The Great Escape
September 2016 marked a new beginning in my life, but not the kind we usually think of. I was doing well, working at the rock yard, with just three months left on my probation. Then, everything changed. The thought to save my life came from somewhere unknown—perhaps a message from God—but wherever it came from, it was the smartest choice I ever made. So, I packed up what little I had, along with my new puppy, Percilla, and set my sights on Mexico.
Along the way, I met up with Harley Quinn, an old friend from my recovery days in Vegas. She needed help after a messy breakup, and since Dallas was on the way to the border, we did what friends should do and went to someone in need. She was a mess, and there was no fixing what she had broken. Now, there we were—me with a plan and her in despair. She told me she wanted to go with me, and I, always one to enjoy the company of others, said sure. But how would we get there?
As a hiker through and through, I was used to traveling on foot, but Harley was not. She suggested we take her grandfather’s truck, one that had no plates and no papers. But what the hell—we either make it or go to jail trying. So off we went, with only a dream of riding off into the sunset across the Mexican border. With two dogs, two people, and a vehicle that needed gas, Harley got creative and hustled up a few bucks to get us out of Dallas.
On the way to the border, we had a run-in with the Texas Rangers. I really thought my journey had ended before it even started. There I was, in a vehicle with no plates, no registration, no ID, and just absconded from probation. But thanks to the powers that be, at the last moment, they got a more pressing call on the radio and told us we were free to go, but we couldn’t stay at that truck stop for the night.
So off we rode into the ever-spanning darkness, adrenaline pumping through our veins, with no thought of where to rest. We ended up stopping somewhere in between here and there, and early the next morning, it was on to cross the border.
Stay tuned for more tales from my journey in “Andrew to Andy: The Mexico Story,” as I share the experiences, friendships, and inner growth that defined this incredible adventure.
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