suddenly struck by a realization. Things are falling together for a reason.

Our success has come from sticking to our guns, in many ways. We didn’t let nos, shoulds and shouldn’ts stand in our way. We dealt with uncomfortable situations when necessary on principle and I feel better for it. Had I handled things differently I feel I would not have this strange new pride building, the one that comes from saying no and being right about it. It’s remembering the fact that the only person that can tell me what makes me happy is me, everything else is all just noise.

We also had the guts to do things differently and it’s worked for us. While other anarchists who get hung up in the states might use it as a means to gain publicity there, to fight the system within the system, often failing in the process. We understood early on that the best case scenario for us, with how the case was going, was to leave and try something new south of the border. It was different, but it worked for us. So many people along the way thought we weren’t going to make it, probably think we’re in jail, but we aren’t!

It’s been a long year on Steemit, both with ups and downs. All things considered it’s been a fairly good experience for us the whole way through. It’s how we pay our bills and how we were able to justify luxuries like a nice camera or a new laptop. It’s taken daily (or nearly daily) commitment to be where we are and honestly, we could be doing better had we started earlier or started taking it more seriously earlier.

I had the experience of going through my old posts and this year post was honestly going to be a flashback posts through many of those old ones, but I think it’s important to expound a little bit about how we got here and why we are where we are. Luck is very real and it isn’t random. Great things take a lot of work, they don’t just happen like in a movie.

We’ve shared just about everything with you guys this past year, from our past stories to our current sunsets, adventures and projects. It’s very cool having my life recorded in a blockchain, I will admit. So much has happened it’s easy to forget these things, Steemit makes it easier to remember what happened when, and what others had to say about it.

Here’s some highlights from this past year:

While it's been through a lot, Detroit is actually on the comeup in many ways. The people live their lives without government, using the golden rule to govern their lives, as the government is too broke and useless to do so. It's possible to live with no income very easily there, as I found out in my few months there.
How to Live Free in Detroit Michigan

I risked my personal freedom to grow a plant the government deems bad because I knew it was the right thing to do. I removed luxuries most consider necessities at this point for the comfort of knowing that I was really working towards a life truly off the grid, outside of government. I stopped working conventional jobs for steady pay, to take risks at business ideas with high long term payout. When I was arrested and charged with five felonies, I fought in the best way I could, with my feet to the border.
Be the Change and Change Your World

They managed to get in front of us once before this, only for us to swerve around and speed away. This time they stopped, got out and started running towards the car. John immediatly threw the truck in reverse and squealed his tires, backing up. I've always wanted to flick off a cop, so I did. According to our english friend who was with us, the fat one noticed and smiled, as he chased us down the street.
High Speed Police Chase

The bike with two people on it went slamming into the side of Hive account@modprobe’s turning motorcycle and for a moment both bike and all three people were tangled together in a sort of mechanical tornado before they all spat out in random directions. Hive account@modprobe fell to the ground, with his face smacking into it and the rest of his body to follow. What lay on the Coastera was a heap of metal and bloody people that was a scary sight, at the least.
Modprobe Mashup

"When you get to Mexico, go to Tecate. That's where I'm from. Teh-Cah-Teh. Remember that. You'll be safe there"
Auntie Tia and the Tecate Prophecy

"a jellyfish-like zooleogical mat, a near-lichen, a symbiosis of beneficient non-toxic yeasts and bacterium" is honestly one of the most specific ways I've found to describe kombucha.
Kombucha Chronicles: The Truth Behind the Miracle Brew