Carson, California

357 miles from San Francisco

The dials on the dash began to turn off. Engine temperature. Speedometer. Fuel gauge. My heart pounded as “Brake Failure” appeared.

Thanks to a friend’s generosity, I was driving a borrowed car down LA’s infamous I-405 when something went wrong. Fortunately, I exited safely and landed below an overpass in Carson – 100 miles from San Diego. The ensuing hours proved taxing, as a blown alternator required a jump-start-filled 0.7-mile drive to a repair shop, but that was quickly alleviated by my uber driver, Jesus, who drove me South and also stayed with me for 2 hours and jumped the car 10+ times.

Jesus was born in Puebla – a city of 3+ million southeast of Mexico City. At age 14, his father and the family’s sole breadwinner died unexpectedly, and the lack of life insurance left him, his mother and two sisters helpless. Not yet old enough to drive, he hitch-hiked to the border and was smuggled across in the footwell of a car by two Americans for the tidy sum of $3,500. For the next 14 years, Jesus would lie about his age to work as a dishwasher, receive his high school equivalent via DACA and foster an entrepreneurial spirit inspired by the world’s great business leaders. He’s paid for both of his sisters' educations in full, and for his mother’s medical bills. He remains hopeful that they’ll be able to join him in California, but he can’t visit them out of fear that he'll be unable to re-enter the country. Sensing my concern, Jesus assured me that it is his life’s mission to do this. To be in America, removed from his family since age 14. To provide for their livelihood.

Beyond his life's story, we discussed our favorite books and Jesus’ desire to be an entrepreneur. His tenacity reminded me of that oft-described in Elon Musk's biography, a book I've listened to several times over when searching for motivation. Throughout the book, there is a clear sense of the undying spirit of strangers to this land – often unparalleled by those who take it for granted.

I sent him the book to thank him for his time and to provide even more motivational fodder, although something tells me he's already well on his way.

The Adventure Begins...Early

road dialogues